We’ll save Friday for Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, so let’s take a look at this weekend’s 3-year-old races today.  The Tampa Bay Derby may be one of the most exciting Derby preps so far this season – it features the highly-hyped Super Saver, Uptowncharlybrown and wise-guy horse Odysseus.  [...]]]>

Is another Bickersons triumph in the making?

We’ll save Friday for Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, so let’s take a look at this weekend’s 3-year-old races today.  The Tampa Bay Derby may be one of the most exciting Derby preps so far this season – it features the highly-hyped Super Saver, Uptowncharlybrown and wise-guy horse Odysseus.  I admit a keen interest in Odysseus and am looking forward to see how he steps up to this level of competition, but it’s a tough group all around.

Meanwhile, at Santa Anita, the San Felipe has also drawn an interesting field, including American Lion, Caracortado, Sidney’s Candy and Interactif, who makes the switch from turf to synthetics.  Caracortado is unbeaten as is shaping up to be the feel-good story of the Derby trail, with trainer Mike Machowsky eschewing big-name jockeys to keep regular rider Paul Atkinson aboard the chestnut gelding.  It should be a very interesting race.

Lookin At Lucky will leave California to make his 2010 debut at Oaklawn in the Rebel – and this time, he gets blinkers. He should be tested by Dublin, Noble’s Promise and Cardiff Giant – and if he’s not, one imagines that his burgeoning bandwagon will swell even further.  Here’s hoping for good weather.

The 3-year-old fillies also have a good weekend on tap – Bickersons looks very strong in the Cicada at Aqueduct, while She Be Wild is aiming to improve on her last start (in which she finished well behind Bickersons) in the Florida Oaks.  Local favorite Diva Delite may be tough to beat – or She Be Wild could bounce back, erasing fears of The Halfbridled Effect.

Of course, as useful as these will be for Derby and Oaks trail handicappers, these races are all something of a taster – the real excitement is reserved for later Saturday afternoon…