Horse racing newsletter: Ready for the Kentucky Derby?

YENG AGAIN away quickly from the outside, stalked behind the leader up the backstretch, applied pressured into the turn but could not keep pace and chased two wide to the stretch, drew alongside the leader once again at the eighth pole and drove clear. PORT SAINT JOE chased the speed from inside through the turn, finished well along the fence and earned the place. KALON bumped from the outside leaving the gate, raced off the pace in the two path, angled in upper stretch, rallied and missed second. EKIN sped to the front then crossed over to the inside, inched away around the turn, challenged at the eighth pole, lost command nearing the sixteenth pole and yielded late. ABSOLUTE UNIT saved ground to the stretch, angled out in the drive, finished with a mild response but needed more. EXPLOSIVE stalked the pace between rivals, two wide and outside a rival into the stretch and lacked further response. HALLOWED GIFT knocked into rival at the start, traveled three wide in range around the bend and into the stretch and weakened in the lane. BUSHIDO'S WAY steadied early, dropped to the back of the field, took the turn two wide and proved no menace. FORM A SQUARE (GB) broke in and bumped rival, chased four wide into the turn then three wide into the stretch, came out a bit into the drive then drifted inward and had little left.

OFFSHORE AFFAIR away quickest at the start, dueled for the lead around the first turn then dropped back into a stalking position, challenged again around the far turn and headed rival at the five-sixteenths pole, took a short lead shortly after, battled down the stretch with EL HUERFANO and finished strong along the inside. EL HUERFANO dueled for the lead from outside through the first turn then cleared rival on the backstretch, showed the way to the far turn, met challenger around that bend, lost command past the five-sixteenths pole, fought back into the lane and stayed on gamely to prove second best. ANTITHETICAL stalked off the inside, asked at the five-sixteenths pole, chased the top pair three wide into the lane and proved no match in the late stages. IT'S FITTING lost footing at the start, traveled off the rail to the stretch, shifted out then back in near the eighth pole and lacked a rally. FRIDAY'S AT SHADY settled off the pace, saved ground around the final turn and was never a factor. BOTTLE OF SMOKE tracked the pace from off the rail, went three to four wide around the far turn, came out into the stretch and weakened.

GALLOVIE (GB) sped to the front and controlled the pace, drew away around the second turn and widened in upper stretch, kept to task in the late stages and won easily. VIAZAR off slow to begin, trailed the field early, angled four wide around the second turn, drifted in bit nearing the eighth pole and gained ground on the winner in the final sixteenth. LISTEN TO BLUE settled off the pace, raced two to three wide into the lane, drifted out and bothered foe nearing the eighth pole then held the show. GOODTINGSCOMINPINK traveled near the back of the pack outside a rival, raced two then three wide around the final turn, squeezed between rivals and steadied near the eighth pole, then finished willingly to miss the show. ZUCCHERA off a bit slow to begin, raced inside a rival well off the pace, tipped out near the quarter pole and could not rally. A THOUSAND DREAMS stalked the leader from inside, lacked room off heels in upper stretch, shifted out and had nothing left. BUY WAVE BUY up close behind the pacesetter early, lost ground around the far turn and chased a bit off the rail into the drive and faded. FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY, THE STEWARDS DISQUALIFIED LISTEN TO BLUE FROM THIRD TO FOURTH FOR DRIFTING OUT AND TAKING THE PATH OF GOODTINGSCOMINPINK IN THE STRETCH, COSTING HER A CHANCE AT A BETTER PLACING.

LADY ON ICE broke alertly then prompted the pace from outside, challenged for command at the seven-sixteenths pole, took control past the three-eighths marker, vied inside into the stretch, cleared outside pair and drew away. SAVING SOPHIE settled well off the inside, raced six wide into the turn, angled into the four path around the bend, rallied widest in the stretch and gained the place. COWBOYS DAUGHTER stalked the pace along the rail into the turn, tipped out around rival at the five-sixteenths, angled back to the rail past the eighth pole and got outkicked for second. CHOLLIMA raced in range four wide into the turn, bid three deep and between rivals around the bend and weakened in the late stages. APACHE PASS tracked the pace off the rail, bid four deep past the three-eighths pole, vied three deep into the stretch and weakened. SAPPHIRE SILK raced off the pace in the early going, took the turn three wide and never threatened. MAGNOLIA'S HOPE sped to the front, set a pressured pace to the turn, vied inside then could not keep pace with outside trio, lost ground into the lane, eased in the stretch and was vanned off.

CARPE FORTUNA stalked near the rail, angled out into the stretch, bid outside and took control in upper stretch, moved clear at the eight pole under strong handling and was ridden out nearing the wire. AVISSE away quickly from the outside, cleared the field and crossed over to the inside, inched away near the five-sixteenths pole, challenged by the winner in upper stretch and proved no match. GOLDEN settled off the pace from inside, saved ground to the stretch and gained the show. IVY LEAGUE bumped inside rival at the start, angled to the inside early, tracked the pace from inside then came out at the three-sixteenths pole and missed the show. SWEETEST ANGEL bumped from the outside at the start then bumped gain and force to check between rivals, raced off the rail then came five wide into the stretch and lacked a rally. FOCACCINA rank early from the inside, remained inside to the stretch and improved position. MISS PEAKY BLINDER raced well off the pace, moved further off the rail on the backstretch, entered the stretch four wide then angled out and improved position. LISETTE raced off the pace and between rivals, traveled two then three wide, angled in near the eighth pole and never threatened. NURTURING stalked in the two path and had little left in the drive. FULL OF LAUGHS closest to the leader in the early going, asked at the three-eighths pole but could not match the leader around the far turn, dropped back and weakened in the drive. HELEN MARIE bumped and crowded shortly after the start, traveled three wide then four wide on the second turn, came out and weakened.

