For the connections of a vast majority of 3-year-olds, it's the mile-and-a-quarter distance of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve that causes palpitations. But for Angel of Empire, it is the more the merrier.
Last year's juvenile champion Forte turned what seemed like an apparent defeat into a dramatic one-length victory in the $1 million Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa on April 1 at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has been honored four times as North America’s outstanding rider. Just 30 years old, he has won 17 Breeders’ Cup races, and last year the young jockey captured his second Belmont Stakes in piloting Mo Donegal to victory following his initial success with Creator in 2016.
This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not quite as strong as they were a few weeks ago.
In the third edition of this blog for the 2023 run for the roses, the focus was the previous two weeks of racing that featured five Kentucky Derby qualifying races.
Saturday’s $1.25 million, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park is the cornerstone event at the Hot Springs, Ark., track and an important prep race for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, offering a total of 200 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers
