Saturday's Lexington Stakes last chance for Kentucky Derby hopefuls

Secret Oath, shown winning the 2022 Kentucky Oaks, hooks up with Clairere in a virtual match race in Saturday's Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs

April 14 (UPI) -- Saturday's Lexington Stakes at Keeneland is the last stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the last chance for Disarm, runner-up in the Louisiana Derby, to win his way into the Louisville starting gate.

Also on the weekend horse racing slate, Godolphin star Modern Games visits North America for the fourth time after landing a Grade I win in each of the previous trips.

He also is getting an early start on a quest to win a third Breeders' Cup race. And Oaklawn Park has what looks like a virtual match race between Clairiere and Secret Oath.

On the international front, there's a wide-open Japanese 2,000 Guineas and two more Group 1 races as autumn hits full stride in Australia.

We hit full stride with ...

The Road to the Roses

Saturday's $400,000 Grade III Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland has a field of 11, but only one of them, Louisiana Derby runner-up Disarm, has a chance to use the race as a last-bounce springboard to the Kentucky Derby.

Disarm has 40 points on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard. By finishing first, second or third in the Lexington, he would move ahead of Louisiana Derby third-place Jace's Road for the last spot in the 20-horse Run for the Roses.

Defections from the field before official entries are taken on Derby week would open up spots for those still hoping. But Disarm would need five withdrawals to get into the field that way.

Disarm, a Gun Runner colt trained by Steve Asmussen, is not the favorite in the Lexington field. That honor goes to First Mission, a Street Sense colt who won in his second start at Fair Grounds before shipping north.

Arabian Lion makes his return after two disappointing efforts in California stakes for trainer Bob Baffert. He has produced some impressive works at Santa Anita, interspersed with more pedestrian morning strolls.

Saturday's $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park isn't a Kentucky Derby prep, but usually is a good place to spot potential "new shooters" -- horses who skip Louisville and pick up the Triple Crown at its second jewel.

Nine are set, including Coffeewithchris, second last time out in the Private Terms behind Hayes Strike, who went on to finish seventh in last weekend's Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Prince of Jericho was second to Coffeewithchris in the Miracle Wood in January. Circling the Drain was third in the Private Terms. Any could claim a spot in the Preakness with a good effort.

Distaff

Secret Oath and Clairiere are the stars of a four-horse field for Saturday's $1 million Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.

The reigning Kentucky Oaks champion, Secret Oath took the measure of Clairiere in the local Grade II Azeri Stakes on March 11, defeating that rival by 2 3/4 lengths as both rallied from well back in an eight-horse field.

With the field size sliced in half, the Apple Blossom figures to be more of a tactical race. Hot and Sultry is back from the Azeri, where she finished a tiring fourth. I Feel the Need rounds out the field, entering with only a maiden claiming victory from eight starts.

Sprint

Saturday's $500,000 Grade III Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park is nicely subscribed with 10 well-matched entries.

The nominal favorites for the 6-furlong sprint are Tejano Twist, Strobe, drawn in the outside gate, and Skelly. Tejano Twist gets the oddsmaker's nod, albeit narrowly, after winning the Grade III Whitmore Stakes over the course March 18.

Strobe arrives from New Orleans with four wins and a second from five starts, and Skelly won his last two locally.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Sunday's $400,000 Grade II Beaumont for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland has a field of 7 coming from hither and yon. It's tough to figure because of the diversity but Key of Life, a Motown filly, looks tough off an impressive win in the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park in her last for trainer Brad Cox.

Turf Mile

Modern Games has visited North America three times and come away with three Grade I wins. So it makes sense the 4-year-old Godolphin homebred son of Dubawi gets an early start on the raiding in Friday's $600,000 Grade I Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland.

The race is among the most prestigious of American grass events, especially for horses specializing in the mile. That well describes Modern Games, whose victories at the distance include the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar and the Grade I Woodbine Mile and the Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland last year.

He's not invincible with seven wins from 13 starts, but the other seven entered for Friday's race might not require him to hit top form first up. William Buick is in for the ride for trainer Charlie Appleby.

