Kentucky Derby 2023 prep races: Post positions and odds for Blue Grass, Santa Anita, Wood

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapit Trice is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $1 million, Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Tapit Trice got the No. 1 post position in a field of 11 during Wednesday’s draw. The Blue Grass will offer 200 qualifying points toward the May 6 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, with 100 going to first place, 40 to second place, 30 to third place, 20 to fourth place and 10 to fifth place.

A son of Tapit, Tapit Trice is 3-0-1 in four career starts and enters the Blue Grass off a victory in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11.

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He could be another Kentucky Derby contender for Pletcher, who already has the likely favorite in Florida Derby winner Forte.

Other top Blue Grass contenders include Verifying (3-1 odds), Raise Cain (9-2) and Blazing Sevens (6-1).

Verifying, trained by Brad Cox, enters off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Rebel on Feb. 25 at Oaklawn. A son of Justify, Verifying is 2-1-0 in five career starts.

Raise Cain, trained by Ben Colebrook, won the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4 at Aqueduct. A son of Violence, Raise Cain is 2-1-1 in six career starts.

Blazing Sevens is trained by Chad Brown and most recently finished eighth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4 at Gulfstream. A son of Good Magic, Blazing Sevens is 2-0-1 in five career starts.

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The Blue Grass field features four horses currently ranked among the top 25 on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard — Raise Cain (No. 9), Tapit Trice (No. 11), Sun Thunder (No. 19) and Classic Car Wash (No. 24).

Post time: 5:15 p.m. Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Purse: $1 million. Grade: 1. Distance: 1 1/8 miles. TV: NBC. Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100 for first place, 40 for second place, 30 for third place, 20 for fourth place, 10 for fifth place.

PP Horse, jockey, trainer, odds

1. Tapit Trice, Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher, 5-2

2. Clear the Air, Ricardo Santana Jr., Will Walden, 30-1

3. Verifying, Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox, 3-1

4. Classic Car Wash, Javier Castellano, Mark Casse, 12-1

5. Hayes Strike, James Graham, Kenny McPeek, 15-1

6. Scoobie Quando, Luan Machado, Ben Colebrook, 15-1

7. Sun Thunder, Florent Geroux, Kenny McPeek, 10-1

8. Blazing Sevens, Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown, 6-1

9. Major Blue, David Cabrera, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1

10. Raise Cain, Joel Rosario, Ben Colebrook, 9-2

11. Mendelssohns March, Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 20-1

Practical Move leads Santa Anita Derby

Practical Move is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $750,000, Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

The Santa Anita Derby will offer 200 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, including 100 to the first-place finisher.

Practical Move, trained by Tim Yakteen, won the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 4 at Santa Anita. The son of Practical Joke is 3-1-2 in six career starts.

Other top contenders include Geaux Rocket Ride (3-1 odds), National Treasure (3-1) and Skinner (4-1).

Geaux Rocket Ride, trained by Richard Mandella, was the runner-up in the San Felipe. Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs, was third in the San Felipe.

National Treasure, trained by Yakteen, enters off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Sham on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita. He missed the San Felipe because of a bruised foot.

Post time: 5:45 p.m. EDT Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Purse: $750,000. Grade: 1. Distance: 1 1/8 miles. TV: NBC. Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100 for first place, 40 for second place, 30 for third place, 20 for fourth place, 10 for fifth place.

PP Horse, jockey, trainer, odds

1. I Don’t Get It, Mario Gutierrez, Doug O’Neill, 20-1

2. Dazzlemesilver, Kent Desormeaux, Keith Desormeaux, 50-1

3. Geaux Rocket Ride, Flavien Prat, Richard Mandella, 3-1

4. One in Vermllion, Hector Berrios, Eric Kruljac, 50-1

5. Practical Move, Ramon Vazquez, Tim Yakteen, 8-5

6. National Treasure, John Velazquez, Tim Yakteen, 3-1

7. Skinner, Victor Espinoza, John Shirreffs, 4-1

8. Mandarin Hero, Kazushi Kimura, Terunobu Fujita, 8-1

9. Low Expectations, Umberto Rispoli, Antonio Garcia, 30-1

Hit Show draws No. 13 in Wood Memorial

Hit Show, 5-2 favorite in the morning line, drew the outside post in a field of 13 for Saturday’s $750,000, Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

The Wood will offer 200 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby, with 100 going to first place.

