The snowpocalypse of 2010 has affected more than just your ability to leave the driveway. Now it’s affecting the trail for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. While rain stalled the running of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and Las Virgenes in California two weeks ago, postponing it a week, the Southwest Stakes was affected by a blizzard in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and has been rescheduled to run this Saturday. All of the major contenders are still entered, but the postponement creates a hiccup in the finely-laid plans of trainers who are spacing out prep races for their horses. This creates a foggier image on what horses will be ready to run come race day, and when their next start will be on the road to Kentucky.
One state that has had no weather-related postponements is Florida, where this Saturday, two major 3-year-old races will be run: the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at a mile, and the Grade II Hutcheson Stakes at 7 furlongs. Both races feature star-studded fields and look to be major tests for weeding out the Who’s Who on the Derby A-List.
The $250,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes features the 3-year-old debut of hot Derby hopeful Buddy’s Saint. If not for his disqualification from first to second in his maiden debut, Buddy’s Saint would be undefeated at this point in his career in three starts. In his second time out, Buddy’s Saint romped to a 12-length victory in the Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct, and then defeated the future Whirlaway winner, Peppi Knows, in the Remsen Stakes in an easy victory last November. Challenging Buddy’s Saint will be Jackson Bend, who swept the Florida Stallion Stakes Series at Calder as a juvenile and was runner-up to Winslow Homer in the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes this January. Though he didn’t pass the winner in that race in the gallop-out, Jackson Bend needed a race to get back into form and should perform better in his next start. Also watch for Todd Pletcher trainee Eskendereya, winner of the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont last fall, and Pulsion, who was runner-up in the Grade I Norfolk to Lookin at Lucky.
The Grade II Hutcheson Stakes features the 3-year-old debut of D’Funnybone, runaway winner of the Saratoga Special and Belmont’s Futurity Stakes. In his last start, D’Funnybone flopped on his first start on synthetics and going two turns in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, finishing last in a field of 13, but that effort can be thrown out as distaste for the fake surface. A Little Warm, a debut winner by 11 lengths and victor of the Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream, is worth looking at. Also entered are Wildcat Frankie and Radiohead; Radiohead, by Johannesburg, was a Group I-placed juvenile in Europe, and has lost his last four races, respectively. The cutback in distance should be a boost for this colt, who is trying dirt for the first time.
Saturday, Fair Grounds will see the last major prep race for the Louisiana Derby, the Grade II Risen Star Stakes. Ron the Greek will star as the favorite after his astounding victory in the Grade III Lecomte Stakes, where he rocketed from sixteen lengths off the pace in the middle of the stretch to win the race by 1 ¾ lengths. With 3 wins in 4 starts, Ron the Greek has the look of a rising star, so this aptly-named race is Ron’s chance to cement his status as a top Kentucky Derby contender. Highly-touted allowance winner Drosselmeyer is entered in stakes competition for the first time. The Bill Mott trainee has excelled since switching from grass to dirt, and has won his last three starts. Northern Giant is another colt to look out for; in his last start, the D. Wayne Lukas trainee romped by 11 1/4 lengths over a sloppy track at Oaklawn in a maiden special weight. And if you like the home track advantage, Hotep is a good bet for a price; the full-brother to 2009 Canadian champion Eye of the Leopard won his last time out at Fair Grounds by 3 ¼ lengths.
If nothing is postponed, next weekend looks to be another big stakes weekend for 3-year-olds on the road to the roses. There is plenty of older horse action going on right now as well, including the campaigns of former Derby starters Friesan Fire and General Quarters in the Mineshaft Handicap at Fair Grounds this weekend, so don’t miss that action while the three-ring Derby circus continues to dazzle and amaze.
Post times of all graded stakes action, as well as which network will air each race, can be found on the schedule at NTRA.com.