Pletcher chasing more than Preakness win

Two-year-old champion Classic Empire recovered from a poor performance his last time out and locked up a Kentucky Derby bid Saturday with a come-from-well-behind win in the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Conquest Mo Money, which broke fast but couldn’t hold off Classic Empire in the final 16th-mile, could be Kentucky-bound if his owners put up a $200,000 supplemental fee. Earlier Saturday, Senior Investment chased down West Coast in the final furlong to win the $200,000 Grade 3 Lexington by a head Saturday at Keeneland, but the 10 points he earned leaves him outside looking in for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.

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Buyers paid $8.3 million for 289 horses at Friday’s session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, up 47.4 percent from the same period last year. Overall sales remained down from 2006, 5 percent lower after Friday’s figures were added. A colt by Orientate consigned by Gainesway as agent paced Friday’s sales, bringing $235,000 from Timothy Ritchey as agent.

Pool 2 for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will open on Friday February 9 and the mutuel pool of all other 3-year-olds was the favorite at 7-2 with the undefeated McKinzie second choice at 8-1. Get all the horses, morningline odds, and free past performances here.

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