The Road to the Kentucky Derby- February 9th<\/strong><\/p>\n Leading up to horse racing\u2019s premier event; the Kentucky Derby this May, there are close to 60 prep races between the beginning of the year and the end of April that will not only shape this year\u2019s field, but give us a good idea which horses will go off as the favorite to win the Derby and possibly go on to earn the Triple Crown by winning the Preakness and the Belmont as well. Here is a brief re-cap of the key races from last weekend.<\/p>\n The Whirlaway Stakes \u2013\u00a0Saturday, February 6<\/strong>th<\/strong><\/sup> from Aqueduct<\/strong><\/p>\n The Whirlaway is a stakes race for three year olds with a prize purse of $100,000. It is contested over a distance of 1 1\/16 mile. With Turf Melody an early morning scratch, there were only five entries for this race. The odds- on- favorite for was Eightyfiveinafifty, but after a fast start he could not navigate the first turn and was pulled up by jockey Jorge Chavez. Hallendale Beach Stakes-Sunday, February 7<\/strong>th<\/strong><\/sup> from Gulfstream<\/strong><\/p>\n The Hallendale is a stakes race for three year olds with a prize purse of $125,000. It is contested over a distance of 1 1\/16 mile on a turf track. Interactif went off as a 4-5 favorite and is being touted as a true Triple Crown contender. Leading down the final stretch, he could not hold off the surging Bim Bam who went on to win the race by a nose. Big Bam actually led for the majority of the race, but was passed by Interactif at the sixteenth pole. Asphalt finished third, two lengths back followed by Dean\u2019s Kitten, then Our Champion. This was Bim Bam\u2019s second win in his last three starts and he has never finished worse than third in nine races. In his last race he finished second in the Dania Beach Stakes back in early January and before that he won the Appleton Juvenile Turf at Calder back in November. He is trained by David Brownlee.<\/p>\n<\/a> This opened the door for Peppi Knows and Papa\u2019s Nice Cat to take the lead with Peppi Knows pulling away for good after the final turn to win the race by a length. Afleet Again, who went off as a 21-1 long shot made a late charge and finished second, while Three Day Push out ran Poppa\u2019s Nice Cat to take third. Trained by Timothy Kreiser, this was Peppi Knows first win as a three year old after winning three times in five starts as a two year old including the Finger Lakes Juvenile Stakes back in October.<\/p>\n