Gulfstream

THE Kentucky Derby trials go up a level this weekend with two Grade 1 events at Gulfstream and Oaklawn Park.

The Florida Derby (Sky 10.42pm) has been one of the most important stepping stones to the Kentucky Derby with past winners including Northern Dancer, Spectacular Bid, Barbaro, Big Brown, Orb, Nyquist and Always Dreaming.

Mage, who finished second in 2023, was the last horse to come out of the Gulfstream race go on to win at Churchill Downs.

This year’s $1 million contest is headlined by Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Sovereignty. A Grade 3 at two, the Godolphin colt took the eye with his stretch run to win that Fountain of Youth in fine style.

A son of Into Mischief, Sovereignty has shown the ability to finish fast in his races and he should overcome the disadvantage in breaking from the outside post in a 10-horse field.

Junior Alvarado rode Sovereignty in all four of his starts but fractured his shoulder following a spill at Gulfstream and Manny Franco takes the mount.

Bob Baffert’s Madaket Road is his main opponent while Todd Pletcher, looks for a ninth victory with highly regarded Disruptor.

Bob Baffert has a host of decent three-year-olds and the Quality Road colt has held his own against good competition this year. He finished third behind champion Citizen Bull in his three-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and then ran second to Coal Battle in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes.

Without blinkers this time, Madaket Road should be prominent early and could be tough to pass. He has the highest Equibase Speed Figure in the field.

Tyler Gaffalione was originally scheduled to ride but suffered a broken ankle in an incident mid-week and veteran rider Mike Smith gets the call up.

Todd Pletcher has won eight in total and three of the last four runnings and he runs the lightly-raced Disruptor.

The Gun Runner colt won his last outing here over the seven-furlong distance and won by over nine lengths with a good speed figure on his second start.

The Brad Cox-trained Tappan Street, another Into Mischief horse, is the other to consider under Luis Saez.

Also on the Gulfstream card, the Pegasus World Cup winner White Abarrio returns in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper Stakes where one of last year’s good three-year-old fillies, Power Squeeze is in opposition.

Oaklawn

The Arkansas Derby’s (11.48pm) roll of honour is led by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and includes last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Mystik Dan.

Tonight’s $1.5 million race has a field of nine led by Oaklawn Park stakes winner Coal Battle and the Bob Baffert-trained Cornucopian, who will be making only his second career start but is the morning-line favourite.

Under John Velazquez, the son of leading sire Into Mischief steps up in distnace the nine-furlong trial.

Cornucopian dominated nine opponents first time out, but over six furlongs on the Rebel Stakes undercard at Oaklawn, drawing away to score by five and three quarter lengths and earn a high Equibase Speed Figure.

He needs to finish first or second to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby based on the points in recent years.

Mark Casse’s grey Sandman deserves a change of luck, despite only two wins from eight starts.

The son of top sire Tapit won his second start last summer at Saratoga. Since moving to Oaklawn, he won over a mile race and then rallied impressively after a bad start to finish second behind Speed King in the Southwest Stakessss.

He then closed again to take third behind Coal Battle in the Rebel Stakes, where Speed King was well beaten. Sandman should relish an extra distance here.

The Lonnie Briley-trained Coal Battle reeled off wins in two Oaklawn Park Kentucky Derby points races and has secured his position as one of 20 possibles in the Derby.

The Coal Front colt has been consistent (five wins from five on dirt) and has shown versatility in his running style, having won the Smarty Jones Stakes by setting the pace and the Rebel Stakes coming late.

With chief rival Cornucopian unproven at the distance, Coal Battle should to be prominent early under regular jockey Juan Vargas.