Upcoming Graded Stakes Races DATE
TRACK RACE
GRD.
DIST.
2010-04-24
AQU
Withers Stakes
III
8.0
2010-04-24
CD
Derby Trial Stakes
III
8.0
2010-04-24
GG
San Francisco Mile
II
8.0 T
2010-04-24
LS
Texas Mile
III
8.0
2010-04-25
CRC
Miami Mile Handicap
III
8.0 T
2010-04-25
HOL
Inglewood Handicap
III
8.5 T
2010-04-30
BEL
Westchester Stakes
III
8.0
2010-04-30
CD
Kentucky Oaks
I
9.0
2010-04-30
CD
American Turf Stakes
II
8.5 T
2010-04-30
CD
La Troienne Stakes
II
8.5
2010-04-30
CD
Alysheba Stakes
III
8.5
2010-04-30
CD
Churchill Downs Turf Sprint Stakes
III
5.0 T
2010-04-30
CD
Kentucky Juvenile Stakes
III
5.0
2010-05-00
BEL
Peter Pan Stakes
II
9.0
2010-05-00
BEL
Nassau County Stakes
III
7.0
2010-05-00
PIM
Allaire duPont Distaff Stakes
II
8.5
2010-05-00
PIM
Pimlico Special
I
9.5
2010-05-01
BEL
Fort Marcy Stakes
III
8.5 T
2010-05-01
BEL
Beaugay Stakes
III
8.5 T
2010-05-01
CD
Woodford Reserve Turf Classic
I
9.0 T
2010-05-01
CD
Kentucky Derby
I
10.0
2010-05-01
CD
Humana Distaff Handicap
I
7.0
2010-05-01
CD
Churchill Downs Stakes
II
7.0
2010-05-01
CD
Churchill Distaff Turf Mile
II
8.0 T
2010-05-01
CD
Eight Belles Stakes
III
7.5
2010-05-01
HOL
Wilshire Handicap
III
8.0 T
2010-05-02
HOL
Senorita Stakes
III
8.0 T
2010-05-08
BEL
Dwyer Stakes
II
8.5
2010-05-08
HOL
Mervyn Leroy Handicap
II
8.5 S
2010-05-08
LS
Lone Star Derby
III
8.5
2010-05-09
HOL
Railbird Stakes
III
7.0 S
2010-05-14
PIM
Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
II
9.0
2010-05-15
BEL
Shuvee Handicap
II
8.0
2010-05-15
HOL
Jim Murray Memorial Handicap
II
12.0 T
2010-05-15
PIM
Preakness Stakes
I
9.5
2010-05-15
PIM
Dixie Stakes
II
9.0 T
2010-05-15
PIM
William Donald Schaefer Stakes
III
8.5
2010-05-15
PIM
Maryland Sprint Handicap
III
6.0
2010-05-15
PIM
Hirsch Jacobs Stakes
III
6.0
2010-05-15
PIM
Gallorette Handicap
III
8.5 T
2010-05-16
HOL
Milady Handicap
II
8.5 S
10
STRIDE MAGAZINE
April 17, 2010
learned at Oaklawn Park. The other horse in that crazy photo finish from the Arkansas Derby was Dublin. He stormed onto the scene with a convincing win in the Hopeful last August at Saratoga. Since then, the D. Wayne Lukas charge has run well, placed in three straight graded stakes, but just doesn’t seem to be putting it all together. After these, you have the likes of Endorsement, who was still a maiden in February, but unleashed a shocker in the Sunland Derby. You have Gotham winner Awesome Act, who lost a shoe at the beginning of the Wood Memorial and still managed a third-place finish. Ice Box, American Lion and Mission Impazible won the Florida, Illinois and Louisiana Derbies respectively. Of those performances, the Florida effort was the least impressive. The rest of the field is a jumble of horses who, if they happen to find a little racing luck and their best stride, could each reach the finish line first in Louisville. Included in the group are Interactif, Noble’s Promise, Rule, Stately Victor, Conveyance, Discreetly Mine, Dean’s Kitten, Paddy O’Prado, Homeboykris, Jackson Bend, Backtalk, Make Music For Me, Setsuko and Pleasant Prince. For some of these horses, a start in the Derby is not even guaranteed because of the earnings gymnastics that have occurred in the last month. The element missing this year that has been present for the last couple is a super-filly. Right now, no one appears to be an Eight Belles or Rachel Alexandra. The one exception might be Devil May Care. The filly rocked in the Bonnie Miss on Florida Derby Day and ran her 1 1/8 miles faster than the boys in the Florida Derby. As you sort through all of them, though, just three rise to the surface of all the Derby prep mayhem: Eskendereya, Lookin At Lucky and Sidney’s Candy. They seem the most talented of this crop of three-year-olds. But, as 50-1 shot Mine That Bird proved in Kentucky Derby 135, they still have to run the race. And any of the 20 horses that go to post can win, given the right set of circumstances. h