IF Netflix are looking for a diverse cast of players on the planned TV documentary on the run up to the 2023 Kentucky Derby, last Saturday may have provided a bit of Irish interest.

Jockey James Graham partnered outsider Confidence Game to a length success and move to the top of the Derby leaderboard on 57 points, after surprising at 18/1 in the $1 million Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The 44-year-old Dubliner has been on the US circuit since 2002 and rides on the Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park tracks.

The Rebel had looked a talented field including stakes-winning or stakes-placed colts such as Verifying, Giant Mischief, Red Route One and Reincarnate.

Shooting to the lead from fifth in early stretch under Graham, Confidence Game comfortably kept Red Route One and Reincarnate at bay to win the richest prep race so far on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. “This horse is really putting it all together, and he certainly did it today,” Graham was quoted afterwards.

The Candy Ride colt runs for the Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and incredibly, out of a half-sister to the outstanding Zenyatta, he only cost trainer Keith Desormeaux $25,000 at the Keeneland September Sale in 2021 from the Lanes End consignment. His dam Eblouissante is by Bernardini and he was bred by Flightline’s breeders Summer Wind Equine.

This was his third win in six outings. He won by a length, completing a mile and half a furlong on the sloppy track in 1m 44.21secs.

The race was a bit rough in the latter stages and John Velazquez, aboard slow-starting Reincarnate, claimed foul after being shut off and forced to switch his mount in the stretch but the stewards made no change to the order.

Reincarnate raced for trainer Tim Yakteen after having been previously trained by Bob Baffert, who is banned by Churchill Downs from competing in the Derby due to medication violations.

By running for Yakteen, he earned 15 points and, with a top finish in his next time, could have enough points to make the Derby.

The early pace was fast in fractions of 22.75secs, 46.17secs with the Brad Cox favourite Verifying, in the Derrick Smith colours, third early, performing best of the horses that raced near the front.

Winning trainer Keith Desormeaux said he was pleased with his colt’s performance.

“He’s really come into his own. He started off pretty immature, but as the races went on, he has improved things mentally and physically,” he told reporters.

Desormeaux best effort from few runners in the Kentucky Derby, was with Exaggerator, second in 2016, who later won the Preakness Stakes.

Paint shines

Godolphin have had some brilliant fillies through their hands but perhaps none to have had a rather low-key name like Wet Paint.

The Blame filly (out of Sky Painter) overcame a sloppy Oaklawn Park track to make it two wins in a row after her Listed Martha Washington success at this same track and stake her claim for the Kentucky Oaks.

Another classic contender for Brad Cox, she added the $300,000 Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes picking up 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks.

Breaking a step slowly, Wet Paint raced toward the back of the 12-horse field under a patient Flavien Prat, while Condensation and Taxed set the pace to a half-mile in 48.19secs. Given daylight at the top of the stretch, she unleashed a strong late move, finishing the mile and half a furlong in 1m45.35secs, three lengths ahead of runner-up Condensation.

Wet Paint now has 70 points to top the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard after earning 20 points in the Martha Washington Stakes.

Cox said: “She’s a very good filly. Florent did a great job of being patient and not panicking at the quarter pole. I didn’t like what I saw, but he stayed on the rail, and it opened up and he kicked on. She wears blinkers, but I don’t know what they do for her because she doesn’t have much early speed. She’s not blessed with a lot of early speed, but she has a great closing kick.”

Cox is likely to aim Wet Paint toward a start in the April 1 Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn.

“The Kentucky Oaks is the goal; I think she’s going to handle a mile and an eighth.”

Baffert runners on the move

Four of Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby prospects, including impressive Southwest Stakes winner Arabian Knight, were transferred to the barn of Tim Yakteen last week.

The move comes after the trainer lost a court decision to overturn his two-year ban from Churchill Downs. None of his runners in the earlier trials have been allowed accumulate points in the Derby qualifying leaderboard.