March Madness: Derby Preps Highlight Busy Race Weekend

As the calendar turns to March, Derby fever kicks into high gear with no fewer than six races awarding points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks respectively this weekend.

Saturday features the return of the undefeated GII San Vincente Stakes winner Barnes (Into Mischief) for trainer Bob Baffert as one of a six-horse field in the GII DK Horse San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. The $3.2m FTSAUG grad lines up with a pair of well-regarded stablemates in Mellencamp (Constitution) and 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic), both of whom are still seeking their first stakes wins. Taking money into the teeth of the Baffert trio is the GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner Journalism (Curlin) who makes his 3-year-old debut Saturday for trainer Michael McCarthy. The San Felipe awards 50 Derby points to the winner, essentially guaranteeing a spot in the gate especially for those already with points accrued (Journalism and Rodriguez each have 10, Mellencamp has 1).

Gulfstream's 50-point Derby prep, the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes, also has several contenders looking to pad their current Derby points. GIII Holy Bull Stakes winner Burnham Square (Liam's Map) sits ninth on the points list with 20 for Ian Wilkes while Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) brings 10 points in from his win in the GIII Street Sense Stakes in his last start Oct. 27.

“He's been working great,” jockey Edgard Zayas said of his mount Burnham Square. “He's just getting better and better through racing. His last work was five furlongs, he worked really good and his gallop-out was amazing. The best part of his works is always his gallop-out. It looks like he has a really long stride and he just keeps on going.”

Both of them will have to tackle the undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music) who makes his stakes debut Saturday as one of two entries for trainer Todd Pletcher (the other being rail-drawn Gate to Wire {Munnings}). Florida-bred Neoequos (Neolithic) will look to likely set the pace as the sole entry for Saffie Joseph, Jr. who always merits a second look at his home track.

River Thames | Lauren King

The GIII Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct is the third of the 50 point Derby races Saturday and welcomes a pair of undefeated New York-breds who line up side by side in Sacrosanct (Honest Mischief) for Brad Cox and 'TDN Rising Star' Sand Devil (Violence) for Linda Rice. Chad Brown brings up Juddmonte homebred Garamond (Uncle Mo) from Tampa for his stakes debut in just his second start while Cox's second entry, Flood Zone (Frosted) is a newcomer to his barn after breaking his maiden at Gulfstream for Victor Barboza Jr. Jan. 4.

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks also makes a stop at each of the above mentioned tracks over the weekend with Gulfstream hosting the GII Davona Dale Stakes Saturday. Saffie Joseph brings GSW The Queens M G (Thousand Words) here off a third in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes going a furlong shorter Feb. 1. She'll have to tackle Tracy Farmer homebred La Cara (Street Sense), the impressive winner of the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Feb. 8 for Mark Casse who also took last year's GIII Pocahontas Stakes.

“The Davona Dale comes back pretty quick for us, but I'm trying to set her up and getting her ready for the Ashland and hopefully the Kentucky Oaks,” Casse said of La Cara. “She's already in South Florida, so we'll just stay at home.”

Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) ran a game second to 'TDN Rising Star' Muhimma in the GII Demoiselle Stakes last out in her first try on the main track and steps in here for her 3-year-old debut for Chad Brown.

Offering Oaks points in New York, the listed Busher Stakes welcomes rail-drawn Liam in the Dust (Liam's Map) who ran third in the aforementioned Demoiselle Stakes and Juddmonte homebred Ramify (Munnings) who cuts back to the mile off a fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda Stakes Jan. 18 for Chad Brown. Brad Cox's Sharp Smile (Practical Joke) ran third in the Busanda after breaking her maiden over course and distance Nov. 21 and draws outside Saturday. Whitworth Beckman takes the blinkers off Silverbulletday Stakes third Drexel Hill (Bolt d'Oro) who also cuts back from a pair of 1 mile and 70 yd races.

Santa Anita put their Oaks prep as the Sunday feature with the GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes with Bob Baffert wielding a three-strong hand again in the six-horse field led by a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Cipriani (Bernardini) and Maysam (Game Winner) the latter of whom comes in off just two weeks rest after disappointing as the favorite in the Sunland Park Oaks Feb. 16. Rounding out the trio, Howin (Gun Runner) is still seeking her first stakes win after running fourth in the Santa Ynez Stakes Jan. 5. Of the non-Baffert runners, Just as Fancy (Volatile) ran third of three runners in the GIII Las Virgenes Stakes for Michael McCarthy while Supa Speed (Justify) makes her dirt debut for John Sadler.

Maysam | Benoit

The older horses features in the two Grade I races held Saturday topped by the GI Santa Anita Handicap at the classic 1 1/4-mile distance. Last year's GII Cigar Handicap winner 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) ships out from Florida for Todd Pletcher having recently run second to White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 25. He draws outside a Baffert pair in Mirahmadi (Into Mischief) and New King (Into Mischief). Also shipping out is Brad Cox's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) who last rallied to take the GIII Louisiana Stakes over a sloppy Fair Grounds track Jan. 18. War horse Express Train (Union Rags), who won this race in 2022 and now returns as an 8-year-old for John Shirreffs, draws inside off a game second to Katonah (Klimt) in the GII San Pasqual last time out Jan. 25.

One race earlier, the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile hosts Mi Hermano Ramon (Creative Cause) who returns to Santa Anita off a fourth in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational for Mark Glatt. Trainer Dan Blacker, who took last weekend's G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint with Eclipse champion Straight No Chaser (Speightster), brings in the ultra-consistent El Potente (Temple City) off back to back wins over the course and distance. Neat (Constitution) is making his 4-year-old debut Saturday for Rob Atras just outside of Formidable Man (City of Light) who will race without blinkers for Michael McCarthy off a win two back in the GI Hollywood Derby.

Also going one mile on the turf, Santa Anita's GII Buena Vista Stakes sees Tirupati (Mitole) line up inside of Uncorked (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}) who makes his 2025 debut for Phillip D'Amato. Rashmi (Oscar Performance) took the GII Megahertz Stakes last time out Feb. 1 for Jonathan Thomas and Alpha Bella (Justify) looks to go one better after finishing runner up in her last three graded stakes starts for John Sadler.

Gulfstream hosts much of the weekend's action with eight graded stakes races Saturday including the aforementioned Fountain of Youth and Davona Dale. Other main-track features include the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution) in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile along with Encino (Nyquist) and 6-year-old Steal Sunshine (Constitution) who exits a sixth at long odds in the Pegasus World Cup last out.

“When he won the Battaglia, we were keen to see what he would do in the Lexington,” said Godolphin's Michael Banahan of Encino. “It was a nice field, and he won it well, and we were on the verge of getting into the Derby when he came up with that little injury and we had to give him the rest of the year off. It's good to have him back. I think he's got plenty of talent but we're not too sure what his ceiling is.”

Mindframe | Coglianese

On the turf, the GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes opens the graded action with Sweetest Chant Stakes winner Vixen (Vekoma) tackling Godolphin homebred Civetta (Into Mischief). The GIII Canadian Turf Stakes sees Irish Aces (Mshawish) line up opposite Fort Washington (War Front) and Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro). The GIII The Very One Stakes hosts the distance runners going 1 3/8 miles and the GIII Honey Fox Stakes closes out the turf action with another one-mile feature.