By Jarrod Horak The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls through Santa Anita Park with the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, a $500,000 event for three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. This is one of the most important West Coast prep races, and I’ve been tracking all the Derby points races closely—producing […]
Tag Archives: Kentucky Derby prep races
By Jarrod Horak The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls through Aqueduct with the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, a $750,000 test for three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. As the 12th race on the card, this is a pivotal Derby points race, and I’m looking to separate contenders from pretenders based on […]
The Keeneland full card picks Blue Grass Madison Stakes story starts with one of the best betting programs of the spring. Saturday, April 4, features an 11-race card beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET and highlighted by five graded stakes worth a combined $3.15 million, led by the $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) and the […]
By Jarrod Horak The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls through South Florida with the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. This $1 million test at 1 1/8 miles is one of the most important final preps, offering critical points toward qualifying for Churchill Downs. With a mix of proven stakes winners and improving […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m breaking down the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, a $1.5 million Kentucky Derby points race at 1 1/8 miles. This race consistently produces serious Derby contenders, and this year’s field brings a mix of proven stakes runners and lightly raced upside types. From a pace perspective, Redland Rebels figures […]
Our Colonial Downs picks March 14 2026 focus on a stakes-heavy Saturday card headlined by the $500,000 Virginia Derby, a 1 1/8-mile dirt test that has quickly become a meaningful spring stop for developing three-year-olds. Colonial’s main track has been fair, but race shape still matters, and this card offers a strong mix of pace-driven […]
Hallandale Beach, FL — Saturday’s program at Gulfstream Park is built like a springboard. The $425,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) headlines a stakes-heavy card that shapes the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” picture, but for bettors the bigger opportunity is how the undercard creates multi-race leverage. The Fountain of Youth awards 50-25-15-10-5 Derby […]