What to look at for: Pegasus Turf winner lower back in movement Saturday

While a pair of Kentucky Derby 2019 preps – Saturday’s Louisiana Derby (G2) and Sunday’s Sunland Derby (G3) – will snatch maximum headlines this week, their respective undercards percent quite a punch, too. Here’s what we’ll be watching for: Pegasus Turf winner back in motion Bricks and Mortar has shipped from Chad Brown’s wintry weather base at the Palm Meadows Training Center to Fair Grounds for the Grade 2, $three hundred 000 Muniz Memorial Handicap, a 1 1/8 -mile turf occasion for older horses, as his first begin seeing that prevailing the January 26 Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1). Bricks and Mortar will try to maintain his winning streak on account of returning from more than a 14-month layoff in December. He won his first four races as a three-year vintage and earned display finishes before being placed on the shelf. In his lone begin as a four-year-vintage, he rallied to an allowance non-compulsory claiming victory at Gulfstream, then won the Pegasus over a yielding path. “Ian Brennan at Stonestreet Farm did an exquisite job rehabbing this horse,” Brown said after Bricks and Mortar’s Pegasus win.

“Dr. Larry Bramlage worked in this horse approximately sixteen months ago, and it looked like he would possibly have a profession-finishing injury. He fixed him. There turned into a lot of teamwork and patience. When you cross right into a race this large, take a big gamble – it paid off these days.” Synchrony will repeat his Fair Grounds stakes double from the remaining 12 months’ meet while chasing the identical prize. The Michael Stidham trainee already defended his identity inside the Fair Grounds Handicap (G3), with the Muniz Memorial the alternative 1/2 of that question. And he’ll try to disappoint Bricks and Mortar for a repeat inside the Muniz Memorial. A stable run inside the Muniz Memorial may also place Synchrony heading in the right direction for the Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Others within the area are the one-finishers of the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3), Inspector Lynley, and Divisidero.

Inspector Lynley has gained more than one Grade 3 race, and Divisidero gained back-to-again editions of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) from 2016-17. His closing victory got here in July’s Arlington Handicap (G3). American Pharoah’s sis makes seasonal debut American Pharoah’s 1/2-sister Chasing Yesterday is in for Sunday’s $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks. The race marks her first, and given that triumphing in the Starlet Stakes (G1) on December 8, she picked up ten factors toward the May three Kentucky Oaks. Sunday’s race offers points on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the primary four finishers, and a win would guarantee her a niche at Churchill Downs earlier than the very last round of preps is run. Chasing Yesterday’s plans were modified twice in the past 12 months. Bob Baffert scratched her from the February 16 Fair Grounds Oaks because of a huge publish; then she neglected the March 10 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) while Santa Anita suspended racing. Before Santa Ysabel’s cancellation, Baffert had stated, “I’m excited to see her run. They’ll always be tough out right here, but proper now, I assume she’s doing better than she ever has. She’s enhancing. I suppose she’s transferring forward off her 2-year vintage (season). And that’s the element — you want to peer if there’s any movement.”

Chasing Yesterday is anticipated to be a heavy favor within the Sunland Park Oaks after the Daily Racing Form said a couple of Grade 1 winners, Bellafina, would scratch and stay home for the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) on April 6. Copper Bullet is looking for the next stakes win—the subject matter of horses being away for more than a year continues. Copper Bullet, the 2017 Saratoga Special (G2) winner, went to the sidelines for 15 months before returning to win an allowance at the cease of the Churchill Downs November meet. He ran 11th inside the Malibu Stakes (G1) on Santa Anita’s commencing day, then rebounded to overlook Coal Front through a neck inside the Razorback Handicap (G3) a month ago at Oaklawn. He’ll make his next start Saturday inside the Grade 2, $four hundred 000 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds, where he’ll face an interesting group of horses seeking their rebound. Lone Sailor broke via in September’s Oklahoma Derby (G3) before walking sixth in both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Mineshaft Handicap (G3).

Noble Indy, remaining year’s Louisiana Derby (G2) winner, came off the layoff to finish fourth in a Gulfstream optional claiming event ultimate month. Ohio Derby (G3) winner Core Beliefs, who became off the board within the Haskell Invitational (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1), makes his 4-12 months-vintage debut inside the New Orleans Handicap. Mineshaft winner Silver Dust returns searching for his 2nd stakes win at the same time as Mr. Buff, a New York-bred who these days won the Jazil and Alex M. Robb stakes, ships in to check open organization.