Saturday Kentucky Derby preps: Post positions, odds and more

Welcome to Super Saturday on the 2019 Kentucky Derby trail.

A trio of preps — it’s a “Win and You’re In” scenario for all of them — run within minutes of each other on both coasts now just a month out from the first Saturday in May. Each race awards qualifying points to the Top 4 finishers on a 100-40-20-10 scale, likely enough for the second-place finishers to move on to Churchill Downs as well.

Below, meet the fields for the Wood Memorial (G2), Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) with the action to air starting at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Additionally, TVG will broadcast, or you can live stream them through advanced deposit wagering services such as NYRABets.

Wood Memorial (6 p.m. ET)

1. Tax (9-2)

2. Tacitus (5-2)

3. Hoffa’s Union (6-1)

4. Haikal (7-2)

5. Final Jeopardy (8-1)

6. Overdeliver (20-1)

7. Not That Brady (20-1)

8. Grumps Little Tots (30-1)

9. Math Wizard (30-1)

10. Outshine (6-1)

11. Joevia (30-1)

• Free Wood Memorial past performances

• Build around this Wood Memorial longshot

• A case for Casse newcomer Hoffa’s Union

Churchill Downs’ Derby Dispatch previews the Wood Memorial:

Fifteen years after his sire Tapit won the race, Tacitus will attempt to keep Saturday’s Wood Memorial somewhat of a family affair in the 1 1/8-mile prep.

A winner in two of three starts, including a maiden score at the Big A and a 1 1/4-length triumph over Outshine in last month’s Tampa Bay Derby (G2), Tacitus will seek to become the second son of Tapit to win the Wood following Frosted in 2015.

Todd Pletcher will rely on Outshine and stakes-placed Overdeliver to win his sixth Wood Memorial since 2010. Compared to the more seasoned Outshine, Overdeliver has raced just twice, finishing a distant second last out in the $75,000 Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs.

“We’re excited about stretching him out to a mile and an eighth,” said Pletcher of Outshine. “We’ve been pointing to the Wood since the Tampa Bay Derby and we’re optimistic from what we’re seeing.

“We didn’t really have a firm plan (for Overdeliver) after the Pasco,” Pletcher added. “It’s really just been based on his last three works that he’s trained exceptionally well that we decided to take a shot at the Wood. I think his last couple works he’s shown some really strong gallop outs and indicates that he’s capable of stretching out.”

The competitive renewal also features Tax, a $50,000 claim three starts back who improved to win the Feb. 2 Withers (G3) by a head over Not That Brady.

“He’s training tremendous. He looks good. We’re just hoping we get a clean trip,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “He’s a nice horse and we’re just hoping we can run Top 3 so we can go to the Derby.”

Haikal faces no such pressure having earned 50 points in winning the one-mile Gotham (G3) with a final-furlong blitz aided by a fast pace, but the son of Daaher has yet to race around two turns.

“The only question is the two turns, but we feel like it’ll be no problem. Hopefully he won’t be as far back as he was last time,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “He could be in the middle of the pack or last, but he won’t be 15 lengths off the pace like last time.”

A wildcard in the field is Hoffa’s Union, who debuts for new connections after being privately acquired following a 15 ½-length debut victory at Laurel in late February. Meanwhile, owners Gary and Mary West look to earn a third Kentucky Derby slot with two-time winner Final Jeopardy. The Wests currently have champion juvenile Game Winner and Florida Derby (G1) hero Maximum Security among their confirmed Derby hopefuls.

A look at TimeformUS’ Wood Memorial pace projector: 

Blue Grass Stakes (6:23 p.m. ET)

1. Somelikeithotbrown (10-1)

2. Vekoma (9-5)

3. Signalman (5-1)

4. Market King (20-1)

5. Chess Chief (30-1)

6. Dream Maker (12-1)

7. Admire (15-1)

8. Win Win Win (7-2)

9. Sir Winston (15-1)

10. Lucky Lee (20-1)

11. So Alive (15-1)

12. Parsimony (20-1)

13. Moonster (30-1)

14. Aquadini (30-1)

• Free Blue Grass Stakes past performances

• Head to Head Blue Grass handicapping

• Expert picks: Blue Grass predictions, longshots

TwinSpires’ James Scully previews the race:

Kentucky Derby implications abound in Saturday’s Blue Grass. A full field of 14 has been entered for the 1 1/8-mile test at Keeneland, and Vekoma has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite following a third in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Winner of the Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct, the George Weaver-trained colt was beaten only 2 ¾ lengths while sustaining his first career setback last out. Vekoma gets a new rider in Javier Castellano.

Win Win Win, third as the favorite when making his first Kentucky Derby qualifying attempt in the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), comes next at 7-2 on the morning line. Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount for Mike Trombetta.

Signalman has shown an affinity for Churchill Downs, recording a fast-closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) under the Twin Spires. The Kenny McPeek pupil also finished second in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland last fall. But after opening 2019 with a seventh in the Fountain of Youth, Signalman currently sits only 23rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points. Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. will be up.

Winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on Turfway Park’s Polytrack, Somelikeitbrown tops all Blue Grass entrants with 20 points (21st on the leaderboard). He’ll try to gain ground in the standings while making his first dirt start for Mike Maker and Tyler Gaffalione has the assignment.

Todd Pletcher, a two-time Kentucky Derby-winning conditioner, has Sam F. Davis (G3) third-placer So Alive in the mix. Churchill Downs-based trainers Mark Casse and Dallas Stewart both have a pair, with Casse sending out Dream Maker and Sir Winston and Stewart represented by Aquadini and Chess Chief.

Rounding out the field are Admire, Lucky Lee, Market King, Moonster and Parsimony.

A look at TimeformUS’ Blue Grass pace projector: 

Santa Anita Derby (7:14 p.m. ET)

1. Roadster (5-2)

2. More Ice (30-1)

3. Nolo Contesto (6-1)

4. Synthesis (30-1)

5. Instagrand (3-1)

6. Game Winner (4-5)

• Free Santa Anita Derby past performances

• Analysis: Instagrand holds a pace advantage

• How to bet the Santa Anita Derby

Brisnet’s Vance Hanson previews the race:

Bob Baffert-trained Game Winner will seek to make amends for his first career defeat in a division of last month’s Rebel Stakes (G2) when he heads a field of six in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby over 1 1/8 miles.

Game Winner himself is safely in the Kentucky Derby with a current total of 45 accrued from earlier wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and American Pharoah (G1). He was also an intended starter in the San Felipe (G2) prior to its cancellation, so Game Winner instead made his seasonal return in the split Rebel, in which he just missed to Omaha Beach in a dramatic and thrilling photo finish.

Joining him in the Santa Anita Derby lineup is Roadster, who was beaten only two lengths by Game Winner in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) last September. In his only interim appearance, the son of Quality Road defeated Nolo Contesto by 2 ½ lengths in a one-mile allowance on March 1.

One of the more precocious juveniles of last season, Instagrand makes his two-turn debut in the Santa Anita Derby. Winner of his first two starts by a combined margin of more than 20 lengths, including the Best Pal (G2), the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee was perhaps in need of a race when an even-money third in the March 9 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct following a seven-month absence.

More Ice and Synthesis, both of whom are stakes-placed, are a longshot duo that complete the compact field.

A look at TimeformUS’ Santa Anita Derby pace projector: