Tales From the Crib

Natural Rise, the early leader on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, will try to add the second leg in Wednesday’s Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki.

A dozen horses have entered Friday’s $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile S. at Remington Park in Oklahoma, all vying for the 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualification points awarded to the top five finishers.

Muhimma jumped onto the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday’s Demoiselle (G2), and Tenma prevailed in the Starlet (G2).

For the second time in a week, Godolphin and trainer Eoin Harty have won a 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby series prep with a colt going turf-to-dirt.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Vodka with a Twist will try to end her run of seconditis in Saturday’s $200,000 Starlet (G2) at Los Alamitos.

A total of 21 qualifying points on 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series are on the line in Saturday’s $250,000 Remsen S. (G2) at Aqueduct.

Godolphin homebred First Resort picked up 10 points on the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series following his 2 1/4-length tally in the $381,250 Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs on November 30.

The Remsen (G2) has produced a Kentucky Derby (G1) top-four finisher in seven of the last 14 years, including 2024 runner-up Sierra Leone.

The seven two-year-old colts entered in the $250,000 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct on Saturday have some big shoes to fill.

First Resort comfortably won Saturday’s 98th running of the Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) at Churchill Downs by 2 1/4 lengths over 4-5 favorite Jonathan’s Way.