Maiden Watch: Week of March 31-April 6

Jockey Luis Saez, unseated in the second race April 8 at Keeneland after his mount bumped with another horse in midstretch, was in stable condition Tuesday afternoon and under evaluation by University of Kentucky HealthCare Medical Services.

Junko Kondo’s Admire Daytona and Jim and Claire Limited’s Heart of Honor, the respective top two finishers in the UAE Derby (G2), headline five 3-year-olds made eligible to compete in the 2025 Triple Crown with a late nomination fee.

Favored at 2-1 to cross the wire first is Praetor, who enters the Lexington Stakes (G3) with a pair of wins going a mile over the dirt, including a 7 1/2-length romp in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. 

The Art of Racing, a nationwide art competition celebrating the unique elements of the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Thoroughbred horse racing, culminated in the announcement of Steve Luhn as the competition’s winner.

Prominent figures from the bloodstock sales world have said they are assessing the economic implications of the sweeping range of controversial trade tariffs being introduced by the United States.

Blood Horse news editor Byron King reviews the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Wood Memorial (G2).

Performing his first breeze since finishing third in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Coal Battle recorded a half-mile in :48 2/5 at Churchill Downs April 8. Assistant trainer Bethany Taylor discusses the breeze as they exit the track.

Overcoming a quality field that included two other top-10 sophomores, Journalism impressed with how he navigated trouble in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) prep. 

It was a frigid morning at Churchill Downs April 8, but Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Coal Battle heated up his Kentucky Derby (G1) preparations by returning to the work tab for the first time since finishing third in the March 29 Arkansas Derby (G1).