3 Saturdays In April, 6 HUGE Derby Prep Races! The top Kentucky Derby prep races of the season will be held the first three Saturdays in April. Three year old horses will be looking to secure a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs! Each track hosting one of these key preps has an under card filled with graded stakes too!
Bet the action at one of the two new Richmond area OTBs — at Breakers Sports Grille in the west end or at Ponies & Pints downtown in Shockoe Bottom. Virginia residents can also bet on line at TVG.com, XPressBet.com, TwinSpires.com and NYRABets.com.
Here’s the impressive lineup:
April 1 –
$1 Million Louisiana Derby (Gr. 2) at Fair Grounds, plus the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (Gr. 2), $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (Gr. 2) & $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap (Gr. 2)
$1 Million Florida Derby (Gr. 1) at Gulfstream, plus the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (Gr. 2), $300,000 Honey Fox Stakes (Gr. 2), $200,000 Pan American Stakes (Gr. 2), $200,000 Appleton Stakes (Gr. 3) and $200,000 Orchid Stakes (Gr. 3)
April 8 –
$1 Million Bluegrass Stakes (Gr. 2) at Keeneland plus the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (Gr. I), $300,000 Madison Stakes (Gr. I), $200,000 Shakerstown Stakes (Gr. I), and $250,000 Commonwealth Stakes (Gr. 3)
$1 Million Santa Anita Derby (Gr. 1) at Santa Anita plus the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (Gr. I), $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (Gr. 2) and $150,000 Providencia Stakes (Gr. 3)
$750,000 Wood Memorial (Gr. 2) at Aqueduct plus the $400,000 Carter Handicap (Gr. I), $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (Gr. 2), $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes (Gr. 3), and $150,000 Excelsior Stakes (Gr. 3)
April 15 –
$1 Million Arkansas Derby (Gr. I) at Oaklawn plus the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (Gr .2), $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (Gr. 3) and $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes.
It all leads to the Kentucky Derby Saturday May 6th