Kentucky Derby and Oaks Roundup: Feb. 14, 2022

Impressive performances have been par for the course this year on both the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Last week’s qualifying races were no exception.

Let’s recap a busy weekend of action, then look ahead to next week’s high-stakes stages of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks trails.

Changes on the leaderboard

For the first time in more than three months, we have a new name atop the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

On Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, Classic Causeway delivered a powerful victory in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis S. (G3), dueling for the lead before kicking away down the homestretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths. The final time was a solid 1:42.80.

Runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) and third in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at age two, Classic Causeway has now accumulated 16 Kentucky Derby qualification points, claiming the top leaderboard position over Pappacap (14 points) and Epicenter (14 points).

Shipsational (4 points), Volcanic (2 points), and Strike Hard (1 point) completed the Sam F. Davis superfecta, but none currently rank in the leaderboard Top 20.

Also on Saturday, Golden Gate Fields hosted the El Camino Real Derby. Blackadder displayed impressive tenacity to rally up the rail and secure a neck victory over heavy favorite Mackinnon, completing the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:50.34.

Since Blackadder is trained by Bob Baffert (who is currently suspended by Churchill Downs Inc.), he was ineligible to earn Kentucky Derby qualification points. Mackinnon, however, picked up 4 points for his runner-up effort and advanced to 18th place on the leaderboard with 5 points in total.

Triple Crown nominations released

Early Triple Crown nominees were announced last Monday, with 312 horses made eligible to compete in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness S. (G1), and Belmont S. (G1). The group includes six fillies and 21 horses based in Japan.

For more details and information, check out the Kentucky Derby website.

On the work tab

Barber Road: Worked five furlongs in 1:02.80 on Tuesday at Oaklawn Park.

Call Me Midnight: Took to the Fair Grounds main track on Saturday for a half-mile workout in :49.00.

Commandperformance: Clocked an easy half mile in :50.76 on Tuesday at Palm Beach Downs.

Dash Attack: Fired off a bullet breeze on Saturday at Oaklawn, getting five furlongs in :59.80.

Epicenter: Took his final step toward the Risen Star S. (G2) when clocking four furlongs in :49.20 on Monday at Fair Grounds.

Major General: Turned in a second straight bullet five-furlong breeze at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday, completing the distance in 1:00.58.

Pappacap: Wrapped up his preparations for the Risen Star S. (G2) by breezing four furlongs in :48.40 on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Rattle N Roll: Traveled four furlongs in :50.25 on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, his fourth workout of the year.

Slow Down Andy: Turned in a five-furlong workout on Sunday at Santa Anita, finishing the move in 1:01.00.

Smile Happy: Breezed five furlongs in 1:01.62 on Saturday at Gulfstream to conclude his preparations for the Risen Star S. (G2).

Zandon: Clocked a bullet half mile on Saturday at Payson Park, traversing the distance in :48.40.

Road to the Kentucky Oaks

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks took an exciting twist on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. Last year’s Demoiselle S. (G2) winner Nest kicked off her sophomore season in the one-mile and 40-yard Suncoast S., which she dominated by six lengths to cement her credentials as a serious Oaks threat.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Nest has accumulated 20 Kentucky Oaks qualification points, ranking second on the leaderboard behind champion two-year-old filly Echo Zulu (30 points). Nest is bred to improve with maturity and excel running long, so the Oaks should be right up her alley.

Looking ahead

The Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up in a big way with the running of the Risen Star S. (G2) on Saturday at Fair Grounds. The 1 1/8-mile race awards Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 50-20-10-5 basis to the top four finishers, virtually guaranteeing the winner a spot in the Derby starting gate.

A deep field has assembled for the Risen Star, led by Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) winner Smile Happy, the individual betting favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3. He’ll be joined in the starting gate by Gun Runner S. winner Epicenter, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Pappacap, Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) hero Slow Down Andy, and Remsen S. (G2) runner-up Zandon, to name just a few.

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks will also take a couple of major turns this week. Thursday’s 1,900-meter UAE Oaks (G3) at Meydan in Dubai awards 50-20-10-5 qualification points to the top four finishers, while Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra S. (G2) at Fair Grounds is worth the same. Entries for the Rachel Alexandra have already been drawn, with Pocahontas S. (G3) heroine Hidden Connection and Silverbulletday S. winner La Crete among the main names to know.