The Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, Rebel at Oaklawn Park and Gotham at Aqueduct all point the way to the Kentucky Derby this weekend.

Little Paradise, shown winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile, seeks victory Sunday in the Classic Cup, the second in a three-race series that ends with the BMW Hong Kong Derby. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club UPI Commandment, shown winning the Mucho Macho Man States in January, is the morning-line favorite for Saturday's Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, the final prep for the Florida Derby. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of Gulfstream Park UPI

Feb. 27 (UPI) -- After last week's convoluted detour overseas, the Road to the Kentucky Derby returns home this weekend with big races in Arkansas, Florida and New York.

Gulfstream Park has a clutch of big turf races on tap and Oaklawn Park's rich stakes program shifts into another gear.

On the global scene, it's Super Saturday in Dubai -- think Romantic Warrior, Heart of Honor and Tuz -- and Hong Kong has the middle legs of both its Triple Crown series and Hong Kong Derby series on the same Sunday program.

The road to the roses

Three big races, each worth 50 points on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard, should winnow down the still-crowded field of legitimate contenders.

Is Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park a tossup? Well, five of the 11 entries won their last start by margins of 5 1/2, 5, 6 3/4, 1 1/2, 6 1/2 and 3 3/4 lengths over the runners-up.

That said, many eyes will be on Solitude Dude, undefeated after three starts and winner of the Swale Stakes over the course, and Napoleon Solo, winner of both previous starts including the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct.

Napoleon Solo hasn't raced since October and Solitude Dude has a sprint pedigree. Commandment, winner of the Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 3, needs only a tiny bit of improvement to be in the same area code and gets the oddsmaker's nod as morning-line favorite.

Blackout Time, a lightly raced Not This Time colt from the Kenny McPeek barn, is a slight favorite in a field of 10 for Sunday's $1 million Grade II Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

Blackout Time has one win from three starts and hasn't raced since finishing second behind eventual 2-year-old champ Ted Noffey in the Grade I Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in October.

Bob Baffert ships in Litmus Test, idle since winning the Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 13. He was third in the Keeneland race. Silent Tactic has the local edge after finishing second in the Smarty Jones and winning the Grade III Southwest.

Iron Honor reigns as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight (after an expected scratch) set for Saturday's $300,000 Grade III Gotham at Aqueduct despite having made just one previous start.

He won that 6-furlong heat at the Big A well enough, but faces some much more experienced rivals here. Trainer Chad Brown said Iron Honor's speed figure his debut "was one of the fastest in the country for a 2-year-old colt. He's a good horse. I would expect him to move forward here."

Crown the Buckeye is second favorite even though his only wins have come at the expense of fellow Ohio-breds.

The path to the Oaks

On Time Girl is 4-for-5 and won the local Forward Gal in her last start, making her a standout among nine fillies entered for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park. She drew the outside gate, and there are some recent maiden winners with potential, so tread lightly heading to the windows.

Explora, another Baffert shipper, is the solid favorite among 10 in for Sunday's $750,000 Grade III Honeybee at Oaklawn Park. The Blame filly has three wins and three seconds from six starts. One of the seconds came in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, run at the same 1 1/16 miles as the Honeybee.

Five are set for Saturday's $200,000 Busher at Aqueduct, and it looks like anyone's race to win. Paradise and Interstatelovesong are 7-5 and 8-5 on the morning line.

Turf / turf mile

Saturday's $100,000 Black Gold for 3-year-olds at Fair Grounds is a "you pick'em" with eight entries, all at single-digit odds on the morning line.

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Wolfie's Dynaghost makes his 8-year-old debut as the even-money favorite in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Four-year-old Layabout and 7-year-old Grand Sonata top the entries for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park, 1 3/8 miles on the lawn.

Thousandsticks, a Twirling Candy colt, has won three straight in progressive fashion and is the early favorite in Saturday's $175,000 Colonel Liam for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.

Filly & mare turf / turf mile

Sister Troienne rides a five-race win streak into Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Herecomesthebride for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park and is a logical favorite in the 1-mile race.

Consistent Irish import Lush Lips and Grade I Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Crevalle d'Oro look likely in Saturday's $175,000, 1-mile Grade III Honey Fox at Gulfstream Park.

No Show Sammy Jo ranks as morning-line favorite In Saturday's $175,000 Grade III The Very One at 1 1/3 miles of Gulfstream Park turf.

Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Buena Vista at Santa Anita is a fairly wide-open tossup with seven set to go 1 mile. Thought Process is the favorite, although she hasn't run since finishing third in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 16.

Classic

Saturday's $500,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park got seven takers, most with some claims. Magnitude has more claims than the others, boasting a win in the Grade II Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs in his last outing. But Nu What's New has burned up the track in his last two starts and is morning-line favorite in his first stakes start.

Dirt mile

Knightsbridge has won five of seven starts, including his last three, and is the 1-5 favorite in a field of six for Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Gulfstream Park Mile. Bill Mott trains the 5-year-old homebred son of Nyquist for Godolphin.

Also: Saturday's $150,000 Stymie at Aqueduct and Saturday's $125,000 Wintergreen for fillies and mares on the Turfway Park all-weather.

Sprint

One Nine Hundred works his way into graded stakes company for the first time in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Tom Fool at Aqueduct. The 4-year-old Dialed In colt exits a smashing victory over course and distance Jan. 9 that earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure and the 4-5 favorite status here. Look around though. There are others waiting to test his mettle.

Around the world, around the clock

Dubai

Super Saturday's program is supercharged, with contenders for spots on the World Cup night program. Highlights of the evening's offerings: Heart of Honor bidding for a position in the Group 1 World Cup itself; Romantic Warrior seeking another tip to the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic; and Tuz seeking vengeance for his third-place finish a year ago in the 6-furlong Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Hong Kong

Racing fans get a tasty double dip Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse, with Romantic Warrior looking to land the second leg of the local Triple Crown and keep alive his hopes for a series sweep and Little Paradise seeking the middle race in the 4-year-old Classic Series.

Romantic Warrior went to Dubai and Saudi Arabia last winter rather than try for the Triple Crown, and his connections are hoping to plug that gap this season. The 8-year-old had little trouble winning the first race in the series, the Stewards' Cup, and now steps up to 2,000 meters, his best distance, for the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup. The 2,400-meter Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup completes the Triple.

Of at least equal interest is the Hong Kong Classic Cup,the second race in the trio that culminates in the BMW Hong Kong Derby. Little Paradise, winner of the first race, is back to continue his quest in that 4-year-old series.