DAY 54 of 57
POST TIME 1:30 p.m.
NOTE Post positions for Saturday's Count Fleet, Oaklawn Handicap and Arkansas Derby will be held at 12:30 p.m. today.
TODAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE
11:35 a.m., Tampa Bay; 11:45 a.m., Mahoning Valley; 11:55 a.m., Gulfstream Park; 12:05 p.m. Keeneland; 12:20 p.m., Aqueduct; 5 p.m., Penn National; 5:40 p.m., Evangeline; 6 p.m., Charles Town; 6:25 p.m., Daytona Beach (greyhounds)
ARKANSAS DERBY
CLASSIC EMPIRE The Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male is scheduled to arrive today at Oaklawn to run in Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby, the country's final major Kentucky Derby prep. A son of Pioneerof the Nile, Classic Empire was a unanimous choice for champion 2-year-old male last year after winning 4 of 5 starts, highlighted by the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity Oct. 8 at Keeneland and the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5 at Santa Anita. In his only start this year, Classic Empire finished third in the $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park. Post positions for the 11/8-mile Arkansas Derby will be drawn today at 12:30 p.m.
ROCKIN RUDY Southern California-based trainer Doug O'Neill will be going for a second big upset in two weeks. O'Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam won the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes Saturday at Keeneland with Irap, who broke his maiden at odds of 31-1. The same connections will be represented in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby by the speedy Rockin Rudy, a son of champion Midshipman, who will be making just his fourth career start, and first around two turns. Rockin Rudy began his career with a front-running 11 ½-length victory at 5½ furlongs Aug. 5 at Del Mar for trainer John Brocklebank. Rockin Rudy was purchased privately late last year by Reddam, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 with I'll Have Another and again last year with Nyquist -- both trained by O'Neill. Rockin Rudy has finished second in both of his 2017 starts at 6½ furlongs on Santa Anita's hillside turf course. After holding the early lead in each race, Rockin Rudy was beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the $75,000 Baffle Stakes Feb. 20 and a head in a first-level allowance/optional claimer March 24.Rockin Rudy has raced in blinkers throughout his career, but O'Neill said he will remove the equipment for the Arkansas Derby because he wants to harness some of the colt's natural early speed. Irap won the Blue Grass after removing blinkers.
Information for this report was contributed by Oaklawn media department
Sports on 04/12/2017