Road to the Kentucky Derby: How to Watch Horse Racing from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita This Weekend

By NBC Sports StaffMar 3, 2023, 5:05 PM EST

Horse racing action returns to NBC Sports this weekend on the road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby with continuing coverage of the 1/ST Racing Tour Saturday at 4pm ET on CNBC and Peacock. The two hours of coverage will feature seven live races, highlighted by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) from 1/ST’s Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida., and the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) from 1/ST’s Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

It’s a packed day of horse racing action with the following additional races included in the coverage on CNBC and Peacock: the Honey Fox Stakes (G3), Davona Dale Stakes (G2), and Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2) from Gulfstream Park as well as the Buena Vista Stakes (G2) from Santa Anita Park. An allowance race from Santa Anita will also air live during Saturday’s coverage.

Both the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the San Felipe Stakes award 50 Kentucky Derby qualification points to the winner, and a total of 100 points to the field (on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale). The Fountain of Youth field is expected to be led by Todd Pletcher-trained Forte (ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr), who makes his 2023 debut after winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and being voted 2022’s Champion 2-year-old male. Forte is 4-5 in his career.

In the San Felipe Stakes, the favorite is likely National Treasure, one of five Tim Yakteen entrants in the field. Four of those five, including National Treasure, were transferred to Yakteen from Bob Baffert, who remains suspended from Churchill Downs. The most recent runner in the San Felipe to win the Kentucky Derby was Authentic, who did so in 2020.

How to Watch Horse Racing on NBC Sports this Weekend

Key Races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby: Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), San Felipe Stakes (G2)
Date: Saturday, March 4th
Time: 4pm ET
TV Network: CNBC
Streaming: Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app

Upcoming Horse Racing on NBC Sports

April 1st: Florida Derby
April 8th: Blue Grass Stakes and Santa Anita Derby
May 5th and 6th: Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby
May 20th: Preakness Stakes

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 2023 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 6th, and will air across the networks of NBC Sports and Peacock.

For more horse racing coverage and the latest on the road to the Kentucky Derby, visit nbcsports.com.

Forte is slight 5-2 favorite for Belmont Stakes over stablemate Tapit Trice

Associated PressJun 6, 2023, 1:56 PM EDT

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Forte is finally getting a crack at running in a Triple Crown race. The colt, who was scratched the day of the Kentucky Derby, is the early favorite for the Belmont Stakes.

Forte, last year’s 2-year-old champion, was made the slight 5-2 favorite for the grueling 1 1/2-mile race.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the colt will break from the No. 6 post in the nine-horse field at Belmont Park. Pletcher’s other horse, Tapit Trice, is the 3-1 second choice and drew the No. 2 post.

Forte was the early Derby favorite, but was scratched by Kentucky officials the morning of the May 6 race because of a bruised right foot. He was on a vets’ list that kept him out of the Preakness, but has since come off it.

“He’s doing great, he’s training really well. He hasn’t missed any training,” said Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte. “We still think this is the best 3-year-old in the crop and he’s going to prove that.”

Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, is skipping the Triple Crown finale after finishing third in the Preakness on May 20.

Angel of Empire is the third choice at 7-2. He finished third in the Derby and is one of three horses in the race trained by Brad Cox.

National Treasure, the Preakness winner trained by Bob Baffert, is 5-1. He drew the No. 4 post.

Arcangelo is 8-1 and will break from the No. 3 post. He is trained by Jena Antonucci, who will try to become the first woman trainer to win the Belmont.

The other four entries are listed at double-digit odds.

The Belmont field, in post position order, with jockeys and odds:

Tapit Shoes, Jose Ortiz, 20-1; Tapit Trice, Luis Saez, 3-1, Arcangelo, Javier Castellano, 8-1; National Treasure, 5-1, John Velazquez; Il Miracolo, 30-1, Marcos Meneses; Forte, 5-2, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Hit Show, 10-1, Manny Franco; Angel of Empire, Flavien Prat, 7-2; Red Route One, Joel Rosario, 15-1.

Preakness winner National Treasure has final workout for Belmont Stakes

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 2:01 PM EDT

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — Preakness winner National Treasure breezed five furlongs in his final workout for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes this weekend.

Working on the main track at Belmont Park with exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard, National Treasure was timed in 59.55 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20. It was the second workout on the track for the Bob Baffert-trained colt.

“He worked very well this morning,” said Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s top assistant. “It’s a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we’re just waiting for the race.”

National Treasure was fourth in the Santa Anita Derby before the Preakness on May 20.

Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Red Route One also posted his final work for the final jewel of the Triple Crown, breezing a half-mile in 50.20 seconds over Belmont Park’s dirt training track.

“I thought he went beautiful,” said Toby Sheets, Asmussen’s Belmont-based assistant. “It was nice and fluid and he came back with good energy. I’m very happy with him. We wanted to be out on the track before it got really busy.”

Red Route One finished fourth in the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course, almost five lengths behind National Treasure.

Kentucky Derby winner Mage is not running in the Belmont Stakes.