First Look: Apple Blossom rematch leads 7-stakes week

Three weeks until Louisville. The Kentucky Derby field is penciled in, the futures are closed, and the 3-year-old prep season wraps up with its final qualifying race on a day that will be dominated by older fillies and mares.

The Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn headlines the week with a loaded field. Nitrogen and Majestic Oops run it back from the Azeri (G2), where Majestic Oops stunned the Breeders' Cup Distaff runner-up last month. Mark Casse saddles Nitrogen and stablemate Nerazurri, and Saffie Joseph Jr. ships in Claret Beret off a sharp Royal Delta (G3) victory at Gulfstream.

The Lexington (G3) at Keeneland closes out the Kentucky Derby prep season, but nobody in this field is getting to Churchill Downs. Confessional carries the most qualifying points at 15, and a win would push that to only 35. The fourth and final also-eligible on the Derby list holds 38, and the starting gate cutoff is at 50. Even a Lexington victory would require multiple defections just to land on the waiting list.

Seven graded stakes this week at two tracks give handicappers three days of quality action to fill the gap before Derby fever kicks in.

Friday

Maker's Mark Mile (G1), Keeneland, 1 mile, turf, 4-year-olds and up

Zulu Kingdom last raced Aug. 1, when he crossed the wire first in the Hall of Fame (G2) at Saratoga but was disqualified to fourth. Trainer Chad Brown's 4-year-old posted three straight wins before that, highlighted by a 1 1/4-length score in the American Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Limestone (G3), Keeneland, 5 1/2 furlongs, turf, fillies, 3-year-olds

Cy Fair makes her 3-year-old debut after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar by a length on Oct. 31. The George Weaver-trained filly won three of four starts in 2025, with her only defeat a neck loss to Snow Face Princess in the Bolton Landing at Saratoga. Quiet Street, trained by Bill Mott for Godolphin, has been off even longer, last racing Oct. 4 when she ran third in the Miss Grillo (G2) at Aqueduct. She won two of three career starts, including a one-length victory over Snow Face Princess in the Untapable at Kentucky Downs.

Saturday

Jenny Wiley (G1), Keeneland, 1 1/16 miles, turf, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

Lush Lips has rattled off three consecutive victories, headlined by a score in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland, followed by the Mrs. Revere (G2) at Churchill and the Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream, where she earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

Lexington (G3), Keeneland, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points

Confessional already proved best of Corona de Oro when breaking his maiden at Keeneland in October by three lengths, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Trainer Brad Cox's Essential Quality colt ran second in a Gulfstream Park allowance before fading to seventh in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa. He rebounded to finish third in the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

Apple Blossom (G1), Oaklawn, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

The 2025 champion 3-year-old filly Nitrogen won the Bayakoa (G3) by 2 3/4 lengths on Feb. 7, but Majestic Oops upset her in the Azeri (G2) on March 7 over a sloppy surface. Trainer Mark Casse's 4-year-old filly holds a 14: 7-4-3 record, including a victory in the Alabama (G1) and a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Distaff 2025. Trainer Dan Ward's 6-year-old mare Majestic Oops also won the American Beauty by 3 1/4 lengths on Feb. 13 and has captured four of eight career starts at Oaklawn.

Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3), Oaklawn, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up

Booth won the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap 2025 over Ryvit after a prolonged pace duel and captured the Whitmore (G3) and Maryland Sprint (G3) last season. Trainer Steven Asmussen's 5-year-old son of Mitole owns a record of 14: 7-2-0. He made his lone 2026 start on March 1 at Oaklawn, finishing second in an optional claimer, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Tejano Twist after setting the pace.

Sunday

Giant's Causeway (G2), Keeneland, 5 1/2 furlongs, turf, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Pondering powered to a three-quarter-length victory in the Bessarabian (G3) at Woodbine on Nov. 8, her second stakes win for trainer Brendan Walsh. The Godolphin homebred ran third behind Time to Dazzle and In Our Time in the Franklin (G2) at Keeneland on Oct. 12 and most recently finished second in the Holiday Inaugural at Turfway on Dec. 21.