TIGRE DI SLUGO off a bit slow from the inside, rated off the pace in the early going, went between runners into the turn, exited the bend three wide, angled out and closed fast to overhaul RAYRAY in deep stretch. RAYRAY bobbled leaving the gate but quickly cleared and steered over to the inside, vied for the lead around the turn and into the stretch, clung to a short lead through the lane then put away outside rivals but could not hold off the late surge from the winner. JAMMING EDDY chased outside a rival, bid between foes at the five-sixteenths pole, challenged into the drive but flattened in the furlong grounds and stayed on for the show. ROYAL TRUMP chased three deep early, bid three deep around the turn and flattened out in the late stages. HEARTFULLOFSTARS trailed the field early, angled out into the stretch and closed belatedly in the final furlong. APPRECIATED chased from inside then a bit off the rail into the stretch, looked to rally but lacked room off heels through the lane. PRODIGAL SON bumped at the start, traveled four deep on the backstretch, dropped back around the turn and faded. SOLDIER BOY broke out and bumped rival leaving the gate, tracked the pace off the rail, exited the bend four wide and proved no menace.

ARKLOW stalked the pacesetter from inside then moved outside that rival, applied pressure near the half-mile pole but lost contact into the final turn, came again and challenged from outside in upper stretch, took the lead inside the furlong marker and held off the runner-up. LACCARIO (GER) stalked from between runners then angled in on the first turn, stayed near the fence then angled out leaving the final turn, finished well through the final furlong and kept gaining to the wire. SAY THE WORD traveled off the pace, angled out into the stretch and closed well for the show. ACCLIMATE sped clear and angled to the inside, controlled the pace through the early stages, pressured on the backstretch then inched away into the final turn, asked at the three-sixteenths pole and was challenged once again by ARKLOW in upper stretch, held a short lead to the eighth pole then relinquished command and flattened in the late stages. RED KING angled to the rail early, saved ground to the stretch, angled out in the lane and finished willingly in the final furlong. OSCAR DOMINGUEZ (IRE) settled near the back of the pace near the inside, entered the stretch two wide, steered back inside in the lane and finished with a mild rally. WARD 'N JERRY tracked two wide then angled in on the final turn, moved off the rail bit in the lane and lacked a bid. ANOTHER MYSTERY unhurried in the early stages, traveled two wide then angled in on the final turn, angled out in upper stretch and improved position. PROUD PEDRO (FR) settled off the pace while outside a rival, swung five wide into the stretch and lacked a rally. NORTH COUNTY GUY chased the pace from inside then in two path, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. GREGORIAN CHANT (GB) in range early while off the inside, entered the stretch three wide and faded. TARTINI raced mid-pack in the early stages, exited the final turn four wide and came up empty.

GOLDEN PRINCIPAL up close behind the pacesetter, collared rival at the five-sixteenths pole, took over approaching the quarter pole, kicked clear in upper stretch and drew away. LAST FIRST KISS tracked from off the rail, moved closer nearing the far turn, bid three deep at the five-sixteenths pole, could not match the winner in the late stages but was clearly second best. VELVET QUEEN set the pace inside, headed at the five-sixteenths pole, vied inside to the stretch, lugged out in the lane and held the show, then vanned off following the race. NORTHERN GRAYSTAR in range in the early stages, traveled two to three wide around the second turn and lacked the needed response. POWERFULATTRACTION tracked the pace off the inside, went two wide into the lane and never rallied. SCHERZO (GB) stumbled leaving the gate, raced near the back of the pack, came four wide into the stretch and was never a factor. TIZ WONDERFULLY settled off the pace, went four wide into the lane and weakened. MISS FLAWLESS (FR) stumbled at the start, went three wide into the stretch and made no impact.

KEYSTONE FIELD showed speed down along the inside, set the pace with company to the outside, cleared rival at the top of the lane and edged away. FRASARD (GB) closest in pursuit early, moved up to apply pressure from outside, could not keep pace with the winner in the stretch but proved second best. ON EASY STREET stalked three deep around the first turn then outside a rival on the backstretch, went three to four wide around the far turn and finished a clear third. SEVEN CHARMS tucked inside on the first turn, remained inside to the stretch and bested the rest. UNCLE RAY content to trail the field early, advanced along the inside into the far turn then moved out into the two path, came out and bumped rival past the eighth pole and improved position. LEME AT EM stalked the leader down near the inside, entered the stretch two wide, raced between foes in upper stretch and lacked the needed response. JUROR went four deep around the first turn, traveled four then three wide around the second and weakened in the drive. OCULUS raced three deep around the first turn then outside a rival on the backstretch, went three wide around the far turn and was never a factor. INCH tracked between foes early then off the rail, came four wide into the lane, bumped by rival mid-stretch and weakened. PARADISE FOREVER chased the pace from between foes, dropped back to mid-pack on the backstretch, dropped back further into the far turn, went three to four wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive.