After a slow week on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with just a pair of international preps and one conducted over a synthetic surface, things pick up big time this weekend. The Fountain of Youth (G2) on Saturday and the Rebel (G2) on Sunday are arguably the two deepest Triple Crown prep races to date. Handicapping both will obviously be a major focus in the next couple of days as well as the Gotham (G3), but first it is time for another edition of Prep School.

Horse That Made His Presence Felt During the Slow Week: Reagan’s Honor

Despite the slow week in terms of Triple Crown preps and significant leaderboard updates, a horse vaulted up many horseplayers' Derby lists in New Orleans last Thursday. Cherie DeVaux-trained Reagan’s Honor rattled off his second consecutive victory going two turns over the Fair Grounds main track and did so in impressive fashion. Jockey Jose Ortiz took the $140,000 Keeneland September ’24 purchase to the front and controlled the pace throughout much like he did in his maiden victory in mid-January. According to the Daily Racing Form’s Marcus Hersh, the plan is to send this colt to the Blue Grass (G1) with stablemate Golden Tempo likely to add blinkers and make his next start in the Louisiana Derby (G1). Reagan’s Honor is well worth watching given the lack of dominance we have seen thus far from this crop.


Horse That Took Biggest Step Forward in a Triple Crown Prep Last Weekend: Great White

Outside of Reagan’s Honor, it is difficult to get excited about anything hoping to make the starting gate in Louisville in a couple of months that we saw compete last week. Salloom, the big favorite in Dubai, failed to relax before the race and was forced to scratch after running off before the break from the gate and runners exiting the Hyacinth in Tokyo are unlikely to impact this year’s “Run for the Roses.” On the other hand, Great White’s win in the Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park was intriguing at the very least. The massive son of Volatile corrected the issues at the gate that plagued him through his first two starts and proved best despite being wide throughout on Saturday evening. He certainly has the look of a horse that should have no issue getting more ground, so much like it did with Rich Strike and Final Gambit, it will come down to his ability to take to the surface switch. Great White is a huge long shot as of now to make an impression in the Triple Crown, but he took a big step forward in career start number 3 nonetheless.


Horse With Most to Prove this weekend: Napoleon Solo

As I mentioned, several legitimate contenders return to the races this weekend, including three colts who were competitive in Grade 1s as a 2YO that will make their first start of 2026. Litmus Test and Blackout Time return at Oaklawn Park in the Rebel (G2) and are hoping to cement their place in the Kentucky Derby starting gate on Sunday, but it is Champagne (G1) winner Napoleon Solo that has the most to prove. The son of Liam’s Map has been dominant through two starts, including a 6.5-length romp in early October to end his 2YO campaign. The bargain-basement $40,000 Keeneland September 2024 purchase has already run well fresh, so the assumption is he should be ready to fire a big one off the bench. The question is how much he matured while on the sidelines in comparison to the rest of the competition he faces in the Fountain of Youth (G2). The Chad Summers trainee is impossible to knock thus far, but has been somewhat forgotten since he bypassed the Breeders’ Cup and has not raced in nearly 5 months. I am looking forward to seeing what he does at Gulfstream Park a little after 6PM on Saturday.