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Commandment wins the Fountain of Youth on Saturday to move into Kentucky Derby standings. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of Gulfstream Park
March 2 (UPI) -- Add Class President, Commandment and Iron Honor to the top ranks of Kentucky Derby contenders after weekend wins -- the icing on the large cake that was weekend horse racing in North America.
It was a big weekend. Let's go.
The road to the roses
Class President, making just his third start, gutted it out in a stretch duel with Silent Tactic to win Sunday's $1 million Grade II Rebel at Oaklawn Park by a nose. Litmus Test, the early leader, couldn't go with the first two in the final furlong, but held on for third in his first start since Dec. 13.
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Iron Honor wins the Gotham Stakes on Saturday to move into Kentucky Derby picture. (Photo by Chelsea Durand, Coglianese photography, courtesy of NYRA
Class President, an Uncle Mo colt trained by Todd Pletcher, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.21 with John Velazquez up. He finished second in the Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 31 after winning his first start there a month earlier.
His owning partnership includes WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, who campaigned Justify to his Triple Crown sweep in 2018.
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Class President (inside) wins Rebel at Oaklawn Park on Sunday to move into Kentucky Derby rankings. Coady Media, courtesy of Oaklawn Park
"Todd did a great job," WinStar's Elliott Walden said. "Johnny did a great job. Looked Litmus Test in the eye turning for home and then went on, so this horse is really improving. Super excited."
Commandment had to work for it, but got his third straight win Saturday in the $450,000 Grade II Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.
Saving ground all the way with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons, Commandment found room on the rail at the top of the stretch, got through and battled down the remainder of the stretch with Chief Wallabee before winning by a neck. Solitude Dude was third.
Chief Wallabee was making just his second start. Solitude Dude came into the race undefeated after three starts. Commandment exited a 6 3/4-length victory in the Mucho Macho Man in his 3-year-old debut.
"He passed the two-turn test," said Commandment's trainer, Brad Cox. "Now it's a mile and a sixteenth to a mile and an eighth, whether it's the Florida Derby or the Blue Grass ... [The Florida Derby] is the logical spot. You just want to make sure he comes out of it in good order, and we don't need another week or something with him."
On Saturday at Aqueduct, Iron Honor, making just his second career start, needed most of the stretch run in the $300,000 Grade III Gotham to get by stubborn Ohio-bred Crown the Buckeye and win by 1 length. It was another 6 1/2 lengths back to the closest pursuer, Right to Party.
Iron Honor, a Nyquist colt, ran 1 mile on a good track in 1:37.94 with Manny Franco up for trainer Chad Brown.
"He's 2-for-2 on the Aqueduct surface racing," Brown said. "So if he comes out of it healthy, he will train in New York and run in the Wood Memorial." That's a $750,000 Grade II on April 4 at 1 1/8 miles.
With the weekend in the books, Silent Tactic and Class President had joined Commandment and Iron Honor in a four-way tie for second place with 50 points on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard, trailing only Remsen and Risen Star winner Paladin, who has 60.
Next Saturday brings the Grade II San Felipe at Santa Anita and Grade III Tampa Bay Derby, each worth 50 points to the winner.
The path to the Oaks
While California trainer Bob Baffert settled for third in the Rebel with Litmus Test, he got the brass ring with Explora in the $750,000 Grade III Honeybee two races earlier.
The Blame filly raced just in behind a long shot through the backstretch run, went by on the turn and was in front the rest of the way to a 3/4-length win over Counting Stars. She now has four wins and three seconds from seven starts.
Paradise tracked the leaders in Saturday's $200,000 Busher Stakes at Aqueduct, asserted herself when called on by jockey Manny Franco and pulled away in the stretch to a 3 3/4-length victory. The Gun Runner filly, trained by Brad Cox, won her second straight race after finishing second in her career bow.
She Be Smooth was last through the early furlongs of Saturday's $225,000 Grade II Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park, moved up around the turn and blazed by all six rivals to win by 6 lengths under Flavien Prat. My Miss Mo was second.
She Be Smooth, a Calumet Farm homebred daughter of Lexitonian, was making just her second start after a Jan. 23 victory over the same course and 1-mile distance. Todd Pletcher trains her.
Turf
Grand Sonata scored his first win since September of 2024 with a late move that saw him home first by 1/2 length in the $225,000 Grade II Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park. Grand Sonata last scored in the Grade II Turf Cup during the Kentucky Downs 2024 meeting.
Tiz Dashing got his 4-year-old season off to a successful start with a stretch-running, 3 3/4-length upset win in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park. The Tiz the Law colt rallied from well back in the field under Javier Castellano.
Black Hornet stalked the pace in Saturday's $100,000 Black Gold Stakes for 3-year-olds at Fair Grounds, dueled with pacesetting, odds-on favorite Touch of Fire, then drew clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Filly & mare turf
Thought Process tracked the pace in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita, blew by to the lead early in the stretch run and cleared to win by 2 lengths over Vibez. The 4-year-old Collected filly ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:34.20 with Hector Berrios in the irons for trainer Phil D'Amato.
Lion Lake outfinished odds-on favorite Sister Troienne by 1/2 length in Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Herecomesthebride Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park, ending the latter's win streak at five.
Just Basking rallied from last of eight to win Saturday's $175,000 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park by 1/2 length over No Show Sammy Jo. And Lush Lips, benefitting from a perfectly timed ride by Tyler Gaffalione, got up in the closing strides of Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream Park to win by 3/4 length.
Turf mile
Vasy stuck a neck in front of Honey Dutch to win Saturday's $200,000 Colonel Liam Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.
Classic
Magnitude, the odds-on favorite, stalked pacesetting Nu What's New into the stretch turn in Saturday's $500,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park, came even with that rival a furlong out and went on by to win by 3 3/4 lengths.
Distaff
Literate, the even-money favorite, left six rivals gasping in Saturday's $125,000 Wintergreen Stakes at Turfway Park as she sped down the lane to a 10 3/4-length victory. Setting Storm was best of the rest.
Sprint / dirt mile
Bold Journey had just that in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Tom Fool at Aqueduct. The 7-year-old Hard Spun gelding ran last of five into the stretch, closed outside the leaders and was up in the final strides to win by a nose over Full Moon Madness.
Knightsbridge more than lived up to his notices in Saturday's $225,000 Grade III Gulfstream Park Mile, shaking loose from four foes to win by 11 1/4 lengths. The win was his fourth straight and sixth from eight starts.
Saturday's $150,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct scratched down to just three with just two still contending at the end. Komorebino Omoide defeated Yo Daddy by 1 length. It was another 24 lengths back to odds-on favorite Phileas Fogg in third and last.
Filly & mare sprint
With the Angels was up close to the leaders early in Sunday's $135,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct, swung around them heading for home and ran on to win by 4 1/2 lengths.
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