Ky. Derby hopefuls: 8 horses in Las Vegas futures race Friday
Even though they are not in points preps, eight horses who are in the Las Vegas futures for Kentucky Derby 2023 are racing Friday for the last time as 2-year-olds.
Speed Boat Beach, a Bob Baffert-trained Bayern colt who is 100-1 at Caesars Sportsbook and 80-1 at Circa Sports, drew post 7 in a field of eight 2-year-olds for the Eddie Logan Stakes going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita. The winner of this month’s Cecil B. DeMille (G3) on the Del Mar grass was the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.
Click here for Friday’s entries and results.
Classical Cat, who is 200-1 at Circa and 175-1 at Caesars, also was entered in the Eddie Logan. A turf allowance winner last out in October at Santa Anita, the Mendelssohn colt trained by Phil D’Amato will break from post 3 and was 4-1 on the morning line for Friday’s 3:59 p.m. EST race.
The Heft Stakes, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds at Laurel Park, includes four Derby futures horses. Allowance winner Prince of Jericho, 225-1 at Circa and 150-1 at Caesars, was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite. Nashua (G3) runner-up Full Moon Madness, 200-1 at Circa and 150-1 at Caesars, was installed at 2-1. After earning one Derby qualifying point for finishing fifth in the Remsen (G2), Midnight Trouble, 175-1 at Caesars and 125-1 at Circa, was 4-1 for the Heft. Coffeewithchris, 250-1 at Circa after finishing third in the Maryland Juvenile, was listed at 10-1 for Friday’s 12:56 p.m. EST race.
New York Thunder, who broke his maiden last out for trainer Jorge Delgado at Gulfstream Park, returns there as the even-money favorite for a five-furlong turf race. The Nyquist colt carries Derby odds of 140-1 at Circa into the 2:10 p.m. EST allowance optional-claiming test.
Chase the Chaos, 250-1 at Circa, tries to improve on third- and second-place finishes in a pair of black-type races at Golden Gate Fields. That was where he was drawn into Friday’s sixth race at 6:17 p.m. EST. Trained by Ed Moger, the Astern colt was made the 7-2 third choice for the one-mile race on the all-weather main track.