Curlin's Honor, Reride look Kentucky Derby trail ready in Sunday wins

While Road to the 2018 Kentucky Derby took a pause this weekend, a pair of 3-year-old colts appeared ready to hit the trail next time out.

First came Curlin’s Honor, the $1.5 million purchase away from the races since his maiden score last October. Running in the slop at Fair Grounds, he was navigated through heavy traffic in the stretch by Corey Lanerie to win going six furlongs in allowance company.

The Equibase chart note that the Mark Casse trainee was "driven out to the seven-eighths pole on the gallop out" past the wire with two turns next, as Oaklawn Park’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on March 17 is a possible destination.

Later Sunday, Reride re-rallied in deep stretch to turn back local favorite Runaway Ghost by 2 1/2 lengths in the Mine That Bird Derby, the local prep for the Grade 3 Sunland Derby on March 25. The Steve Asmussen trainee registered 1 1/16 miles in a final time of 1:44.06.

Reride entered off a win in Delta Downs’ seven-furlong Big Drama Stakes and has previous Derby trail experience having finished sixth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last November.

Should Reride and Runaway Ghost advance to the Sunland Derby, they could meet Justify, the Bob Baffert trainee who earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure — best of the 3-year-old crop so far — in his debut race last weekend.