Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: Early look at Saturday’s prep fields

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 4 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

A pivotal weekend on the 2019 Kentucky Derby trail awaits with points-paying prep races in New York, Florida and California. Before each of them draws Wednesday, here’s a look courtesy of tracks’ racing offices at prospective fields. This round of races continues to pay out points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale.

Aqueduct’s Withers Stakes (G3)

There’s no clear standout here as the likes of Moretti, a pricey winner at this 1 1/8-mile distance for the Todd Pletcher barn, meets Parx invader Lucky Lee and Admire, who broke his maiden last fall at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Mark Casse now has in his care the Jerome Stakes runner-up Our Braintrust, while Le General, a New York-bred from Michelle Nevin’s barn who was head and shoulders above his restricted competition, will miss the race due to injury, according to the Daily Racing Form.

All eyes will be on unbeaten Maximus Mischief, the Remsen Stakes (G2) winner making his 3-year-old debut. Not that he’s without some stuff competition.

The Mucho Macho Man Stakes’ 1-2 finishers of Mihos and Trophy Chaser are expected, while Epic Dreamer was the beaten favorite with a troubled trip in the Springboard Mile. Federal Case could be a big horse for the Pletcher barn, bought for $650,000 after his Keeneland debut. The son of Gemologist then beat winners Dec. 23 at Gulfstream.

Santa Anita Park’s Robert B. Lewis (G3)

Sham Stakes (G3) winner Gunmetal Gray will take on fellow Grade 3 winner Mucho Gusto from the Bob Baffert barn in that one’s season debut.

Nolo Contesto is highly regarded by trainer John Sadler and broke his maiden last out, while Gum Tree Lane similarly will get his litmus test off a one-mile maiden win at Los Alamitos.

Derby links

• Nitrous, a name from early in the 2-year-old season, made a successful sophomore debut Sunday in a local prep toward the Sunland Derby (G3). He’s back on the Derby Radar with a two-turn score.

• Trainer Robert “Butch” Reid said he’s “not worried about fitness at all” with Maximus Mischief, whose final work toward the Holy Bull was delated due to rain over the weekend at Gulfstream Park.

• Knicks Go, meanwhile, got his breeze in at Tampa Bay Downs, and it was a speedy one after the Sam F. Davis (G3) contender “had put on some weight since, so he needed a serious work.”

The works

Admire — Ahead of the Withers, and before shipping North to New York, the Dale Romans trainee breezed a half mile Monday in an easy 52.44 seconds at Gulfstream.

Maximus Mischief — Finally able to work, the unbeaten son of Into Mischief went four furlongs, also at Gulfstream, in 50.06 seconds.

Mucho Gusto — In a final work before the Robert B. Lewis, he traveled six furlongs Sunday in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita.

So Alive — The half-brother of Vino Rosso, an allowance winner pointing toward the Sam F. Davis, drilled 5/8 of a mile Monday in 1:01.45 at Todd Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs base.

In case you missed it…

Sunday’s Derby Daily report featured an interview with trainer Bill Mott and additional thoughts on the open-lengths debut win by Hidden Scroll.