The Derby Trail is open for business this weekend with three Kentucky Derby prep races.
The winner in each of their respective races will earn twenty qualifying points in hopes of drawing a spot in the gate the first Saturday in May.
These three contests are the feature events for Saturday:
The Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Park. Inaugurated in 1874, one year before the Kentucky Derby, the Withers has been held at five different racetracks during its long history. Dozens of high-class horses have graced the Withers Winner’s Circle, including Hall of Fame champions such as MAN O’ WAR (1920) and NATIVE DANCER (1953).
In 2012 NYRA elected to shift the Withers to early February, gradually restructuring the event into a 1 1⁄8-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race. The purse got a boost as well, reaching $250,000 in 2014.
The Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park. Inaugurated in 1990 as the Preview Stakes, the race was renamed in 1996 to honor the recently retired 1994 Horse of the Year HOLY BULL, who counted the Florida Derby (G1) among his major Stakes wins at Gulfstream.
Through the years, the conditions of the Holy Bull have shifted repeatedly; the distance has been changed seven times, and the purse has risen and fallen like the shoreline. But one element never changes; the Holy Bull is a key prep race on the Derby Trail.
THE SOUTHWEST STAKES at OAKLAWN PARK. The race’s purse increase to $1 million dollars reflects its growing importance on the Derby Trail. The Southwest is part of a progressive series of Derby preps at Oaklawn. It serves as a bridge between the Smarty Jones Stakes and the Rebel Stakes, creating a logical progression for developing three-year-olds.
Southwest Stakes performers often need to show progression in subsequent preps, particularly in the Rebel Stakes or Arkansas Derby. The race has proven to be an excellent gauge of a horse’s ability to handle two turns and compete against quality competition.
It’s going to be a busy Saturday. The Daily Racing Blog will have more on these races throughout the week
