Santa Anita Derby (Group 1)

THE three final Kentucky Derby trials are out of the way this week and there is a clear favourite for the 2025 Run for the Roses.

The Michael McCarthy-trained Journalism overcame a less than ideal trip to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby by a three-quarters of a length and secure top place in the Derby ante-post market.

It was a performance, overcoming a few obstacles, that will stand him in good stead in Kentucky.

Journalism, a son of Curlin, has now won four in a row from his maiden victory last November. He won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity to finish his two-year-old season and opened his three-year-old campaign with a win in the Grade 2 San Felipe.

Citizen Bull, last year’s champion two-year-old and one of two Bob Baffert runners in the Derby, battled with Westwood early. Barnes, Baffert’s second runner, raced with Baeza, while Journalism, the even-money favourite ridden by Umberto Rispoli, raced fifth.

After Baeza got the better of Citizen Bull, Journalism came with his strong run and drew alongside Baeza in the final furlong and pulled away to a three-quarter-length margin.

Baeza finished eight and a half lengths ahead of third-placed Westwood ahead of Citizen Bull.

Umberto Rispoli was reported saying: “It’s rare for a horse to get held up at the three-eighths pole and to get back in the race in that way. It’s always difficult, especially for such a big horse. But he has such an amazing style and is just an amazing horse.”

“He looked a little heavy. He needed the race pretty bad,” Baffert said of Citizen Bull the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, who had won the February 1st Robert B. Lewis Stakes in his first start at three.

In another boost to the form, Rodriguez, who had run third to Journalism and Barnes in the San Felipe Stakes, won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Baffert said: “These are nice three-year-olds in California.”

Journalism’s ownership group includes breeder Don Alberto, Bridlewood Farm, Elayne Stables, Robert LaPenta and also now includes the Magnier/Smith/Tabor group, after the breeding rights were purchased by Coolmore.

Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade 1)

KEENELAND were forced to move the feature to Tuesday due to bad weather and it was run in bright sunshine mid-week.

Godolphin’s East Avenue and Chancer McPatrick both had Grade 1-winning juvenile form, but had been disappointing on their three-year-old returns. Also in the mix was River Thames, second to Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth.

Chancer McPatrick went off favourite, but put in another disappointing effort. East Avenue had first-time blinkers and was chased to the lead by jockey Luan Machado and set very quick early splits - 22.95secs and 46.95 to the half mile. It looked briefly in the straight that he had done enough to see off his rivals, but from the back Burnham Square’s run down the outside took him to the front in the last stride under Brian Hernandez, who guided the Kenny McPeek-trained Mystik Dan to victory in the Kentucky Derby.

“For a three-year-old to make such a long run like he did today and be able to run down Grade 1 winners like he did - he’s an exciting horse to move forward with. When we turned for home, my horse had a full head of steam, and I was pretty confident we were going to able to run down,” Hernandez said on the son of Liam’s Map.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said on his horse’s progression: “The Holy Bull was good. The Fountain of Youth (fourth)… He’s not a big, robust horse, and I was probably a little kind on him coming in to that race, wasn’t as hard on him as what I wanted to be. Then I trained him a little more for here, because I needed points.”

East Avenue and third-place finisher River Thames also have enough points to grab a Derby berth.

Brendan Walsh said of East Avenue: “I loved how he battled. He looked at the head of the straight like he was going to fold and he didn’t fold, and I think it’s a good sign for the future.

“We’re a little disappointed we didn’t win, but it’s the next best thing; at least he showed up today.”

Another Wilkes Grade 1 winner

There was also a second Grade 1 win on the card for trainer Ian Wilkes, when Positano Sunset overcame favourite Emery to win the Grade 1 Resolute Racing Madison Stakes for fillies over seven furlongs under Julien R Leparoux.

A new US turf sprinter may have been revealed also in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes over five and a half furlongs, as the Godolphin Racing home-bred Think Big came late to head Rogue Lightning.

Irishman Ben Curtis was in the driving seat and he said of the Michael Stidham-trained gelding: “It’s unbelievable. I have to pinch myself, really, because last year we were a bit scared to come here and we gave it a miss – just the competitive nature of the place.

“He’s versatile ground-wise, also surface-wise, so he’s just a dream horse to have.”

BOB Baffert looks sure to be well-represented in Kentucky and Rodriguez, a son of his covid-time Derby winner Authentic, took a big step forward under Mike Smith to make all the running and run out a clear winner of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

Rodriguez, from the first crop of Authentic, produced a front-running three and a half-length victory over Grande to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby field, now third on the points list. Breaking from the rail under Mike Smith, Rodriguez took the lead in the Wood and led by about a length as Captain Cook chased in second until the top of the stretch.

When asked, Rodriguez surged to a four-length lead in midstretch and Grande and Passion Rules passed the tiring favourite. He may have benefitted from a rail-hugging trip, but Rodriguez completed his final furlong in a quick 12.47secs. The final time was the second fastest since 2006.

“We’re looking for horses who can win the Kentucky Derby and that was pretty awesome. Very impressive. This is what we have been looking for from him,” Baffert was reported on Blood-Horse.

“I took the blinkers off him and he relaxed. Mike did a fantastic job with him. That’s the perfect kind of horse for him. He gets those kind of horses to relax really well.”

Never worse than third in four career starts prior to the Wood, he was second to stablemate Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and most recently third behind Journalism in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Wood also moved Todd Pletcher’s Grande into the Derby points list. Owned by Repole Stable, it was just the third career start and stakes debut for the son of Curlin, who came wide from seventh in the field of 10 to gain second.

7/2 Journalism, 8 Sovereignty

12 Luxor Café, Sandman, Tappan Street, 20 Burnham Square, Citizen Bull, Tiztastic, 25 Baeza, Final Gambit, Publisher, 33 Coal Battle, Disco Time, East Avenue, Praetor