Nine on Saturday and eight more Sunday. A total of 17 prospects who are in the Las Vegas futures for Kentucky Derby 2023 have been entered to race at six tracks across the country this weekend.
Bob Baffert’s debut winner Arabian Knight, who was 9-1 on Saturday morning at Circa Sports and 8-1 at Caesars Sportsbook, headlines the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, a points prep for the Derby. Corona Bolt, the undefeated, Brad Cox-trained colt who shortened to 45-1 at Circa while holding at 40-1 at Caesars, was among the other five Nevada futures options who were expected to start in Saturday’s feature race at Oaklawn.
Derby trail: Southwest Stakes odds, free PPs.
Eleven of these horses are in six other races.
Maiden special weight, Gulfstream Park, race 2, Saturday 11:19 a.m. EST
Summonyourcourage (4-1 morning line), 200-1 in the Derby futures at Circa, adds Lasix and loses the blinkers in his eighth try to break his maiden. In his last two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, he lost by a combined 28 lengths. The $500,000 Practical Joke colt owned by Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola gets jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. for the first time in this seven-furlong race worth $84,000.
Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile, Sam Houston, race 8, Saturday, 5:55 p.m. EST
Andthewinneris (5-2) and Alto Road (12-1), each 350-1 at Circa, make the move to grass for this two-turn race.
Trainer Wayne Catalano has moved Andthewinneris back and forth between dirt and turf. The Oscar Performance colt’s only stakes win was in the Bourbon (G2) on the grass at Keeneland. He was fifth last out in the Gun Runner, picking up one Derby qualifying point.
Alto Road is making his first start on turf after 5: 1-2-0 as a 2-year-old racing on main tracks. Trained by Ronnie Cravens, the Army Mule colt broke his maiden in July going 5 1/2 furlongs at Lone Star Park.
Allowance optional claiming, Laurel Park, race 7, Sunday, 3:40 p.m. EST
Circling the Drain (9-5), 275-1 at Circa, was made the morning-line favorite for this one-turn mile for non-winners of two. The West Coast gelding trained by Brittany Russell led the whole way last out, running away to a seven-length maiden breaker going 1 1/16 miles as the favorite in a maiden claiming race at Laurel.
San Vicente (G2), Santa Anita, race 2, Sunday, 3:59 p.m. EST
All five entrants in this seven-furlong race worth $200,000 are in the Nevada futures. Four are trained by Bob Baffert, including two-time Grade 3 victor Havnameltdown (6-5), debut winners Faustin (8-5) and Fort Warren (3-1) and last-out maiden breaker Gilmore (6-1). Of the four, Faustin was the shortest-priced in Las Vegas, holding firm at 22-1 at Caesars while shortening to 18-1 in the Circa futures.
Man Child (20-1), 300-1 at Circa, has raced five times for trainer Ryan Hanson, winning his debut last summer at Los Alamitos and finishing second last out in the Lost in the Fog Juvenile at Turf Paradise.
Maiden special weight, Santa Anita, race 3, Sunday, 4:29 p.m. EST
Sonoran (4-5), 200-1 at Circa, lost to Faustin in his debut last month. He tries the six furlongs at Santa Anita once again in this $67,000 race. Sired by Ride On Curlin, the $230,000 colt is owned by Jill Baffert, the trainer’s wife.
Riley Allison Derby, Sunland Park, race 9, Sunday, 6 p.m. EST
Giroovin (8-1), 350-1 at Circa, has been moved to his third different trainer. Triple V Racing transferred the Girvin colt from Genaro García to Todd Fincher, who has three of the 10 entries in the main field for this two-turn, $100,000 mile. It took four tries for Giroovin to break his maiden, doing so in November at Churchill Downs.
| Kentucky Derby | Caesars | Circa | Trainer | Next race, times EST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summonyourcourage | 200-1 | Todd Pletcher | Sat., MSW, GP race 2, 11:19 a.m. | |
| Alto Road | 350-1 | Ronnie Cravens | Sat., Texas Turf Mile, HOU, 5:55 p.m. | |
| Andthewinneris | 350-1 | Wayne Catalano | Sat., Texas Turf Mile, HOU, 5:55 p.m. | |
| Arabian Knight | 8-1 | 9-1 | Bob Baffert | Sat., Southwest (G3), OP, 5:57 p.m. |
| Corona Bolt | 40-1 | 45-1 | Brad Cox | Sat., Southwest (G3), OP, 5:57 p.m. |
| Frosted Departure | 175-1 | 300-1 | Kenny McPeek | Sat., Southwest (G3), OP, 5:57 p.m. |
| Jace's Road | 60-1 | 85-1 | Brad Cox | Sat., Southwest (G3), OP, 5:57 p.m. |
| Red Route One | 135-1 | 250-1 | Steve Asmussen | Sat., Southwest (G3), OP, 5:57 p.m. |
| Sun Thunder | 150-1 | 175-1 | Kenny McPeek | Sat., Southwest (G3), OP, 5:57 p.m. |
| Circling the Drain (g) | 275-1 | Brittany Russell | Sun., alw OC, LRL race 7, 3:40 p.m. | |
| Faustin | 22-1 | 18-1 | Bob Baffert | Sun., S. Vicente (G2), SA, 3:59 p.m. |
| Fort Warren | 75-1 | 100-1 | Bob Baffert | Sun., S. Vicente (G2), SA, 3:59 p.m. |
| Gilmore | 110-1 | 300-1 | Bob Baffert | Sun., S. Vicente (G2), SA, 3:59 p.m. |
| Havnameltdown | 35-1 | 68-1 | Bob Baffert | Sun., S. Vicente (G2), SA, 3:59 p.m. |
| Man Child (g) | 300-1 | Ryan Hanson | Sun., S. Vicente (G2), SA, 3:59 p.m. | |
| Sonoran | 200-1 | Bob Baffert | Sun., MSW, SA race 3, 4:29 p.m. | |
| Giroovin | 350-1 | Genaro García | Sun., Allison Derby, SUN, 6 p.m. | |
| Expect More | 27-1 | Todd Pletcher | Wed., MSW, GP race 7, 3:07 p.m. | |
| Hit Show | 125-1 | 135-1 | Brad Cox | Next Sat., Withers (G3), AQU |
| (g) gelding |
