America’s Finest Racing Editor Patrick Reed brings you key takeaways from Thoroughbred horse racing’s world Saturday, with a deal with the 200-point Kentucky Derby on the Woodford Reserve prep races in Arkansas and Florida, and the star-studded Dubai World Cup Carnival card within the United Arab Emirates.
New primary?
Simply hours after information broke that Paladin would miss out on the Triple Crown and never return to racing till the autumn on the earliest, Commandment and Renegade each delivered performances worthy of knocking Paladin excessive spot within the NTRA ballot and the Kentucky Derby candidate rankings, which embrace Byron King’s Derby Derby. Commandment had a troublesome name towards Puma within the Curlin Florida Derby hosted by Hill & Dale Farms in Xalapa, adopted instantly by Renegade’s straightforward victory within the Arkansas Derby, and each outcomes generated lots of buzz on social media.
Barring a breakthrough within the 200-point prep race on April 4, every winner has a robust case for Kentucky Derby help. Comanment appeared to be dropping floor on the entrance of Gulfstream Park as he trailed behind within the sluggish sections, however he made a sustained run and narrowly nipped The Puma, with Chief Wallaby struggling in third place, wedged between the 2. His victory undoubtedly got here towards stiffer competitors. Renegade additionally fell far behind early within the Arkansas Derby, however completed like a locomotive at Oak Garden, defeating the stylish Silent Tactic for the win. The colt’s blackout time and litmus check, whereas firmly favored by bettors, have been by no means an element within the Arkansas Derby.
It is written right here that Renegade has a slight edge because the morning favourite heading into the Might 2 Kentucky Derby, however it’s value noting that Comanment already has a win at Churchill Downs from final fall. The Paladin will probably be lonely, however the Derby march continues…
Do not be embarrassed even for two seconds
With Saturday’s win, Commandment and Renegade moved into first and second place with 150 and 125 factors, respectively, on their option to the Kentucky Derby factors leaderboard at Churchill Downs. The runners-up within the Florida Derby and Arkansas Derby have been additionally in a position to enter the Might 2nd race safely, as Puma scored 106 factors and Silent Ways scored a good 100 factors. Each stallions ran effectively in Saturday’s loss. Simply three weeks after a hard-fought victory within the ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby, questions in regards to the Pumas’ capacity to carry out at their greatest once more have been silenced. The query is whether or not he can run one other 8.5 miles within the Kentucky Derby.
Silent Tactic lived as much as the decision in all 4 Kentucky Derby factors races at Oaklawn Park, ending with one win (Southwest Stakes) and three seconds, and a two-length lead over third-place finisher within the Arkansas Derby. Mark Casse trainee Silent Tactic has a terrific likelihood to win one other Fats Examine on the primary Saturday in Might.
contemplate dimension
Are we witnessing Gun Runner 2.0? Winchell Thoroughbred Magnitude first gained consideration 13 months in the past when he posted a 43.20-1 upset within the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes at Kentucky Derby Highway. He missed out on the Triple Crown as a consequence of a chip in his ankle, however has regularly returned to high kind. Now, simply as Gun Runner ran in the identical relationship in 2016-17, Magnitude seems to have reached a brand new stage as a four-year-old, as evidenced by his earlier run on the Emirates-sponsored Dubai World Cup, the place he received by one size over world celebrity Without end Younger Saturday. That is his third win in a row heading into the massive summer time races within the older male division such because the Stephen Foster Stakes and the Whitney Stakes. Horse racing followers can solely hope that progress continues underneath the steering of Steve Asmussen and that Without end Younger continues to coach lengthy sufficient to arrange a doable rematch within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
japanese jet set
Within the UAE Derby hosted by Jumeirah held on Saturday, Surprise Dean cornered the chief Six Pace within the remaining furlong to win by two and a half lengths, marking the fifth consecutive yr {that a} horse bred and primarily based in Japan has received. Officers with the stallion informed reporters after Wonderdean’s victory that the horse can be shipped to Louisville to run within the Kentucky Derby. The horse scored 106 factors on the Euro/Mideast Highway race at Churchill Downs, simply qualifying for the Kentucky Derby sequence of preparatory races.
In the meantime, in Surprise Dean’s dwelling nation, Dannon Bourbon received the Fukuryu Stakes over Don Electus, giving each stallions 40 factors at Japan Highway within the Kentucky Derby sequence, which supplies one horse a Derby entry. BloodHorse experiences that Danon Bourbon, a Kentucky-bred son of Maxfield, is being retained primarily based on Churchill Downs’ newest leaderboard as a result of Don Erectus is just not nominated for the Triple Crown, and his officers informed Churchill Racing Director Kate Hunter that he is not going to be shipped to Louisville. Whereas neither of those contenders is giving off Without end Younger vibes in the meanwhile, it is exhausting to disregard how outstanding Japanese horses have been on the worldwide stage, even in dust races, over the past decade, and if Wonderdean and Danone Bourbon make it to the Derby, it needs to be one to look at.
