BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his latest Derby Dozen Presented by Spendthrift, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 6.
Saturday’s $500,000, Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap Presented by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino is an important early-season test at Santa Anita Park for older horses on the road to the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be run at this track on Nov. 3-4.
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.
The list of Triple Crown winners has 13 names on it, each with their own unique path to membership in this elite group of Thoroughbred racing legends. Some started out as second fiddle to a stablemate, only to rise to the top with surprising wins in America’s most famous races. Others showed their quality early, wins in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes demonstrating the depth and breadth of their talent and heart. Each faced a turning point, a moment when a decision or a coincidence sent them down the path toward glory.
