Godolphin’s Blue Trail tests Road to Kentucky Derby at Kempton

No Triple Crown nominees are in the line-up, but Blue Trail represents the global Godolphin operation. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the homebred has raced exclusively on all-weather surfaces. Blue Trail followed up a debut second at Newcastle Jan. 13 with an impressive maiden tally at Southwell Jan. 25. James Doyle rides the Teofilo colt, whose dam is a full sister to 2012 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Monterosso.

Harrow sports the best form as the third-placer in last September’s Somerville Tattersall (G3) to Modern Games, who went on to capture the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The Andrew Balding trainee was also runner-up to The Queen’s highly-regarded Reach for the Moon at Newbury in July. In between those placings, Harrow won three straight including the lucrative Weatherbys-sponsored race for juveniles during Doncaster’s St. Leger meeting. Although he has yet to try the all-weather, Harrow is by the Scat Daddy stallion El Kabeir, a U.S. Grade 2 winner who was on the 2015 Derby trail himself.

John and Thady Gosden send out Find, a son of world phenom Frankel and Canadian champion Spring in the Air. After showing promise with a couple of useful placings and a six-length win over Grenoble at Yarmouth, Find threw in a pair of clunkers at Doncaster. He’s now a first-time gelding as he makes his all-weather debut. Dam Spring in the Air enjoyed the Polytrack in her productive career, notably taking the 2012 Alcibiades (G1) during Keeneland’s synthetic era. 

Grenoble improved from his Yarmouth premiere behind Find to break his maiden next time at Nottingham. Last seen finishing seventh in the Oct. 23 Eyrefield (G3) at Leopardstown, the William Haggas pupil is by top French sire Siyouni and out of the royally-bred Grade 2 winner Giant’s Play, by Giant’s Causeway. 

Wyvern has moved forward in his three starts, most recently graduating in a 5 1/2-length romp at Lingfield. Swatch, fourth in a potentially deep Newmarket novice in his only outing, could show a lot more here. Havana Goldrush scored over this track and trip Nov. 29, but he’s lost two of his last three, and his only other win came as a dead-heat in a two-runner event at Wolverhampton. 

The Road to the Kentucky Derby race is the fifth on the card, with a 2 p.m. (ET) post time, and you can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.