One of my Classic Empires is racing at Tampa today, Old Town Road, odds are 6-1, Race 9. Stakes race. 
He's 3 for 3 (won at CDX, Keenland and Beltera with Wesley Ward but they were claiming races) I think he needs to stick to sprint races so not thinking a derby entry or anything.  Never heard of the new trainer, either. (Amador Merei Sanchez ) Doesn't look like he wins many stakes races either.   I liked the breeding w/Pioneering / Terlinga daughter of Big Red on female side, PON on sire side.  It's WIERD how some of these homebreds turn out?   Will be watching trying to figure this one out.   Tampa not a track I have ever even watched or followed so it will be fun to watch. 

Nice find  Winter . He has 2 Rasmussen Factors one with Terlinga on the Dam side as 

you mentioned  with Pioneering  and the Sire side  with Storm Cat , those 2 are Half brothers

The Other one is Princequillo's  Daughter with the X factor Quillesian 4m, in the 5th generation

of The Tff 4m  of Old Town Road and his Sire's tail female family Classic Empire 4m .

Makes you wonder if he landed on his feet the day he was born.

They are working and racing him as a sprinter ,today 4th straight sprint ,this one 6f.

He has early speed with a elite Classic pedigree. Keep an eye and look to see

if they stretch him out as a 3 yr old.

Thank you. 

McPeek won with a first time starter today at OP  (MSWt), at 8F, Dash Attack  who is still a 2 year old.  (see my next note about 2 year old races at OP this year........hasn't happened since 1973.) 

16% Sire wins with 1st time Starters / Dam has 2 winners from 2 starters (now 3 from 3 starters) 
Hard Spun BMS
 

McPeek sure has a wealth of 2 year olds he is winning with! 
 

P.S.  I'm sure ya noticed I said 2 year old.  Two year olds have not raced at Oaklawn since 1973!!

For the month of December, some trainers will start some 2 year old horses, each potential candidates for the KY Derby qualification.   They already had one which was the Advent Stakes on opening day.  Here are the results:
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/stakes-result/255353/advent-stakes-kavod

(I wouldn't get excited about him being around for the TC race, since this little guy has already race 9 times (Futurity Stakes,Champagne Stakes, With Anticipation Stakes, Sanford Stakes and Tremont Stakes and some non stakes races). He's actually a claimer that Chris Hartman got after his last race, which he did win.  But that's a lot of racing for such a youngster!)     But maybe he's an Iron Horse.  Who knows. This was only 6F.  There was also a Gun Runner colt in this race who ran 4th.  

 

The schedule of the other prep races will also change.    There used to be only 3 weeks between the AR Derby and the KY Derby.   Now it's 5 weeks.  Much better!  (used to be OPs 4 KY Derby qualifiers came in the 3rd weeks of Jan and Feb and then near the middle of March and April.    Now, they were moved for this season to Jan 1, Jan 29, Feb 26 and April 2nd).  (Smarty Jones, Southwest, Rebel and Arkansas Derby).   Running in the AR Derby now gives horses more rest time if they are going in the Ky Derby.   

OP is trying to keep with more modern times so are trying out this newer schedule.  Of course, there are many trainers who LIKED the 3 weeks between better.   I guess we'll see, but I think this will actually attract more horses to the REBEL Stakes and the ARKANSAS Derby? 

I like it. This change is good imo. More 2 and 3 's at Oaklawn can't hurt.

Pletcher used to have the cream of the MTR crop in the early part of his stud career. I hadn't seen him with any in a while. I noticed he has a first time starter tomorrow at Gulfstream. Emmanuel, a $350K yearling purchase out of a Hard Spun mare, is scheduled to go a mile on the dirt in his debut. Tough distance to start out. Pedigree - {4-m} DP = 5-3-14-0-0 (22) DI = 2.14   CD = 0.59

Emmanuel was my mom's maiden name, so I would love nothing better than for him to turn out to be a good one. He has been working pretty well at Palm Beach.