It’s a Day of Derby Preps

The Santa Anita Derby is one of several Kentucky Derby preps being run today.

In New York, Deputy Glitters, who upset Bluegrass Cat in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 18 at Tampa Bay Downs, will try for his first Grade I victory in the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct against eight opponents.

Meanwhile, in Illinois, Cause To Believe will make his first start outside California against nine others in the $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who will run Point Determined in the Santa Anita Derby, will be at Aqueduct today with Bob And John, the beaten favorite in the San Felipe on March 18.

Garrett Gomez will ride the Seeking The Gold colt for Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable in the 1 1/8 -mile Wood. Other top contenders include Keyed Entry, who was second at 8-5 in the Gotham in his first start around two turns March 18, and the improving Marco’s Tale.

Cause To Believe, who has won six of nine, will take on a group that includes Racketeer, who will be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela; Sweetnorthernsaint, and Mister Triester.

Other stakes on the card at Santa Anita are the $100,000 Providencia and the $150,000 Arcadia, both at one mile on the turf and both part of a pick six with a guaranteed pool of $1 million.

Race of the day: Balance, the best 3-year-old filly in the country, will bid for her third consecutive Grade I victory in the $500,000 Ashland today at Keeneland. Victor Espinoza will ride the 3-year-old Thunder Gulch filly for Amerman Racing Stables and trainer David Hofmans in the 1 1/16 -mile race.

One for the road: Mass Media likes Aqueduct and can fire fresh for trainer Bobby Frankel in the $300,000 Carter Handicap today at Aqueduct. Ramon Dominguez will ride the 5-year-old Touch Gold horse in the Grade I at seven furlongs. Mass Media has won twice at the Carter distance.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Hockey The General and Careless Candidate in the first, Prevention, Lockitup and Silver Again in the second and Evaluate in the third.

Winners: (previous day/meet total): 3/217. Money: (previous day/meet total): $10.40/$1,247. Total money bet: $1,274.