IT’S another big weekend of Kentucky Derby trials, just a month away from the famous race.

Two Grade 1s will complete the top list of contenders from the east and west coasts and, although the Blue Grass and Santa Anita Derby only have fields of seven and five, they are composed of many likely to be at the head of the market come the Run for the Roses.

With bad weather forecast, Keeneland’s opening Friday race card, including the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes, now takes place on Monday. The Saturday racecard, featuring the Grade 1 $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass, has been rescheduled to Tuesday.

Journalism, one of the early favourites for this year’s Kentucky Derby, and last year’s champion juvenile colt Citizen Bull meet in the five-runner Grade 1, $500,000 Santa Anita Derby, going nine furlongs.

Journalism jumped to the top of this year’s three-year-old division via a scintillating win in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 1st.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism scored by a length and three-quarters in the San Felipe after running down another highly regarded three-year-old, Barnes, who is also entered back in the Santa Anita Derby. The win by Journalism earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure by a three-year-old this year.

Journalism closed out his juvenile campaign with a win in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December.

The Coolmore partners have reached an agreement to stand the son of Curlin at Ashford Stud upon his retirement.

Citizen Bull, trained by Bob Baffert, was crowned last year’s two-year-old male champion following a campaign that included wins in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. In his only start this year, Citizen Bull, by Into Mischief, led all the way winning the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis going a mile at Santa Anita.

Baffert, who is seeking a 10th win in the Santa Anita Derby, also trains Barnes. In the San Felipe, Barnes was making his first start beyond seven furlongs. He set the pace that day and led inside the final furlong before being overhauled late by Journalism.

Trainer John Shirreffs runs both Baeza and Westwood. Baeza is a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.

The Grade 2 Wood Memorial has the biggest field of the week’s trials, as many on the cusp of the Derby cut-off point seek enough points to guarantee a run. Twelve line-up, with Bob Baffert again providing the favourite in the Authentic colt Rodriguez, placed in both the west coast trials at Santa Anita, the San Felipe Stakes and Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

Amo Racing’s Hill Road, trained here last season and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Tampa Bay Derby last time, should be in the mix over this nine furlongs.

Richard E. Dutrow’s Captain Cook is also to the head of the betting, winner of the Listed Withers Stakes here in January.

The Todd Pletcher-trained River Thames was the morning-line favourite in a field of seven three-year-olds entered for the nine-furlong $1.25 million Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass, now moved to Tuesday.

River Thames was runner-up to Sovereignty in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 1st with Burnham Square fourth on his most recent start, and Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call.

Second favourites are East Avenue and Owen Almighty.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Godolphin’s East Avenue (by Medaglia D’Oro) was an impressive winner of last year’s Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at this track, but was a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 15th at Fair Grounds in his 2025 debut.

Brian Lynch’s Owen Almighty comes off his victory in the Grade 3 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on March 8th.

Trained by Chad Brown, Chancer McPatrick comes into the race off a runner-up finish in the Tampa Bay Derby. He needs to step up on that form following his Grade 1 victories in the Hopeful and the Champagne.