Early Favorites Dortmund, El Kabeir in Action for Derby Preps

The Road to the Kentucky Derby points series heats up on Saturday with a pair of key preps for the Run for the Roses, featuring the current Derby points leader heading to the gate on the East Coast while the early Derby betting co-favorite preps on the West coast. 

El Kabeir will be sent off as the betting favorite in the $250,000 Withers (G3) at Aqueduct, while the highly regarded Dortmund seeks to remain undefeated in the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita.

Both races have 10-4-2-1 points up for grabs to the top four finishers at Derby points races. The field for the Kentucky Derby will be limited to the top 20 in points earned in prep races.

El Kabeir is currently atop the points standings with 21. The John Terranova trainee earned 10 points each for his wins in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs and the Jerome (G3) at Aqueduct in his most recent start. He earned one point for his fourth-place finish last fall in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

A victory on Saturday in the Withers will virtually assure he will be in the starting gate on the first Saturday of May. The colt is currently at early Kentucky Derby betting odds of 16-1.

Terranova is going into the race with plenty of confidence, telling Sean Morris of the NYRA, “Based on his performance to date and the way he's gone forward, I expect a big effort from him. He's a determined racehorse, both mentally and physically focused."

If there is going to be an upset, it could come from the Chad Brown-trained March. The colt was an impressive maiden winner in his second career start and his first going two turns. The effort was flattered when runner-up Dontbetonbruno returned to break his maiden in his next start.

Classy Class will likely go off as the second choice in the field of seven. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the colt broke his maiden in his debut and then ran fourth in the Remsen (G2) on Nov. 29 in his first start against winners.

Selections for Withers: March – El Kabeir – Classy Class

On the West Coast, a field of six will line up in the Robert B. Lewis, including Dortmund, who is currently the co-favorite in future Derby betting at 10-1 odds along with his stablemate, American Pharoah.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert trains Dortmund, who is undefeated in three career starts. The colt won his first two career starts by a combined 12 1/2 lengths and then he won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) by a head over Firing Line, who will take him on again this Saturday.

Firing Line picks up a new jockey in Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens and has a five-pound weight break from Dortmund. The son of Line of David is trained by Simon Callaghan.

Tizcano will be sent out by Peter Miller and may be worth a look. The colt was fifth in the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park in his last outing. The winner of that race was Barbados, who came back to win the Hutcheson (G3) in his next start.

The Miller trainee has a long-winded pedigree—by two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow and out of a Gone West mare—and may appreciate the stretch out two turns for the first time in his career.

Selections for Robert B. Lewis: Firing Line – Dortmund – Tizcano

Kentucky Derby future odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Follow Michael Dempsey on Twitter @turfnsport.