The Fountain Of Youth Stakes (G2) is Saturday at Gulfstream Park. SPECTACULAR BID, BET TWICE, FORTY NINER, THUNDER GULCH and ORB are just a few of the decorated Champions of this historic Kentucky Derby prep race. First run in 1945 and currently contested over 1 1⁄16 miles, the Fountain of Youth has been producing Derby contenders for generations. SPECTACLAR BID (1979), THUNDER GULCH (1995), and ORB (2013) … Continue reading The Fountain Of Youth Stakes
The Grade 2, $1 million dollar Rebel Stakes on Saturday, is the third of four official prep races at Oaklawn Park on The Road To The Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/16-mile race has attracted eleven 3-year-olds who will compete for the 50-20-15-10-5 points that go to the top five eligible finishers. 1. VERIFYING [ML 2-1] Trainer: Brad Cox. Jockey: Florent Geroux. Was a debut Winner at Saratoga … Continue reading Who Wins The Rebel Stakes ?
This Saturday is the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile event known for producing the occasional Kentucky Derby Winner- SMARTY JONES (2004) and 2015 Triple Crown Winner AMERICAN PHAROAH. History tells us a lot about the Rebel, which along with a $1 million purse, also awards Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top five finishers on a 50-20-15-10-5 basis. Looking over the last 10-15 editions reveals … Continue reading Trends That Tend To Win The Rebel
The Road to the Kentucky Derby passes through Arkansas on Saturday, as the million dollar, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes takes place at Oaklawn Park. A competitive field is expected to line up for this 1 1/16 mile contest. Along with purse money the Winner will also earn 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The race was inaugurated in 1961 as the Rebel Handicap, and was changed … Continue reading Rebel Stakes Historic Talent
The chase for Kentucky Derby points will take on a different perspective after Saturday’s running of the Risen Star Stakes at Fairgrounds. It’s the first race with a 50-point top prize on the Road To The Kentucky Derby. Previous preps have put their top finishers in a contending position for a berth, but taking the Risen Star will give the Winner more than enough points to assure … Continue reading The Winner Of The Risen Star Is…
Fairgrounds will host the $400,000, Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Saturday. It was 2002 when the race was awarded Grade 3 status, and then bumped up to Grade 2 status in 2010. It will be the first 50-point race of the season on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, for horses hoping to make it into the starting gate on the first Saturday … Continue reading Stars Shine In The Risen Star
Mother Nature is undefeated in ALL her starts and the streak continued last week as single-digit temperatures and high-winds KO’d last Saturday’s Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Park. The rescheduled $250,000, 1 1/8-mile Derby prep is set to go on Saturday (2/11) at the Big A and the skies look clear for takeoff. A field of seven (up from six last week) will break from the starting … Continue reading Who Wins The Withers ?
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado are really enjoying their Saturdays in South Florida this winter. One week after this team Won the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes with ART COLLECTOR, the trainer/jockey combo chalked up another Gulfstream Saturday success on February 4th. This triumph was the $250,000 Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes. ROCKET CAN, a gray son of INTO MISCHIEF, prevailed by three-quarters of … Continue reading ROCKET CAN Could
Here’s a closer look at the field of eight for this years edition of the Holy Bull Stakes, which takes place Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park. 1. LORD MILES [ML 4-1] Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. He enters the Holy Bull off of a fast-closing 3rd-place finish in the Mucho Macho Stakes at Gulfstream on New Year’s Day. He rolled through the stretch … Continue reading Who Wins The Holy Bull Stakes?
Apart from the goings on at Gulfstream Park Saturday there is also a Kentucky Derby points race. The Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park will offer more KD qualifying points Saturday than it has in years past. There is a total of 40 points up for grabs with the top five finishers (if eligible) receiving 20-8-6-4-2 points in descending order. A field of nine was … Continue reading The Southwest Stakes
