Weekend Watch: 3-year-olds star, along with champion sprinter
After two slow weeks on the 2018 Kentucky Derby and Oaks trails, things ramp back up quick this weekend, with three points-paying preps for the colts and two more for the fillies. That's not all for spotlight races, as champion sprinter Roy H and last year’s Queen’s Plate winner, Holy Helena, both kick off their seasons.
Here's what to watch for:
Busy Derby, Oaks trails
Some true contenders for the 3-year-olds classics should emerge, with the top four finishers across the five preps earning points on a 10-4-2-1 basis. Post times are as follows, with a look at each field:
• Grade 3 Withers Stakes (4:35 p.m. Saturday at Aqueduct)
• Grade 3 Forward Gal (4:43 p.m. Saturday at Gulfstream)
• Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis (5:30 p.m. Saturday at Santa Anita)
• Grade 2 Holy Bull (5:49 p.m. Saturday at Gulfstream)
• Grade 2 Las Virgenes (3:30 p.m. Sunday at Santa Anita)
Holy Bull undercard features potential stars
While the Holy Bull is the big draw on Saturday’s card at Gulfstream, there are two other races worth noting undercard. Strike Power looked like a monster in his debut back in December. With Luis Saez up, the Speightstown colt went to the lead and simply increased his advantage to the wire, winning by 8 lengths and earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, one point off Bolt d'Oro's Grade 1 FrontRunner that led all 2-year-olds. He will take the next step forward in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes (1:30 p.m.). Later on the card, the Grade 3 Dania Beach (5:16 p.m.) will pit the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Untamed Domain -- who could hit the Derby trail off a nice effort -- against the highly regarded Gidu, a son of superstar Frankel.
Half to Shared Account debuts at Santa Anita
Shared Account never took home an Eclipse Award, but she was a competitive runner in her day, with her biggest victory coming in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Her half-sister, Fluffhead, debuts in Santa Anita’s first race on Saturday. The one mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies drew a full field of 12 plus two also-eligibles and is set to go off at 3:30 p.m.
Champion Roy H makes his 2018 bow
Newly minted Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter Roy H makes his 2018 bow in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes (4:30 p.m.). The race drew just four other entrants, and Roy H will have the rail. A continuation of last year’s form will make him an easy winner in this spot. Red Lightning enters this off a career-best race, and Mongolian Saturday returns to the dirt for the first time in over a year and a half. Americanize and Bobby Abu Dhabi both like Santa Anita and could make some noise, but really, this is Roy H’s to lose.
Pavel hopes to open 2018 with San Pasqual victory.
Trainer Doug O’Neill only unveiled Pavel back in July, but it took the colt just three races to become a graded stakes winner. He was the runaway winner of the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx and then ran a bang up third against his elders at fourth asking in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. He could then only manage 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic before finishing a disappointing fifth in the Grade Malibu to end last year. The Grade 2 San Pasqual (7 p.m. EST) attracted a competitive field, but the good news for Pavel is that none of his rivals are consistent winners. If the Creative Cause colt wins here, he could launch himself up the ladder in a division that has lost a good bit of talent to retirement.
Holy Helena starts off her year in an easy spot.
Last year’s Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate winner Holy Helena will begin her year as a favorite. She will face just six rivals in Gulfstream Park’s fifth race (2:05 p.m.) on Sunday. The event is carded for a flat mile on the turf, and Holy Helena towers over the rest in both class and accomplishments. The filly has been training well for trainer James Jerkens at Palm Meadows following her layoff following a second place finish in the Grade Ontario Derby in October. If any manage to upset her, I could see it being Liberty Kitten, who already has a start and a win on the year.