Three Things to Watch: Lukas-Stevens Up to Old Tricks?

As the Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up, each week we will take a look at three things to watch from the 3-year-old division as they head into that weekend's respective prep races.

March 24 sees the $1 million Twinspires Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots kick off the slate of prep races offering 100 qualifying points to the winner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. One day later, the $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3) goes to post with a total of 85 points up for grabs. Below are a trio of storylines expected to have an impact on the races and the forward progress of its contenders.

1. Is My Boy Jack the second coming of Exaggerator?

Now if that means My Boy Jack is going to go on to become a multiple grade 1 winner with a Triple Crown race victory on his resume, trainer Keith Desormeaux will happily sign up right now. Talented as he was, Exaggerator  was clearly at his best while racing over a wet track. And in the wake of My Boy Jack's 4 1/2-length triumph over a sealed, muddy surface in the Feb. 19 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the question hanging over the Louisiana Derby morning-line favorite is how much of that breakout effort was product of his improving form, and how much that form was enhanced by the track conditions—and a golden rail trip.

"This race will really tell us where we are," said Sol Kumin, co-owner of My Boy Jack. "We obviously campaigned Exaggerator, who found the wet a few times and that was enough to win some big races. So if this horse happens to be the same, it won't be the end of the world. But Keith said the horse has been breezing great over a pretty fast track at Santa Anita, so he doesn't seem too worried about it."

2. Are the old professors getting ready to school the kids once more?

Whenever Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas and Gary Stevens decide to join forces again on a big stage, some old magic tricks seem to catch their rivals off guard (see: Oxbow  2013 Preakness Stakes). While this isn't their heyday of Winning Colors, Thunder Gulch, and Serena's Song, the two legends find themselves on the brink of sharing another dance on the first Saturday in May should Bravazo duplicate his winning effort from the Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) in Saturday's Louisiana Derby. The son of Awesome Again  has hit the board in five of his seven career starts and both of his efforts this year showed he can sit wherever asked and come grinding it out in the stretch. He has already beaten two of his main contenders this weekend in Snapper Sinclair and Noble Indy, and he has a pedigree that says added distance won't faze him one bit.

"I really feel like he's moved forward since the Risen Star," Lukas said. "Not so much mentally, but he's stronger. He's filled out. What we are finding out is that Bravazo is very competitive. You can work him in the morning with a slow horse and he'll go as fast as he has to go. If you worked him with Secretariat, he'd fight him all the way."

3. Will the rich get richer in the Sunland Derby?

These are good times to be a part of a super group partnership with WinStar Farm. Along with SF Racing and China Horse Club, Kenny Troutt's operation has Holy Bull Stakes (G2) winner Audible primed for the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) and an upstart talent in Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) hero Quip. WinStar and China Horse Club also own part of budding prodigy Justify, while the former is also co-owner and breeder of Noble Indy, whom they campaign with Repole Stable.

The hits may indeed keep coming this Sunday when New York Central, owned by WinStar, SF Racing, and China Horse Club, steps into graded stakes company for the first time in the Sunland Derby. The son of Tapit  heads into the 1 1/8-mile race off a victory going 1 1/16 miles in an allowance optional claiming test at Oaklawn Feb. 19 and broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last Nov. 26 by 7 1/4 lengths. With no clear standout in the 12-horse Sunland Derby field, don't be shocked if a flow chart is needed by Sunday evening to keep tabs on all the classic contenders WinStar has to boast of.