Silver Prospector

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Curlin Florida Derby Results - Independence Hall finished fifth. Bankroll: $2275. GI Arkansas Derby (1st Div.) - For the purposes of a contest like this, it's hard to stomach taking $20 profit on our mythical wager,...

In a Classic season blighted by the coronavirus pandemic, Oaklawn rounds out its winter meet with not one but two renewals of the GI Arkansas Derby. Facing a tough group of contenders in Saturday's second division of the Classic prep, including undefeated Nadal (Blame), winner of the GII San Vicente S. and GII Rebel S., and GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby hero King Guillermo (Uncle Mo), defending juvenile champion Storm the Court (Court Vision) will try to recover some of the sparkle from his 2-year-old season. This year, he...

Bellafina (Quality Road), tuning up for the Apr. 25 Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park, worked four furlongs in :47.80 (20/105) under Joe Talamo at the Hot Springs oval Saturday morning. Clockers caught the 4-year-old filly with a final quarter-mile of :23.60 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.20. "Unbelievable," Talamo said after getting on Bellafina for the first time. "Absolutely skipped over the track this morning." Bellafina, who shipped in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base Tuesday, was having her first work over the Oaklawn track Saturday. The three-time...

Bob Baffert sends out so many impressive 3-year-olds this time of year, it seems like some become forgotten as soon as the next one does something special. After the dazzling performances of Baffert trainees Authentic (Into Mischief) and Charlatan (Speightstown) in recent weeks, that forgotten horse may be the barn's unbeaten Nadal (Blame). Saturday, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy will look to match his talented stablemates as a likely favorite while making his two-turn debut in the $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. Debuting as a 6-5 favorite Jan. 19...

The ruthless nature of the American bloodstock market's trend toward unproven sires combined with an increased demand in developing nations for international stock has resulted in a worrying mass exodus of middle market stallions from Kentucky in recent years. WinStar Farm sold the regally bred Take Charge Indy to South Korea in 2016 six weeks before his first crop turned two, with his support particularly in the sales ring having waned, but thanks to a clause in the contract WinStar was able to buy him back and the son of...

A somewhat puzzling and well-beaten fourth as the second betting favorite in the Jan. 24 Smarty Jones S., Ed and Susie Orr's Silver Prospector (Declaration of War) made amends in no uncertain terms in Monday's $500,000 Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, parlaying a perfect trip into a one-length defeat of pacesetting Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky) at better than 9-2. Answer In (Dialed In), favored off his runner-up effort to Shoplifted (Into Mischief) in the Springboard Mile at Remington Dec. 15, checked in a distant third after racing erratically in...

Gold Street (Street Boss) will carry a three-race winning streak into Monday's $750,000 GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park. The bay has been perfect since earning his diploma by seven lengths at fourth asking at Churchill Downs Nov. 23. He captured the Sugar Bowl S. in his stakes debut at Fair Grounds Dec. 21, then stretched to two turns for the first time for a front-running score with a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in this track's Smarty Jones S. Jan. 24. All three of his victories have come over...

Four colts from the Steve Asmussen barn, three of which have big chances, give the Hall of Fame trainer a strong hand in Friday's Smarty Jones S., the opening-day feature at Oaklawn Park. The two-turn, one-mile test is the first of a four-race GI Kentucky Derby prep series at the Hot Springs oval and promises 10 Derby qualifying points to the winner. Given a slight nod on the morning line at 5-2 is Ed and Susie Orr's Silver Prospector (Declaration of War). Failing to make an impact in three turf...