The Keeneland race, on the immediate horizon, is a prep for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20. But Appleby makes no secret of the longer-term goal.

"We're very much working back from the Breeders' Cup Mile at the end of the year," he said. "Hopefully, he can try to emulate Goldikova by winning three Breeders' Cups."

Turf Sprint

Friday's $250,000 Fanduel Limestone Stakes is a turf sprint at Keeneland so, naturally, Wesley Ward trains the favorite in the field of 12 3-year-old fillies. That's Love Reigns, fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary at last year's Royal Ascot and eighth in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

She hasn't raced since that heat, so it makes sense to look over the rest of the relatively untested bunch, starting with Sassy Nature from the inside gate and Danse Macabre in the outside stall.

Saturday's $250,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes for fillies and mares at Keeneland is oversubscribed and wide open. The favorite, at 4-1, is Happy Soul, trained by that same Wesley Ward.

Ward also has the co-second favorite in Twilight Gleaming, sharing 9-2 odds with Chris Block's Illinois-bred Oeuvre. Don't sell the latter short just because of the IL after her name. She's won five straight races, that last three at Fair Grounds.

Sunday's $250,000 Palisades for 3-year-olds at Keeneland has a full field with some promising types. All look to Ward in these, and he sends out No Nay Hudson, a No Nay Never colt who won at first asking, but was not quite able to close the deal in any of his last four starts as a juvenile.

Among the others, Gaslight Dancer finished second in the Grade III Futurity at Aqueduct last fall but then was sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Private Creed was third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Don't ignore Bushido or New York Thunder.

Filly & Mare Turf

As long as he was bringing Modern Games to Keeneland anyway, Appleby decided to ship With the Moonlight along to contest Saturday's $600,000 Grade I Jenny Wiley Stakes in search of double the glory.

The Frankel filly was second last year in the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational and won the Grade III Saratoga Oaks. She won two graded stakes at Meydan during the World Cup Carnival but swerved World Cup night itself. She runs into a tough one -- in fact, the favorite in this -- In Italian.

The Dubawi mare makes her 2023 debut off a super season that included a pair of Grade I wins and a second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. If the other seven are running for third, that should be a good race, too, as there are some quality horses among them.

Around the world, around the clock

Japan

Sunday's Grade 1 Satsuki Sho or Japanese 2000 Guineas looks like just about anyone's race. The first three finishers in each of two official trial races are guaranteed spots in the Guineas, and all six are in the 18-horse field for the 2,000-meters test.

Two official Guineas trial races have been the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho (Deep Impact Kinen-G2) on March 5 run over 2,000 meters at Nakayama, and the Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes (G2) on March 19 run over 1,800 meters at Nakayama.

The first three home in each of those races receives automatic entry to the Guineas, and all six of those horses are expected to be in the lineup.

Tastiera, a Satono Crown colt, won the first of the trials, the 2,000-meters Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho (Deep Impact Kinen) March 5 in his 2023 debut.

The second trial, the Grade 2 Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes was run at 1,800 meters two weeks later and taken by Bellagio Opera, a son of Lord Kanaloa.

Bellagio Opera is undefeated after three starts and holds the advantage of recent work with two starts already in the books this year. However, all have come at 1,800 meters.

"He's still a bit loose, despite his three wins, but last time was the best he'd been in a race," said Bellagio Opera's trainer, Hiroyuki Uemura. "It was a big win, I thought. He has good racing sense and is easy to control, and it's good that he's been able to win at different tracks."

The race is the first leg of the Triple Crown races for 3-year-old colts. Twenty-four winners of the race have gone on to win the Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) that comes up later in May.

Australia

Twelve are entered to go 1,400 meters in Saturday's Group 1 Schweppes All-Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick. All-aged is right with runners up to age 8.

The favorites, though, are the two 3-yaer-olds, Giga Kick and Jacquinot. Giga Kick exits a second behind I Wish I Win in the T J Smith on April 1. Jacquinot did not fire in the Group 1 Australian Guineas in March but was dynamite earlier in the year.

Don Corleone and Militarize get early support among a dozen 2-year-olds set for Saturday's Group 1 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes at 1,600 meters at Royal Randwick.