Winning It All In The Arkansas Derby

American Pharoah won the Arkansas Derby in 2015 on his way to capture the only and only Grand Slam!
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American Pharoah won the Arkansas Derby in 2015 on his way to capture the only and only Grand Slam!
American Pharoah won the Arkansas Derby in 2015 on his way to capture the only and only Grand Slam!

It has been ten years since American Pharoah won the Grand Slam. Coming off a win in the Arkansas Derby. American Pharoah won all of the Triple Crown races and The Breeders’ Cup Classic. It be fun to see that kind of champion racing again now. Is this weekend’s Arkansas Derby winner on the path to Triple Crown success?

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Legendary And Lucrative Louisiana Derby

Currently, ranked 10th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard is Built! He needs to add to his 35 points to stay in the top 20.
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Built for The Road To The Kentucky Derby!
Built for The Road To The Kentucky Derby!

The race that is both legendary and lucrative is the Louisiana Derby! This historical stakes dates back to 1894. The Louisiana Derby offers a valuable 200 Kentucky Derby prep points and carries a $1 million dollar purse. Let’s look at the Grade II, Louisiana Derby.

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Virginia Is For… Derby!

Render Judgement sits 55th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. He could really use big points from the Virginia Derby to climb rank.
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Tough on the Turf!  Authentic Gallop transitions to the dirt for the Virginia Derby!
Tough on the Turf! Authentic Gallop transitions to the dirt for the Virginia Derby!

Virginia is for lovers and who doesn’t love the Derby! Saturday is the Virginia Derby and half of the field may earn their way into the Kentucky Derby as well. The Road To The Kentucky Derby continues with its very first stop ever at Colonial Downs.

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A Bit To Say On The Tampa Bay Derby

Filoso earned his first Kentucky Derby prep points in Keeneland's Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.
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Patch Adams is looking to climb rank on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in the Tampa Bay Derby!
Patch Adams is looking to climb rank on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in the Tampa Bay Derby!

This Saturday get back in the saddle again for a great Kentucky Derby prep race. This Saturday, 5/8/25, is the G III, Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. Read on to find out what is going down and Tampa Bay Downs.

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Focus On The Fountain Of Youth

Dornoch won the Fountain of Youth in 2024 before winning the final jewel of The Triple Crown!
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Dornoch won the Fountain of Youth in 2024 before winning the final jewel of The Triple Crown!
Dornoch won the Fountain of Youth in 2024 before winning the final jewel of The Triple Crown!

March madness goes full force on this first day of the month! A full three Kentucky Derby prep races fall on Saturday, March 1st, 2025. Santa Anita races the GII San Felipe Stakes, Aqueduct is home to the GIII Gotham Stakes and Gulfstream Park posts the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes. The first Saturday in March will figure heavily on the first Saturday in May. These races offer many prep points that shape the field of twenty from the leaderboard to the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby. Foremost, let’s focus on the Fountain of Youth.

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Journaling The John Battaglia Memorial Stakes

Coming in Hot is ready to race in the cold during the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.
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Banks is banking on earning Kentucky Derby prep points in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes!
Banks is banking on earning Kentucky Derby prep points in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes!

Join us for the next race on The Road To The Kentucky Derby, where we are journaling and joyful about the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes. The Road takes us to Turfway Park in Florence, KY. The all weather track is ready for nearly all weather conditions, providing an interesting and cool evening of racing this Saturday. See what the night is all about.

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Risen Star Rundown

Giocoso picked up Kentucky Derby prep points in the first race on The Road To The Kentucky Derby. He is looking to race up the leaderboard in the Risen Star.
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East Avenue earned Kentucky Derby prep points with a win in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.  Will he be best in the Risen Star?
East Avenue earned Kentucky Derby prep points with a win in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. Will he be best in the Risen Star?

Who’s going to rise up the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in the Risen Star Stakes? The sky is the limit for these star thoroughbreds as they race their way On The Road To The Kentucky Derby. Check out this post for the Risen Star rundown.

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Davis Downs Derby Dreams

Camp Hale finished second in his Keeneland debut at two. He wants to best that finish and earn twenty points towards the Kentucky Derby in the Sam F. Davis Stakes.
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Camp Hale sported a grin before his first career start at Keeneland.  He looks to break his maiden and earn Kentucky Derby prep points in the Sam F. Davis stakes.
Camp Hale sported a grin before his first career start at Keeneland. He looks to break his maiden and earn Kentucky Derby prep points in the Sam F. Davis Stakes.

