Arkansas Derby

All the nine-furlong prep races have been run, and the Triple Crown-caliber players have stepped forward and established themselves. We're three weeks away from a campaign's worth of enjoyable chaos sorting itself into some semblance of order, which means there's still plenty of time before you have to lock in your GI Kentucky Derby horse. Or maybe you'd prefer to wait for the GI Preakness S., like several top sophomores might end up doing. 1) MUTH (c, Good Magic--Hoppa, by Uncle Mo) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Don...

'TDN Rising Star' Timberlake (Into Mischief), fourth as the favorite in last Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, will not be pointed to the GI Kentucky Derby, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. The GI Champagne S. winner and GII Rebel S. winner is currently ranked fifth with 81 points for the Kentucky Derby. "Based on the performance over the weekend, we are not going to run in the Kentucky Derby," trainer Brad Cox told DRF. "We are thinking about cutting him back in distance." Cox added, "He came out...

You need to channel your inner Meat Loaf to put Saturday's trio of points-awarding stakes for the GI Kentucky Derby in perspective. The well-backed winners of the GI Arkansas Derby, GI Florida Derby, and G2 UAE Derby all delivered commanding, speed-centric performances that transformed what has been an underwhelming prep season into a Triple Crown chase suddenly spiked with intrigue. 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) swatted back a surprise mid-race attack to win authoritatively at Oaklawn. Fellow 'Rising Star' and juvenile champ Fierceness (City of Light) administered a 13...

HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas--A pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Muth (Good Magic) and Timberlake (Into Mischief) squared off on an overcast but warm Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn Park to contest the 88th running of the GI Arkansas Derby. What the race turned out to be was a strong statement issued by Muth, as Zedan Racing's colt kicked for home, won by two lengths and collected the purse money. Of course--since the 3-year-old is a trainee in Bob Baffert's care--he will not receive his 100 Kentucky Derby points. A record-tying victory,...

We're approaching the five-week mark to the GI Kentucky Derby, but not all contenders on this week's list are aiming for the first Saturday in May. This coming weekend's nine-furlong stakes at Oaklawn and Gulfstream have the potential to usher in a shake-up within the rankings, which have remained relatively stable as winter edges into spring. 1) MUTH (c, Good Magic--Hoppa, by Uncle Mo) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW,...

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Timberlake (Into Mischief), winner of the Feb. 24 GII Rebel S., will return to Oaklawn Park for the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Wednesday. "I like the timing," Cox said. "Obviously, he has the experience there now, that one run under him. I kind of thought the Rebel was the spot when we were getting started. At the beginning of the winter, we thought the Rebel was the spot. It worked out." Timberlake worked five furlongs in 1:02.00 (18/30) at Cox's...

Harry Rosenblum and Cheyenne Stable's Time for Truth (Omaha Beach) tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby with a six-furlong work in 1:13.00 (1/1) work over a muddy Oaklawn strip Saturday. "This was our meat and potatoes," trainer Ron Moquett said of the work. "Then, we'll put a side on him next week." A debut winner at Oaklawn on New Year's Eve, Time for Truth was second in the Feb. 10 Ozark S., but missed out on a start in the GII Rebel S....

Time for Truth (Omaha Beach) likely earned himself a spot in the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby with his allowance victory at Oaklawn Park Saturday. Owned by Harry Rosenblum and Cheyenne Stables and trained by Ron Moquett, the colt had to be scratched from last week's GII Rebel S. after suffering a minor shin injury the night before the race. Making his two-turn debut in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile allowance, Time for Truth showed a new dimension by coming from off the pace to post a 1 1/2-length victory under regular...

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), a powerful winner of this spring's GI Arkansas Derby and a rallying third as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, has returned to training at WinStar Training Center and is expected to rejoin trainer Brad Cox at either Fair Grounds or Oaklawn Park within the next month. The Albaugh Family Stables colorbearer was given a freshening after concluding his six-race sophomore campaign with a dead-heat fourth-place finish in the GI Belmont S. June 10 and a close third-place finish in a roughly run renewal...

America's Day at the Races, the national telecast produced by New York Racing Association in partnership with FOX Sports, will expand its coverage of racing from Oaklawn Park when the Arkansas track opens for its 2023-24 meet Friday. As part of a multi-year agreement, America's Day at the Races will feature daily analysis and handicapping of Oaklawn Park racing as well on-site coverage from NYRA television personalities throughout opening weekend, Smarty Jones weekend, Rebel weekend, Arkansas Derby weekend, Apple Blossom weekend and Oaklawn H. weekend. Live racing returns to Oaklawn...

5th-Keeneland, $130,000, Alw (NW3$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 4-28, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:50.29, gd, 3 lengths. WE THE PEOPLE (c, 4, Constitution--Letchworth, by Tiznow) was last seen in Parx's crowning GI Pennsylvania Derby as MGISW Taiba (Gun Runner), GISW Zandon (Upstart), and MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner) went on to fill the trifecta. Before that, he'd made a name for himself on the back of a 10 1/4-length score in the GIII Peter Pan S., and then ran fourth in the GI Belmont S. next out as stablemates GISW Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo)...

An unintended consequence of moving all of the final, 100-point, nine-furlong preps for the GI Kentucky Derby to four weeks out is that there is now nearly a full month without any meaningful (to the general public) action in the lead-up to America's most historic and important horse race. When viewed alongside other professional sports, which have significantly expanded their playoff structures in recent seasons to capitalize on the immediacy (and bettability) of wild-card  and play-in games with last-chance qualifying berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has...