Weekend Lineup Presented By 1/ST Bet: Bring On Kentucky Derby 150

Friday

12:43 p.m. - Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs

Eclipse Award winners Idiomatic and Pretty Mischievous headline a field of seven fillies and mares entered for the 39^th running of the $1,000,000 Fasig-Tipton La Troienne (G1) over 1 1/16 miles on the main track. 

Juddmonte’s Idiomatic, who won eight of nine starts in 2023 topped by a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), earned the Eclipse Award as the champion older mare of 2023. A winner of her past five starts, including three Grade 1's for trainer Brad Cox, Idiomatic will be making her 2024 debut under Florent Geroux from post 4.

Godolphin’s Pretty Mischievous, a three-time Grade 1 winner last year including the Kentucky Oaks, earned the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly for trainer Brendan Walsh. Also making her 2024 debut, Pretty Mischievous is three for four at Churchill Downs and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post 5.

La Troienne Entries

2:09 p.m. - Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs

Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable’s Tapit Trice returns to Churchill Downs where he will face nine foes in the 21st running of the $750,000 Alysheba (G2) for 4-year-olds and up.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapit Trice won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland last spring before finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Following the Derby, Tapit Trice finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) as well as third in the Travers (G1). Tapit Trice will be making his 2024 debut and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 7.

Also in the field are BBN Racing’s Trademark and Godolphin’s First Mission, who finished noses apart in last fall’s Clark (G2) here. Trained by Vicki Oliver, Trademark will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 10 while First Mission, trained by Brad Cox, will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 3.

Alysheba Entries

5:51 p.m. - Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs

Godolphin’s Tarifa, riding a three-race win streak, has been installed as the 7-2 morning line favorite for the 150^th running of the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Brad Cox, Tarifa will attempt to follow Godolphin runner Pretty Mischievous into the Oaks winner’s circle. A winner of four of five starts, Tarifa posted victories in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in her past two starts. Flavien Prat, who was aboard for those victories, has the mount Friday from post 8.

Cox, who won the Oaks in 2020 with Shedaresthedevil and in 2018 with Monomoy Girl, also will send out Calumet Farm’s Gin Gin (30-1). A winner of two of seven starts, Gin Gin will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 2.

Whisper Hill Farm’s Leslie’s Rose, winner of the Ashland, is the second choice on the morning line at 4-1. Trained by four-time Oaks winner Todd Pletcher, Leslie’s Rose has won three of four starts and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 14.

Pletcher also has Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Candied, who is second on the also-eligible list. Winner of the Alcibiades (G1) last fall before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup, Candied will be ridden by Luis Saez. 

Third choice on the morning line at 9-2 is George Krikorian’s homebred Just F Y I, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2023. Trained by Bill Mott, Just F Y I opened her 2024 campaign with a runner-up finish in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland on April 5. Junior Alvarado has the mount from post 13.

Kentucky Oaks Entries

Saturday

1:14 p.m. - Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs

Alva Starr and Vahva, who have split their two previous meetings, headline a field of 10 fillies and mares entered for the 38th running of the $1 million Derby City Distaff (G1) over seven furlongs.

Owned by P. Dale Ladner and trained by Brett Brinkman, Alva Starr held off Vahva by a half-length in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland on April 6. Never worse than second in eight career starts, Alva Starr will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post 7.

Vahva, trained by Cherie DeVaux for the partnership of Belladonna Racing, Edward Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, Nice Guys Stables and Twin Brook Stables, overhauled Alva Starr by a half-length in their first meeting in the Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland last October. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Vahva from post 10.

Derby City Distaff Entries

4:31 p.m. - Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes

Dream Team One Racing’s Stable’s Hoist the Gold, runner-up to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish here last year in the Churchill Downs, heads a field of 11 4-year-olds and up for this year’s running of the seven-furlong sprint.

Trained by Dallas Stewart, Hoist the Gold produced a strong finish to 2023 by winning the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland and the Cigar Mile (G2) with a sixth-place Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) finish sandwiched in between. John Velazquez has the mount from post 11.

Churchill Downs Stakes Entries

5:27 p.m. - Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs

Godolphin’s Naval Power, runner-up to stablemate and Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Master of The Seas in the Maker’s Mark at Keeneland on April 12, tops a field of 11 entered for the $1,000,000 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) for 4-year-olds and up. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Naval Power has won six of eight career starts with his top victory coming in the Singspiel (G2) at Meydan in February. Frankie Dettori has the call Saturday from post 11.

Also expected to attract attention from the public are LSU Stables’ Far Bridge and Team Hanley, Richard Schermehorn and Paul Braverman’s I’m Very Busy.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Far Bridge has an 8-4-3-1 career record highlighted by a victory in the Belmont Derby (GI). Jose Ortiz has the mount from post 4.

I’m Very Busy enters the race off a 3 ¾-length victory in the Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds, a race that follows a runner-up effort in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1). Trained by Chad Brown, I’m Very Busy will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 6.

Turf Classic Entries

6:57 p.m. - Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs

Repole Stable’s homebred Fierceness, dominating winner of the Florida Derby (G1) in his most recent start, has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite for the 150th running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby. Trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher, Fierceness earned the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old in 2023 with a 6 ¼-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita.

Third in his 2024 debut in the Holy Bull (G3), Fierceness rebounded with a 13 ½-length victory in the Florida Derby. John Velazquez, who has been aboard Fierceness for his past three starts, has the mount Saturday from post 17.

Second choice on the morning line at 3-1 is Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook Smith’s Sierra Leone, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in his most recent start. Trained by Chad Brown, Sierra Leone is three for four in his career and perfect in 2024 with his debut resulting in a victory in the Risen Star (G2). Tyler Gaffalione, who has been aboard for both races this year, has the mount from post 2.

Third choice on the morning line at 8-1 is Albaugh Family Stables’ Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Catching Freedom. Trained by Brad Cox, who saddled 2021 Derby winner Mandaloun, Catching Freedom will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 4. Prat won the 2019 Derby on Country House.

Cox will have another entrants in Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing and Marc Detampel’s Just a Touch (10-1 co-fourth choice). Just a Touch, runner-up to Sierra Leone in the Blue Grass Stakes, will attempt to give Florent Geroux a second Derby victory to go with Mandaloun. Just a Touch will exit post 8.

Also at 10-1 on the morning line is Japanese invader Forever Young (JPN). Owned by Susumu Fujita and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Forever Young is undefeated in five career starts and this year has won the Saudi Derby (G3) and the UAE Derby (G2). Ryusei Sakai, who has been aboard Forever Young in all of his starts, will make his Kentucky Derby debut and start from post 11.

Kentucky Derby Entries