Don't miss these 5 races with Kentucky Derby, Oaks impact

With the Triple Crown nominations deadline extended indefinitely, a well-meant maiden could pop up at any moment this weekend to put itself on the 2020 Kentucky Derby or Oaks trails in a unique season for the 3-year-old divisions.

Five races in particular look apt to influence the potential Sept. 4 (Oaks) and Sept. 5 (Derby) fields. Here’s what we’re watching for…

Saturday’s fourth race at Oaklawn Park (3:10 p.m. ET)

This one-mile allowance sees 5-2 morning line favorite Scabbard running for the first time since he failed to fire in a couple of Derby preps at Fair Grounds, finishing fifth in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and sixth in a division of the Risen Star (G2). But the more progressive contender is the race’s 3-1 second choice.

Blackberry Wine, disqualified from previous victories due to a positive test for a banned substance, regained his maiden condition and on March 14 ran off to become a winner again by 13 lengths in the Oaklawn slop. His final time of 1:44.48 for 1 1/16 miles was a tick faster than Nadal’s Rebel Stakes (G2) score in 1:44.97, though Blackberry Wine competed under a vastly less pressured pace scenario.

Still, the connections of trainer Joe Sharp and owner/breeder Calumet Farm eye this allowance optional claiming spot as a proving ground for the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1).

Also interesting in this field is Shooters Shoot, a Peter Eurton trainee who escaped the shadow of hype horse Charlatan last out, improving from a runner-up at Santa Anita Park to a 3 1/4-length win on March 15.

Saturday’s sixth race at Oaklawn Park (4:12 p.m. ET)

Another one-mile allowance for 3-year-olds, this flight sees the New York-bred stakes winner Captain Bombastic as its favorite, with Jeremiah Englehart training the son of Forty Tales going second off the layoff.

In terms of the Derby trail, keep an eye on Steve Asmussen-trained Pneumatic, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred who prevailed by a neck in his local six-furlong debut on Feb. 15. As a son of Uncle Mo out of a Tapit mare, he figures to like the gradual stretch in distance.

Giocare is a maiden winner from the Todd Pletcher barn, while Sixto, trained by Eric Guillot, exits a start in the Gotham Stakes (G3) off his own debut victory.

Jerry Hollendorfer also sends out Ancient Warrior for the fourth time this season. While he’s 0-for-3 at the level, the Constitution colt last fall registered one of the most eye-catching maiden wins of the Del Mar meet. Somewhere, there’s talent.

Saturday’s 11th race at Oaklawn Park (6:48 p.m. ET)

The $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes was originally on the schedule as the May 2 Oaklawn Invitational, offering a free spot in the Preakness Stakes. That incentive remains, but now so too are guaranteed spots in the rescheduled Arkansas Derby (G1) for this race’s top-three finishers.

Thirteen were entered with each of Basin, Thousand Words, Shoplifted and Gold Street prior stakes winners. Basin comes second off the bench after a third in the Rebel; Thousand Words is looking to bounce back from his only career defeat; and the Asmussen duo of Shoplifted and Gold Street face a distance test in this 1 1/8-mile affair.

Other intriguing entries include Taishan, who flopped previously on the Derby trail but ran to a nice local allowance win last out for the Richard Baltas barn. Farmington Road is a Pletcher trainee adding blinkers off a fourth in the Risen Star. And at 15-1, Sir Rick runs for the red-hot Robert Diodoro operation.

This race doesn’t allot Kentucky Derby qualifying points, but positions in the Arkansas Derby gate will be tough to acquire unless the race splits. Given Oaklawn already knocked the purse down from $1 million to $750,000 -- its casino is closed -- can the track really afford to run multiple flights?

Sunday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park (2:15 p.m. ET)

Ohio-bred Nikki and Papa remains a maiden after two starts, but that’s not a true indication of her potential talent considering she started with a third in the Forward Gal (G3) and more recently ran eighth in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2).

Finally, this former $500,000 auction purchase will face fellow non-winners when she backs up to six furlongs. Time for a confidence-booster?

Nikki and Papa will be prominent, but there are other logical contenders on paper, including The Girl Herself, a Michael Tabor homebred debuting for Pletcher; $400,000 filly Snicket exiting the Christophe Clement barn; Saratoga Affair, a $450,000 Chad Brown trainee; and Sixth Street, who was a runner-up first out for the successful team of Mark Hennig and Courtlandt Farms.

The Gulfstream racing office is working on adding a two-turn stakes for sophomore fillies to the schedule in the coming weeks. The winner here logically graduates to that spot.

Sunday’s sixth race at Gulfstream Park (3:15 p.m. ET)

This maiden event is open to fillies and mares 3 and up, though all but one entrant is a sophomore.

Notable is the budding partnership between Shadwell Stable and Pletcher, who inherited the group’s horses previously trained by Kiaran McLaughlin when McLaughlin transitioned to booking mounts for jockey Luis Saez.

Saez, appropriately, has the mount on Prairie Wings, newly trained by Pletcher for this one-mile affair. An $800,000 daughter of Tapit, Prairie Wings was second on debut Feb. 9 to Fashion Babe, who ran for since-indicted trainer Jason Servis.

A move forward to win here would be of little surprise. Prairie Wings will be up against a pair of pricey Brown trainees in the field of nine with Risk Model a $390,000 filly and Primacy fetching $240,000 at auction.