Forbidden Kingdom Resumes Breezing After Fever Setback

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Forbidden Kingdom Resumes Breezing After Fever Setback
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Forbidden Kingdom wins the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Forbidden Kingdom , one of the early favorites for this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, resumed breezing at Santa Anita Park March 24 after having a workout delayed by a fever last week. The son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah   worked six furlongs in 1:14 after beginning his breeze reserved behind a workmate.

Forbidden Kingdom is pointed toward the 1 1/8-mile Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 9, where a showdown with Messier , one of the other top colts in California, looms. They last met in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) last fall at Del Mar, with Messier passing front-running Forbidden Kingdom after the latter set a fast pace.

The $750,000 Santa Anita Derby provides Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to its top four finishers.

Thursday's workout was his first since winning the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes (G2) in his two-turn debut by 5 3/4 lengths. That victory for Forbidden Kingdom was preceded by one in the Jan. 29 San Vicente Stakes (G2) over seven furlongs. Both races were at Santa Anita.

"He went the first eighth in (:13) and finished in (:24) sittin' easy, so it couldn't be better," Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said of the workout in which Forbidden Kingdom finished about two lengths in front of workmate Charlito .

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Forbidden Kingdom, who races for MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, is out of the grade 3 stakes-winning Five Star Day  mare Just Louise .