Last Kentucky Derby Prep Races and Latest Point Standings

Omaha Beach won by a length over a sloppy track in yesterday's Arkansas Derby.  The final time for the 1 and 1/8 mile race was 1:49.91.  Jockey Mike Smith gave his usual masterful ride on the Dick Mandella trained colt to beat Improbable, who was 5 3/4 lengths ahead of third place Country House.  Laughing Fox followed a length behind Country House to finish fourth.
   Owendale surprised most folks by winning the Lexington Stakes in a time of 1:44.14 over the 1 and 1/16 miles race.  Owendale finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Anothertwistafate, who was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Sueno.  Knicks Go crossed the finish line 5 lengths behind Sueno for fourth place.
  Then, too, the Ben Ali had a surprise winner in Bourbon Resolution, who bested Nun the Less by 4 1/2 lengths, covering the 1 1/8 mile course in 1:38.45.  Nun the Less was 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Third Day, who finished 3/4 length ahead of Just Whistle.

   Omaha Beach wins the Arkansas Derby:

Owendale wins the Lexington Stakes:

Bourbon Resolution wins the Ben Ali:

Depending on which owners and trainers decide to run in the Kentucky Derby, several jockeys will have to make difficult decisions.  A lot of jockeys are the regular riders of two or more of the colts who have qualified for the Run for the Roses on May 4.  It will interesting to see which jockeys pick which of their regular mounts to ride....

Yesterday's two races, the Lexington Stakes and the Arkansas Derby were the last two races in which horses could win points to enter, and run in, the Derby.  This is the order of point standings after those two races:

   1.   Tacitus

   2.   Omaha Beach

   3.   Vekoma

   4.   Plus Que Parfait

   5.   Roadster

   6.   By My Standards

   7.   Maximum Security

   8.   Game Winner

   9.   Code of Honor

  10.  Haikal

  11.  Improbable

  12.  War of Will

  13.  Long Range Toddy

  14.  Tax

  15.  Cutting Humor

  16.  Win Win Win

  17.  Country House

  18.  Gray Magician

  19.  Spinoff

  20.  Master Fencer (JPN)

  21.  Bodexpress

  22.  Signalman

  23.  Anothertwistafate

  24.  Sueno

  25.  Bourbon Way

  26.  Instagrand

  27.  Mucho Gusto

  28.  Knicks Go

  29.  Owendale

  30.  Outshine

 Remember that only 20 entries are allowed in the Kentucky Derby - as we draw closer to the first Saturday in May, trainers and owners will be watching their horses carefully, and deciding whether or not they believe their colts will be able to put in a good race over 10 furlongs, which none of them have done before.  May the gods of racing look kindly upon this bunch of young thoroughbreds!