When Journalism rallied to win Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby (G1) for trainer Michael McCarthy, the colt cemented his position as the probable favorite for the 151st running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve on the first Saturday in May.

On Monday afternoon, McCarthy could find himself with a starter for the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) the day before the Derby when he sends Reddam Racing’s Look Forward postward in Keeneland’s 88th running of the $750,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1).

In addition to being the first Grade 1 race of 2025 for 3-year-old fillies, the Central Bank Ashland offers 200 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to the first- through fifth-place finishers.

The Oaks is limited to the top 14 point earners and going into the Central Bank Ashland, the final prep on the Road to the Oaks, Look Forward has earned 15 points. That total puts her 24th on the list and needing a top-two finish to qualify for a spot in the Oaks starting gate.

Look Forward also was entered in Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks (G2), which too carried 200 Oaks points, but McCarthy opted to send her to Keeneland.

“We thought the Keeneland surface would suit her front-running style,” McCarthy said, via text Sunday morning from his base at Santa Anita.

A graduate of the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Look Forward has won two of four races with a victory in the Santa Ynez (L) in January. In her most recent start, she lost all chance at the start in the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 23 and finished seventh of 13. Mario Gutierrez retains the mount for Monday’s race and will exit post 1.

With more rain in the forecast for Sunday and into the overnight hours, chances are Look Forward could encounter a less than fast track for the first time Monday.

“I think she would be fine on an off track assuming she breaks well and finds herself on the lead or close to it,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy, who won the 2020 Central Bank Ashland with Speech, will look to continue his momentum here Saturday when he sends out Bob Hope (G3) winner Bullard in the Stonestreet Lexington (G3).