Kentucky Derby prospects: 14 futures horses go this weekend

That prep for Kentucky Derby 2023 that really is not a prep did not show up this weekend.

Last week Denington won a better-than-average allowance on the Risen Star (G2) undercard at Fair Grounds. That was where a January allowance sent Determinedly to a noteworthy victory about 2 1/2 hours before the Lecomte (G3). The week before that at Oaklawn, Verifying stepped forward with a 5 1/4-length triumph in a $104,000 allowance.

That kind of under-the-radar race is not happening Saturday, when 10 horses in the Las Vegas futures for the Derby will be among the 11 meeting in the $1 million Rebel (G2) at 6:23 p.m. EST at Oaklawn. They are shown here with their odds in Nevada to the left and their morning line for the Rebel in parentheses:

Caesars Circa
  22-1     28-1  Verifying (2-1)
  35-1     40-1  Reincarnate (7-2)
  26-1     50-1  Giant Mischief (5-2)
  60-1     30-1  Red Route One (10-1)
  65-1   100-1  Gun Pilot (8-1)
  65-1   100-1  Confidence Game (15-1)
            200-1  Event Detail (30-1)
100-1   250-1  Powerful (20-1)
125-1   250-1  Frosted Departure (20-1)
150-1   300-1  Bourbon Bash (20-1)
                      Talladega (30-1)

Four other horses in the Nevada futures market have been sprinkled into lower-profile races this weekend.

Gander Stakes, Aqueduct race 3, Saturday at 1:50 p.m. EST

Neural Network (5-2), 300-1 at Circa to win the Kentucky Derby, was made the second choice to win this $100,000 race for New York state-bred 3-year-olds. The maiden-winning Cloud Computing colt who finished fourth Jan. 7 in the Jerome Stakes was one of only three Chad Brown-trained horses showing Friday in the Derby futures. Five horses were entered for this one-turn mile.

Maiden special weight, Oaklawn race 4, Saturday at 2:34 p.m. EST

Seeking Unity (6-5), opened this week with odds of 300-1 at Circa. Trained by Kenny McPeek, he was made the favorite for this 1 1/16-mile, $90,000 race for 3-year-old maidens. The $280,000 Unified colt finished a close second three weeks ago in a $50,000 maiden race going one mile and 70 yards at Fair Grounds. Reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. got the call for his first race ride on Seeking Unity.

Allowance optional claiming, Turfway Park race 7, Saturday at 8:55 p.m. EST

Hurricane J (7-2), 175-1 at Caesars, opened in the Derby futures when he started his career with two wins in six-furlong sprints. Then he went off at 70-1 in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and finished a very distant seventh. The $330,000 Nyquist colt trained by Paulo Lobo had a 3 1/2-month layoff and was made the morning-line favorite for this $40,000 race for non-winners of two. He keeps jockey Joe Talamo, adds Lasix and cuts back to six furlongs in this field of 12, the biggest that Hurricane J has faced. With 19 wins since the 2021-22 racing season began at Turfway, Lobo is second to Wesley Ward’s 20 in the trainer standings.

Maiden special weight, Gulfstream Park race 4, Sunday at 1:37 p.m. EST

Sgt. Pepper (7-2), 250-1 at Circa, was a $1.6 million yearling bred by Bobby Flay and is owned by Robert and Lawana Low. The Uncle Mo colt was bet heavily in his debut last month at Gulfstream, and he finished a wilting sixth. This time trainer Todd Pletcher stretches Sgt. Pepper to 1 1/8 miles against six other 3-year-old maidens in this $84,000 race. Ortiz rode last month, and he will ride again Sunday.