Kentucky Derby and Oaks Roundup: Feb. 7, 2022

Only three months remain until the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), which means the winter prep season is quickly heating up.

Let’s catch up on the latest news and notes from the Derby and Oaks trails.

Changes on the Leaderboard

The first weekend of February was a busy one on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, with a trio of prep races taking place at three different tracks.

Here’s how the action unfolded:

• In the Withers S. (G3) at Aqueduct, Early Voting led all the way to crush his pursuers by 4 1/2 lengths. The Chad Brown trainee brought his record to 2-for-2 while picking up 10 Kentucky Derby qualification points, enough to rank 12th on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Withers runner-up Un Ojo earned 4 points to debut in 26th place.

• In the Holy Bull S. (G3) at Gulsftream Park, White Abarrio outran expectations as the fifth choice in a deep field, tracking the pace before pouncing to a 4 1/2-length victory. Previously third in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2), White Abarrio has accumulated 12 points to grab third place on the leaderboard. Remsen S. (G2) winner Mo Donegal, who ran third in the Holy Bull, has likewise earned 12 points to rank fourth. Splitting them in the Holy Bull was Simplification, who earned 4 points to debut in 21st place.

• In the Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) at Santa Anita, Messier dominated by 15 lengths, but was ineligible to earn points since his trainer (Bob Baffert) is currently suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. Instead, runner-up Cabo Spirit was the highest points earner from the Lewis, picking up 4 points to rank 22nd on the leaderboard.

On the Work Tab

Call Me Midnight: In his first workout since upsetting the Lecomte S. (G3), Call Me Midnight clocked an easy four furlongs in :50.20 on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Classic Causeway: Stepped up to seven furlongs for his latest workout, getting the distance in 1:26.05 on Wednesday at Palm Meadows.

Commandperformance: Last year’s Champagne S. (G1) runner-up turned in his first workout of the year on Wednesday at Palm Beach Downs, going three furlongs in an easy :37.34.

Major General: Produced a bullet workout on Saturday at Palm Beach Downs, traveling five furlongs in 1:00.60.

Make It Big: Breezed half a mile in :49.16 on Sunday at Gulfstream.

Pappacap: Clocked four furlongs in :48.40 on Sunday at Fair Grounds, his first breeze since finishing third in the Lecomte S. (G3).

Rattle N Roll: Continued along the comeback trail when breezing half a mile in :48.66 on Saturday at Gulfstream.

Slow Down Andy: Worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Smile Happy: Fired off a fast five furlongs on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, getting the distance in :59.52.

Zandon: Clocked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Saturday at Payson Park.

Road to the Kentucky Oaks

There’s a new name in the Top 10 on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. On Saturday at Gulfstream, Girl With a Dream sprung an upset victory in the seven-furlong Forward Gal S. (G3), holding off a rally from 3-5 favorite Radio Days to prevail by one length.

Previously victorious in the Letellier Memorial S. at Fair Grounds, Girl With a Dream picked up 10 Kentucky Oaks qualification points, vaulting into ninth place on the leaderboard. Radio Days earned 4 points for her runner-up effort and sits in 23rd place.

Santa Anita also hosted a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier over the weekend. Sunday’s Las Virgenes S. (G3) saw Adare Manor dominate by 13 lengths, but as with Messier, she is trained by Baffert and ineligible to earn qualification points.

As a result, the highest points earner from the Las Virgenes was distant runner-up Queen of Thorns, who picked up 4 points to settle in 21st place on the leaderboard.

Looking Ahead

Two more Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races will take place this Saturday, both awarding qualification points to the top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 basis.

At Golden Gate Fields, the feature event is the 1 1/8-mile El Camino Real Derby, one of only three Kentucky Derby prep races contested over a synthetic track. The potential field includes Mackinnon, a two-time grass stakes winner who finished third in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah kicked off his Kentucky Derby campaign with a fourth-place finish in Santa Anita’s Sham S. (G3) on dirt.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Downs is hosting the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis S. (G3). Expected starters include undefeated Remington Springboard Mile S. winner Make It Big, Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) runner-up Classic Causeway, and Street Sense S. winner Howling Time.

Tampa Bay Downs is also slated to run the Suncoast S., a one-mile and 40-yard Kentucky Oaks qualifier awarding 10-4-2-1 points. The race is expected to mark the sophomore debut of Demoiselle S. (G2) winner Nest, who currently ranks sixth on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.