The Sam F. Davis Stakes is hosted at Tampa Bay Downs where Kentucky Derby prep points are available to the faster half of these Derby dreamers. Forty two points will be awarded and those digits will alter the rankings on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Don’t miss these Davis Downs Derby dreamers!

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The Fastest Favorites For February First

Ferocious is a fast favorite. With a 96 Beyer Speed and 9/5 morning-line odds, he is expected to race up the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
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Ferocious is a fast favorite. With a 96 Beyer Speed and 9/5 morning-line odds, he is expected to race up the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Ferocious is a fast favorite. With a 96 Beyer Speed and 9-5 morning-line odds, he is expected to race up the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

The fastest favorites race February first! There are three Kentucky Derby prep races this Saturday. Two of these races feature the Kentucky Derby leaderboard ranked horses that are tied for fastest Beyer Speeds in 2024. Follow along for fabulous facts about these fine races, particularly the Holy Bull.

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Southwest Stakes Summarized

Patch Adams started his career racing at Keeneland. He enters his first stakes hoping to earn Kentucky Derby prep points.
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Patch Adams started his career racing at Keeneland.  He enters his first stakes hoping to earn Kentucky Derby prep points.
Patch Adams started his career racing at Keeneland. He enters his first stakes hoping to earn Kentucky Derby prep points.

Will the Southwest Stakes winner finish first in the Kentucky Derby again? Mystik Dan swept both stakes in 2024. Ten thoroughbreds are taking on the $ 1 million dollar Southwest Stakes on Saturday!

Render Judgement first races at Keeneland.  He is On The Road To The Kentucky Derby with points from the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.
Render Judgement first races at Keeneland. He is On The Road To The Kentucky Derby with points from the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas will host the Southwest Stakes on 1/26/25. This Grade III dirt race of 1 and 1/16 miles has ten Kentucky bred 3 year-old colts entered, Race 10 on a card of 12 offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby prep points to the first five winners in respective order. The Southwest Stakes dates back to 1968. Watch the 2025 KY Derby field hopefuls compete in the Southwest at 5:10 PM ET.

Render Judgement wants to earn Kentucky Derby points in the Southwest Stakes.
Render Judgement wants to earn Kentucky Derby points in the Southwest Stakes.

Furthermore, the Southwest Stakes field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/morning-line odds/and KY Derby prep points earned as applicable:

  1. Gaming/Juan Hernandez/Bob Baffert/Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram and Paul Weitman/2-1/fourth on the leaderboard with 18 points (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile 2nd and Los Alamitos Futurity 3td)
  2. Publisher/Erik Asmussen/Steve Asmussen/Gus King and Estate of Brereton C. Jones/12-1/
  3. Monet’s Magic/Francisco Arrieta/Ben Colebrook/Midway Racing 2023, LLC./15-1
  4. Tiztastic/Keith Asmussen/Steve Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC., Mrs. John Magnier, Micheal B. Tabor and Derrick Smith/10-1/fifteenth on the leaderboard with 8 points (Street Sense 2nd, Ky Jockey Club 3rd)
  5. Render Judgement/Emmanuel Esquivel/Kenny McPeek/Baccari Racing Stable, LLC., Dream Walkin Farms,, Inc. and Rocket Ship Racing/15-1/28th place with 4 points (Kentucky Jockey Club 5th and Gun Runner 3rd)
  6. Sandman/Cristian Torres/Mark Casse.D.J. Stables, LLC., St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables/5-1/45th with 1 point (Iroquois 5th)
  7. Patch Adams/Flavien Prat/Brad Cox/CHC, Inc. and WinStar Farm, LLC./5-2
  8. American Promise/Tyler Bacon/D. Wayne Lukas/BC Stables, LLC./6-2
  9. Bon Temps/Nik Juarez/D. Wayne Lukas/Calumet Farms/30-1/41st place with 2 points (Smarty Jones 4th)
  10. Speed King/Rafael Bejarano/Ron Moquett/Triton Thoroughbreds, LLC./15-1/21st place with 5 points (Remington Springboard Mile 2nd)
Patch Adams is showing great speed ahead of his Southwest Stakes entry.
Patch Adams is showing great speed ahead of his Southwest Stakes entry.

The Southwest Stakes is super suspenseful. It will be a surprise to see the shake up on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Be sure to catch all of the great races on Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream this Saturday too. Thank you for reading and check back with Thoroughbred U soon.

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