Not only is spring in the air, but Kentucky Oaks and Derby fever as well. It’s an exciting time of year for West Point Thoroughbreds Partners. Runners are on fire in 2013, winning at over 30% and hitting the board at over 60%, and this weekend 3-year-olds Freedom Child and Watrugonnadorosie look to stamp their tickets to Churchill Downs in early May.

Last Saturday WPT’s and Tom Keithley’s Flashy Gray earned a trip to the Kentucky Oaks with a second place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in New Orleans.

Not only is spring in the air, but Kentucky Oaks and Derby fever as well. It’s an exciting time of year for West Point Thoroughbreds Partners. Runners are on fire in 2013, winning at over 30% and hitting the board at over 60%, and this weekend 3-year-olds Freedom Child and Watrugonnadorosie look to stamp their tickets to Churchill Downs in early May.

Last Saturday WPT’s and Tom Keithley’s Flashy Gray earned a trip to the Kentucky Oaks with a second place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in New Orleans.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, St. Elias Stable, and Spendthrift Farm, Freedom Child will try to earn important qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby in the $1,000,000 Wood Memorial (G1) on Saturday at Aqueduct. Earlier on the card St. Elias Stable’s and WPT’s Watrugonnadorosie takes on only five in the $250,000 Gazelle (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

Freedom Child, also known as “big red” comes off an impressive gate to wire maiden score at a mile and an eighth on March 9 at Gulfstream. Entering the last week of the Gulfstream meet, he was the only horse in 27 starters breaking from posts 7 through 11 to win a nine furlong race this winter, a success rate of only 4%. Click here to watch the win.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the chestnut son of Malibu Moon earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure and 9 Ragozin Sheet number in his maiden win.

The decision was made to take a swing in a Kentucky Derby prep last week when WPT president Terry Finley was in Florida for the Fasig Tipton sale. “Tom (Albertrani) and I watched this horse train together and I was wowed,” said Finley. “He’s a big, strapping, handsome horse who has absolutely blossomed since his win. We took a look at all of the options and put a circle around the Wood — he was second to Orb over the strip in his second start.”

Speaking of Orb (also by Malibu Moon), Freedom Child has held good company in his short career. The November 24 maiden special at Aqueduct, Freedom Child’s second start, has proven to be a key race. Orb broke his maiden, Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary was third behind Freedom Child, and Darley maiden winner Transparent was fourth.

Jockey Elvis Trujillo is back aboard Freedom Child after piloting him to his maiden win. He breaks from post 10 of 10. Post time for the Wood Memorial (race 11) is 6:28 ET:

Freedom Child galloping at Palm Meadows in March:

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Watrugonnadorosie is making her second start of the season in Saturday’s $250,000 Gazelle (G2) at Aqueduct. On February 16 she finished a good third in an 8.5 furlong allowance race at Gulfstream. In October she broke her maiden comfortably at Belmont Park at a mile. Click here to watch her maiden win.

A daughter of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin, Watrugonnadorosie is bred to run all day. Mott expects her to relish the mile and an eighth distance and has been very pleased with her training in South Florida the past few weeks. She comes into the race off a bullet half mile work at Payson Park on April 2.

Jockey Jose Lezcano is back aboard Watrugonnadorosie. She breaks from post 5 of 6 in the Gazelle (race 8). Post time is 4:39 ET.