Busy Morning for Derby Workers

The sun rises over Churchill | Coady Photo

A number of top contenders for next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby turned in official works Friday as they prepare for the “Run for the Roses.”

• Kicking off the activity at Churchill Downs around 6:00 a.m. was champion juvenile Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile). He covered a half-mile in :49.20 (47/84) under rider Martin Rivera and alongside stablemate Perfect Performer. The bounce-back winner of the GI Arkansas Derby got his first quarter mile in :24.40 with a five-furlong gallop-out in 1:03.

“His work gave me chills,” trainer Mark Casse said. “Now it's a waiting game. It's all about timing. I said a couple months ago when everyone was giving us a tough time, this is like a baseball game. It doesn't matter how many runs you score, it just matters if you're ahead in the last inning. I feel like we have the bases loaded.”

Casse's other Derby hopeful, GI Xpressbet Florida Derby runner-up State of Honor (To Honor and Serve), worked later in the morning. He was credited with a :48.80 (34/84) spin.

“He worked spectacular this morning,” Casse offered. “He tries really hard. I thought his last race when he got caught up on the rail, Julien [Leparoux] had all kinds of horse and by the time he got out, Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) had already left. It's not easy to run him down.”

• Speaking of Always Dreaming, the Florida Derby winner produced the consensus most impressive drill of the morning–a :59.60 bullet (1/35). Pilot John Velazquez was up for the move, which included internal fractions of :13, :24.40, :35.80 and :47.60 with gallop-outs of 1:12.60, 1:25.60 and 1:40.

“I thought it was a powerful work; exceptional,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He's full of himself. It was a good work with a great gallop out. He galloped out past the [track] kitchen [at the half-mile pole].”

Two of Pletcher's other two Derby hopefuls–'TDN Rising Star' Patch (Union Rags) and GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby hero Tapwrit (Tapit)–drilled in company with an official time of 1:00.20 (3/35) for five panels.

“That was a good work for Tapwrit,” Pletcher said. “He handled the track better than he did at Keeneland [when fifth in the GII Blue Grass S.]. I was very pleased with it. It was a typical work for Patch. He tends to idle a bit when he works, but he was better this morning.”

Fellow 'Rising Star' Battalion Runner (Unbridled's Song) struggled a bit to keep up with MGSW turfer Made You Look (More Than Ready) and stopped the clock in :48.40 (24/84).

“He seemed to wrestle with the track,” Pletcher noted. “I thought the work was OK; it was not a bad work. A lot of times, the track you get a week before the Derby is not the same one you run on Derby Day. We will watch him the next week and see how he does.”

'Rising Star' Malagacy, winner of the GII Rebel S. but fifth in the Arkansas Derby, galloped Friday as his connections mull over a Derby start.

“He just galloped this morning because we have not committed to run,” Pletcher said. “I will talk with the owner [Oussama Aboughazale] and tweet [the decision]. If he is on for the Derby, he will breeze Saturday and if not we will look at Friday to prepare for the [GI] Preakness.”

• GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. hero Gunnevera (Dialed In) also turned in his final major drill for the Derby–he went in an easy 1:03.60 (35/35) under the Twin Spires.

“I liked it,” trainer Antonio Sano said. “It is all maintenance now. He galloped out well. All is good here.”

Practical Joke (Into Mischief), second in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in his final Derby prep, was equipped with blinkers for his work Friday. The Grade I-winning juvenile breezed alongside talented stablemate Bobby on Fleek (Frost Giant) in 1:01.60 (19/35).

“He worked well with the blinkers,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He wasn't too aggressive but he seemed a little more focused through the lane. He got away from his workmate in the gallop out, willingly, which we wanted to see. I was really pleased.”

Brown said Practical Joke will likely race for the first time with blinkers in the Derby.

Irap (Tiznow), who upset Practical Joke and others in the Blue Grass, had his final Derby work over at Keeneland, covering a mile in 1:44.20 (1/1). Julien Leparoux was in the irons. (Video)

“[Today's work] was very similar [to Irap's last work], just kind of a good leg stretch,” offered trainer Doug O'Neill. “Having him finish up good and getting a good mile work with a good gallop in and good gallop out was what I was hoping for and that's what I saw. So I'm very happy.”

Leparoux rode Irap in the Blue Grass, but Mario Gutierrez will seek his third Derby winner with O'Neill and Reddam Racing aboard the colt next Saturday.

• Further out of town was 'Rising Star' Battle of Midway (Smart Strike). The game GI Santa Anita Derby runner-up drilled six furlongs in 1:13.40 (5/13) under Flavien Prat. His workmate Mangita (Cyclotron) was credited with a five-furlong workout.

“I wanted to have his last work here rather than at Churchill Downs,” Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer noted, “because I've had different kinds of results from working horses at Churchill earlier on in that meet. I think I got what I needed here, and he'll just gallop into the race down there.”

 

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.