Practical Move takes San Felipe; Forte wins Fountain of Youth Road to the Kentucky Derby: How to Watch Horse Racing from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita This Weekend Confidence Game wins Rebel as 18-1 shot, earns Derby points

ARCADIA, California. Tim Yaktin got the better of his former boss Bob Baffert with a 2.5x victory in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes tournament at Santa Anita.

At Gulfstream in Florida, Forte easily won the $400,000 Fountain of Youth, a 1-2 favorite in his three-year debut. Early favorite Kentucky Derby ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.12.

Forte earned 50 points to qualify for the 20-horse Derby. He hasn’t raced since winning the Junior Breeders’ Cup at Keenland in November, which helped earn him the junior title last year.

At the New York Aqueduct, Raze Kane won $300,000 in Gotham and paid $49 to win on a busy day of preparation for the Kentucky Derby across the country. He also earned 50 Derby qualifying points.

At Santa Anita, Yaktin was busy saddling three other foals recently handed over to him from Baffert’s barn. The trio of Hijazi, Fort Bragg and Mr. Fisk finished in fourth, fifth and sixth place. The transfer was necessary in order for them to earn Derby qualifying points. Baffert is serving a two-year ban from Churchill Downs Inc., which will keep him out of the Derby for the second consecutive year.

National Treasure, another Baffert foal donated to Yaktin, was scratched due to a bruised right front paw. Most likely, he will again take part in the races at the end of this month.

But it was the Practical Move, the foal that Yaktin himself bred, that eclipsed everyone.

“He developed very well from a 2-year-old to a 3-year-old,” said Yaktin, who was Baffert’s assistant many years ago. “Just a gifted, gifted man.”

Practice run ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.01 led by Ramon Vazquez. He paid $10.40, $5.20 and $3.20. The foal scored 50 points in qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.

“This horse is getting better and better every day,” Vasquez said.

Geaux Rocket Ride, 5-2 favorite, returned $5 and $3.20. Skinner was another 1 1/4 lengths behind and finished in third place and paid $2.80 to show himself.

The practice move was bred by renowned trainer Chad Brown and was purchased for $230,000 by Leslie and Jean-Pierre Amesta along with another partner. The Amestoi family, who have had the most success in New Mexico with quarter horses, doesn’t mind that Yaktin might be babysitting Baffert’s foals in the Kentucky Derby.

The pair noted that they have beaten Baffert-trained horses three times, including a Practical Movement victory at Los Alamitos Futurity in December.

“We’re fine,” said Leslie Amestoy, smiling.

Her husband added, “I like my horse.”

Horse racing returns to NBC Sports this weekend en route to the 2023 Kentucky Derby with continued coverage of the 1/ST Racing Tour on Saturday at 4pm ET on CNBC and peacock. The two-hour coverage will feature seven live races, including the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park 1/ST in Hallandale Beach, Florida and the San Felipe Stakes (G2) $400,000 at 1/ST Stadium in Santa Anita. Park in Arcadia, California.

It’s an action-packed day of horse racing with the following additional horse races included in coverage on CNBC and Peacock: Honey Fox (G3) Stakes, Davona Dale (G2) Stakes, and Mac Diarmida (G2) Stakes from Gulfstream Park, as well as Buena Vista Stakes ( G2) from Santa Anita Park. The Santa Anita Benefit Race will also be broadcast live during Saturday’s coverage.

Both the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the San Felipe Stakes award 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner and a total of 100 points to the field (on a scale of 50-20-15-10-5). The Fountain of Youth field is expected to lead Todd Pletcher-trained Forte (traveled on Irad Ortiz, Jr), who will make his debut in 2023 after winning last year’s Junior Breeders’ Cup and being crowned the 2022 2-Year-Old Male Champion. Forte has 4-5 points in his career.

In the Stakes of San Felipe, the favorite is most likely National treasureone of five Team Yaktin applicants in the field. Four of those five, including the National Treasure, were handed over to Yaktin from Bob Baffert, who is still suspended from Churchill Downs. The most recent San Felipe runner to win the Kentucky Derby was Authenticwho did it in 2020.

CONNECTED: Del Mar will host Breeders’ Cup races in 2024 for the third time

How to watch horse racing on NBC Sports this weekend

• Key races on the way to the Kentucky Derby: Youth Stakes Fountain (G2), San Felipe Stakes (G2)
• Date of: Saturday, March 4
• Time: 4:00 pm ET
• TV network: CNBC
• Streaming: peacockNBCSports.com, NBC Sports App

Upcoming horse racing on NBC Sports

• April 1: Florida Derby
• April 8: Blue Grass Stakes and Santa Anita Derby
• May 5 and 6: Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby
• May 20: Pre-bids

When is the Kentucky Derby 2023?

The 2023 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 6 and will air on NBC Sports and peacock.

To learn more about horse racing and for the latest Kentucky Derby news, visit nbcsports.com.

HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas. The Confidence game won the $1 million Rebel Stakes at Auclone Park by one stretch and earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

Driven by James Graham, the Confidence Game ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.21 on a muddy track. Removed at odds of 18-1, the colt paid $39, $13.20, and $7.80.

“He had a ton left in the alley,” Graham said. “He continues to grow up and do things right. I think the sky is the limit for him.”

Red Route One returned $8.20 and $5. Reincarnation paid $5.20 per show. The Kentucky Derby points were awarded to the top five finishers.

Red Route One survived a post-race objection from jockey John Velasquez, who unsuccessfully claimed that his colt Reincarnate was the victim of interference. This was denied by the stewards.

After making his first five starts for coach Bob Baffert, Reincarnation was passed on to Tim Yaktin, Baffert’s former assistant. Owners of potential Kentucky Derby horses at Baffert’s barn must be transferred to other trainers by Tuesday to earn qualifying Derby points. Baffert recently lost a petition in federal court to have his two-year suspension vacated by Churchill Downs Inc. before the Derby on 6 May.

Confirmation was fourth, followed by Bourbon Bash, Giant Mischief, Gun Pilot, Frosted Departure, Powerful, Event Detail and Talladega.

Confidence Game was fifth most of the way under Graham, who urged him into turn two. The foal raced down the middle of the stretch before holding onto the number one Red Run.

The Confidence Game was purchased for $25,000 by trainer Keith Desormo on behalf of owner Kirk Godby of Don’t Tell My Wife stable.

“I just choose good horses, we don’t care about the price,” Desormo said with a smile.