Thorpedo Anna, the reigning Horse of the Year, and Mystik Dan, the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby, will be spending the next several weeks at Oaklawn, trainer Kenny McPeek said Tuesday. The horses had been based at Fair Grounds, which wrapped up its meet Sunday.

Thorpedo Anna is being pointed for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap at 1 1/16 miles April 12 at Oaklawn. Mystik Dan is owned by a partnership based in Arkansas.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Frank Fletcher will be chasing a more than 25 year old dream Saturday when he runs Bestfriend Rocket in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Bestfriend Rocket is a three-time winner who will be making his stakes debut off a gusty allowance win for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas on March 2. Fletcher purchased the horse as a 2-year-old in training last April, giving $575,000 for the son of Curlin who is from the female family of Tapit.

Trainers Jamie Ness and Brittany Russell are separated by one victory entering the final weekend of the winter meet at Laurel Park, ensuring a tight finish in the race for the training title. Ness entered 14 horses for the final three days and has an obvious edge, but Russell has made the most of her starters all meet and has a chance to run the table with her four entrants.

Yedsit Hazlewood, a 17-year-old apprentice jockey, is settling into Laurel Park with the help of trainer Jose Corrales. Last weekend, the young rider earned his first five mounts from Corrales and finished third in his debut on Friday, March 21.

Hazlewood has been riding horses in Panama since he was 12 and has always dreamed of becoming a jockey. His brother, Angel A. Rodriguez, also is a jockey and has made nearly 2,000 starts in the United States.

“My brother is an idol to me,” Hazlewood said through Corrales. “Ever since I was little, I’ve loved the horses.”

Render Judgment is scheduled to make his next start in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass on April 5 at Keeneland, trainer Kenny McPeek said.

The son of Blame is one of two prospects McPeek currently has in play for the Kentucky Derby, a race he won last year with Mystik Dan. The other is Maximum Promise, who was third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks last Saturday at Turfway Park.

“I think that’s about where we’re at,” McPeek said.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A stall toy gave trainer Lonnie Briley a tip-off about how to proceed with Coal Battle on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

Briley has been closely monitoring the Rebel winner, to see if he should run him back in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday or just train up to the Kentucky Derby. He said last week that Coal Battle gave him a clear sign to enter the Arkansas Derby.

“I thought he was going to rip his ball off the wall yesterday, playing with it,” Briley said. “He’s jumping out of his skin. He’s feeling so good right now.”

Although Bullard may be nominated to the Santa Anita Derby, trainer Michael McCarthy said it would be “just to keep our options open.” Bullard is more likely to be trained toward the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 12 at Keeneland.

Journalism, early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, worked in company Saturday with Kentucky Derby alumnus Endlessly. Both colts are trained by Michael McCarthy. Endlessly, a turf/synthetic specialist who finished ninth in the 2024 Derby, is training toward a spring comeback on turf.

“Endlessly is a pretty lackluster type work horse, so I needed something to pique his interest,” McCarthy said. “I put Journalism inside, just to get his attention. It was just a solid work, that’s all I was looking for. I don’t need to go fast. We know he’s fast.”

Barnes has slipped in popularity, partly based on a disappointing blinkers-off workout Sunday at Santa Anita. Barnes was outworked by Rodriguez, a stablemate he defeated by more than nine lengths while finishing second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 1.

The tables turned in the workout. Barnes pressed Rodriguez from the outside, but Barnes could not get past his rival and pulled up soon after the finish while Rodriguez went another furlong. It was a puzzling work by Barnes, five furlongs in 1:00.