Hit Show, trained by Cox, has won 3 of 4 career starts and enters off a victory in the Grade 3 Withers on Feb. 11 at Aqueduct.

“I do think he’s a horse that does like a mile and an eighth and hopefully beyond,” Cox said. “He’s trained really, really well.”

The Cox-trained Slip Mahoney is another top contender. The son of Arrogate was the runner-up in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4 at Aqueduct.

General Banker, trained by James Ferraro, enters off a third-place showing in the Gotham.

Dreamlike, trained by Pletcher, is 7-2 in the morning line after a pair of second-place showing in maiden special weights at Gulfstream.

Post time: 6:16 p.m. Saturday at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y. Purse: $750,000. Grade: 2. Distance: 1 1/8 miles. TV: FOX. Kentucky Oaks qualifying points: 100 for first place, 40 for second place, 30 for third place, 20 for fourth place, 10 for fifth place.

PP Horse, jockey, trainer, odds

1. Dreamlike, Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher, 7-2

2. Shadow Dragon, Eric Cancel, Bill Mott, 12-1

3. Knox, Jose Gomez, Saffie Joseph Jr., 50-1

4. General Banker, Frankie Pennington, James Ferraro, 20-1

5. Slip Mahoney, Dylan Davis, Brad Cox, 6-1

6. Clear the Air, Heman Harkie, Will Walden, 15-1

7. Arctic Arrogance, Jose Lezcano, Linda Rice, 6-1

8. Lord Miles, Paco Lopez, Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1

9. Crupi, Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher, 12-1

10. Uncle Jake, Jevian Toledo, Brittany Russell, 20-1

11. Classic Catch, Trevor McCarthy, Todd Pletcher, 10-1

12. Mr. Swagger, Carlos Olivero, Juan Carlos Avila, 30-1

13. Hit Show, Manny Franco, Brad Cox, 5-2

Wonder Wheel headlines Ashland

Wonder Wheel is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Friday’s $600,000, Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland at Keeneland.

The Ashland will offer 200 qualifying points toward the May 5 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, with 100 going to first place, 40 to second place, 30 to third place, 20 to fourth place and 10 to fifth place.

Wonder Wheel, trained by Mark Casse, is 4-2-0 in six career starts and most recently was the runner-up in the Suncoast Stakes on Feb. 11 at Tampa Bay Downs. The daughter of Into Mischief was the 2-year-old champion filly after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last November at Keeneland.

Punchbowl (2-1 odds) and Julia Shining (3-1) are other top contenders in the Ashland.

Punchbowl, a daughter of Uncle Mo, is 2 for 2 and will be making her stakes debut for Cox. Julia Shining, trained by Pletcher, enters off a third-place finish in the Suncoast Stakes.

Post time: 5:16 p.m. Friday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Purse: $600,000. Grade: 1. Distance: 1 1/16 miles. TV: TVG. Kentucky Oaks qualifying points: 100 for first place, 40 for second place, 30 for third place, 20 for fourth place, 10 for fifth place.

PP Horse, jockey, trainer, odds

1. Pride of the Nile, Frankie Dettori, Doug O’Neill, 12-1

2. Wonder Wheel, Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse, 8-5

3. Guns n’ Graces, Chad Brown, Joel Rosario, 8-1

4. Julia Shining, Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher, 3-1

5. Punchbowl, Flavien Prat, Brad Cox, 2-1

6. Defining Purpose, Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 15-1

7. Effortlesslyelgant, Ricardo Santana Jr., Norm Casse, 20-1

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023 road: Weekend prep races post positions and odds