Weekend Lineup Presented By FanDuel: Four Races Offer Points Toward 2024 Kentucky Derby

Saturday

3:17 p.m. - Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Just F Y I, the undefeated champion 2-year-old filly of 2023, is set to make her highly anticipated season debut in Saturday’s $200,000 Davona Dale.

A daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Just F Y I has been training steadily at Payson Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott with six timed works starting in mid-January, her first breezes since before clinching the Eclipse Award with her neck victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in November at Santa Anita.

Among those lining up to challenge Just F Y I is fellow undefeated stakes winner Into Champagne. The Ian Wilkes trainee was a popular winner of both her starts, the most recent a 1¼-length triumph in the six-furlong Glitter Woman Jan. 7 at Gulfstream.

Davona Dale Entries

5:36 p.m. - Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will have four chances to secure his first Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham score as he sends out Bergen, Just a Touch, Air Cav and Lightline in Saturday’s one-mile test for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Leading the charge for the Cox cavalry in the 13-strong Gotham is Bergen, who captured the local six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield last out on January 27.

El Grande O cuts back to one mile after a narrow runner-up effort to Uncle Heavy when defeated a nose after a prominent trip in the Grade 3 Withers on Feb. 3. Trained by Linda Rice, the talented son of Take Charge Indy is set to make his 11th career outing, making him the most seasoned contender in the field.

Maximus Meridius [post 2, Mychel Sanchez] makes his stakes debut off a strong open-company optional claiming score sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 30 at Parx Racing for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.

Gotham Entries

6:10 p.m. - Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Dornoch, 13 weeks from a determined victory in the Remsen (G2) to cap his juvenile campaign, will get his sophomore season under way versus eight rivals in Saturday’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2).

By Good Magic out of the Big Brown mare Puca, Dornoch is a full brother to Mage, who ran fourth in the Fountain of Youth and second in the Florida Derby last year before capturing the Kentucky Derby (G1). Big Brown won both the Florida and Kentucky Derby in 2008, and Good Magic was third in the 2018 Fountain of Youth.

Grade 1 winner Locked is also set to make his season opener, delayed slightly after missing an intended start in the Sam F. Davis after spiking a temperature. Trainer Todd Pletcher owns a record four Fountain of Youth wins.

Pletcher also settled on the Fountain of Youth for Speak Easy. The son of Constitution was an impressive 1 3/4-length debut winner on the Pegasus World Cup undercard Jan. 27.

Fountain of Youth Entries

Sunday

6:00 p.m. - Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita

Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle three of the five entrants in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, including one considered by many to be America’s most talented 3-year-old, Nysos.

With Nysos and all other Baffert trainees ineligible to run in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Nysos will likely eye the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes next on May 18 with a stop in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6 a possibility as well.

San Felipe Entries

6:30 p.m. - Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita

Phil D’Amato-trained Easter, a recent winner of two Grade 2 stakes, seeks his first Grade 1 victory as he heads nine older horses on turf in Sunday’s Kilroe. Although he’ll be facing a field laden with legitimate contenders, Easter, who has five wins from 10 tries at one mile on turf, should have a fast pace to exploit on Sunday and looms the horse to beat as he shoots for his fourth overall stakes win in-a-row.

Like Easter, Bob Baffert’s Du Jour, second in last year’s Kilroe, does his best running from off the pace and he should have plenty of to run at on Sunday. A scintillating 2 ¼ length winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile (turf) two starts back on Sept. 2, Du Jour, although 10th, was only beaten 3 ½ lengths in his most recent start—the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 4.

A certifiable deep closer, Irideo, an 8-year-old Argentine-bred gelding, flew from last to get up by a nose going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in the restricted Clockers’ Corner Stakes on Jan. 28 and will hope to be in high gear late as he stretches out in the Kilroe.

Richard Mandella’s War Front gelding Goliad, never better at age seven, comes off a stirring gate to wire score at one mile on turf in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Feb. 3 and seeks his third consecutive win at the trip with regular rider Kazushi Kimura.

Kilroe Mile Entries

7:00 p.m. - Grade 2 Santa Anita Handicap

Currently the top older horse on the local scene, Phil D’Amato’s 5-year-old Newgrange heads a wide-open field of seven older horses in the 87th running of the legendary Big 'Cap.

A 2 ¼-length winner of the opening day Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes under Irad Ortiz, Jr. going a mile and one sixteenth on Dec. 26, Newgrange will be reunited with Victor Espinoza who guided him gate to wire in the Grade 2 San Pasqual at a mile and one eighth on Jan. 27, winning by one length in a dominant performance.

Bob Baffert’s Newgate, who was second by one length to Newgrange in the San Pasqual, is the logical second choice in the Big Cap with Frankie Dettori getting back aboard. The 8-5 favorite in the San Pasqual with Joel Rosario, Newgate, with Dettori, was second, beaten a half length in a 6 ½ furlong allowance here Jan. 6.

Two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Brad Cox has entered lightly raced Highland Falls, who looms dangerous as an up and coming 4-year-old. A Godolphin homebred colt by Curlin out of the Awesome Again mare Round Pond, Highland Falls, a winner of three out of his four starts, including his last two, will be stretching out off a hard-fought three quarter length allowance score going a mile and one sixteenth at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Santa Anita Handicap Entries