Friday Derby/Oaks Workout Report: Nyquist, Outwork Tout Themselves

Nyquist finishing his Friday breeze | Coady photography

Ante-post GI Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist (Uncle Mo) worked one mile in the company of his Grade I-winning stablemate Ralis (Square Eddie) in 1:41 (video) early Friday afternoon prior to the start of racing at Keeneland, leaving trainer Doug O'Neill to proclaim that the Paul Reddam runner had “exceeded our expectations there.”

Nyquist appeared on the track at approximately 12:15 p.m., walked along the stands' side rail to about the winner's circle, then jogged the wrong way back to the half-mile pole.

Nyquist left his pony, ridden by assistant trainer Jack Sisterson at the sixteenth pole and the duo broke off, with Ralis to his inside and about a length in front as they crossed under the wire. With Mario Gutierrez hard against the colt, Nyquist went the opening quarter-mile in :27 and led briefly on the backstretch before Ralis poked his head in front again. The pace increased notably in the middle of the work, with a pair of :24-second splits, and Nyquist was asked to overtake his company approaching the three-eighths marker. He switched his lead on cue and wanted to have a look at the stands for a stride or two. As his ears went up, he jumped back onto his incorrect lead just before the wire while clocking a come-home time of :26 flat.

“Looked like he was doing it nice and easy. Now we want Mario smiling, and we're in good shape,” O'Neill commented. “His standard mile back home is 1:45, 1:46, and he went 1:41 today. Sometimes when he's by himself, he used to kinda wait and not overdo it. Today Mario said as he pulled away from Ralis, he was doing it all on his own. Kind of a new dimension–he's comfortable pulling away from other horses, so that was cool.”

The work was Nyquist's third at Keeneland since a convincing victory in the GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby Apr. 2, and the timing of the work had a lot to do with Mother Nature.

“I thought if it did rain, I'd love to have the best-groomed track that you could get, which would be right before the races,” O'Neill explained. “I called Mr. [Rogers] Beasley [Keeneland's Vice President of Racing], and he said, 'Let me talk to my crew,' and he called back and said, 'Sure.'”

Nyquist is set to board a van bound for Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon.

Outwork Shines at Churchill…

Mike Repole's Outwork (Uncle Mo), recent winner of the GI Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 9, turned in arguably the work of the day during an extremely busy Kentucky Derby/
Kentucky Oaks training session Friday morning at Churchill Downs. Breezing in the company of his graded-stakes winning barn companion Azar (Scat Daddy), the homebred son of Grade I-placed Nonna Mia (Empire Maker) went five furlongs in a strong 1:01.20 (video). Restrained alongside Azar after breaking off midway on the backstretch, Outwork went in fractions of :13.20 and turned for home after three-eighths in :37.40. Still under a hard hold, he began to get away from his workmate and covered his final quarter in a strong :23.80 before pulling up six furlongs in 1:14.

“What I really liked was the way that he finished up,” commented trainer Todd Pletcher, who had Outwork's sire ready to run in the 2011 Derby, only to scratch the morning of the race. “He can sometimes tend to idle a little bit, as he did in the Wood Memorial, when he gets past the last horses. Today, I thought he looked much more professional and more focused. He was concentrated throughout the gallop out.”

Outwork is the mount of John Velazquez, and Pletcher would love nothing more than to team with the Hall of Famer to give each a second Derby win.

“It would be great,” Pletcher said “It's one of the few races that we haven't won together, but we're both fortunate enough to have won one. It would be nice to win one together.”

Destin (Giant's Causeway), who led home a stable 1-2 when besting Outwork narrowly in the GII Tampa Bay Derby, also put in his final pre-Derby drill Friday morning, also stopping the timer in 1:01.20 (video). Breezing in the company of 'TDN Rising Star' and recent runaway Keeneland allowance winner Stradavari (Medaglia d'Oro), the full-brother to GISW Creative Cause broke off faster than Outwork and went in fractions of :12.60, :24.80 and :37.40. He was home his final two furlongs in :23.80 (final eighth of a mile in :11.60) and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20 and seven panels in 1:27.

“Destin worked very well,” Pletcher said. “I thought it was very good. He seemed enthusiastic for him. I particularly liked the way he finished up and galloped out. I was very happy. We wanted to make sure we got a good solid work today. He's had a good series of solid works, but we wanted to make sure he worked solid today and had a good gallop out.”

Mohaymen Settles Down in Work…

Shadwell Stable's Mohaymen (Tapit), who lost his undefeated record at the hands of Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in the Florida Derby last time, gave exercise rider Miguel Jaime all he could handle Friday morning, bucking and leaping at stages in his warm-up. Once allowed to lay his body down for his final Derby work, the handsome gray colt turned in a second straight exceptional breeze, finishing a half-mile in :47.40 (video). The $2.2-million Keeneland September joint-topper in 2014 went in splits of :12.60, :23.80 and :35.80 (:11.60 home) before pulling up five furlongs in 1:00.80.

“He was a little keen early, but he smoothed out nicely,” McLaughlin said. “Miguel kept him off the rail and out in the three path because there were a lot of workers along the rail. It was a beautiful work and he galloped out great. He really likes the track.”

Brown Duo Breeze Separately…

Trainer Chad Brown sent out his two Kentucky Derby hopefuls Friday morning–one on the early side and one on the later side–as he decided to leave nothing to chance with an uncertain weather forecast.

My Man Sam (Trappe Shot), who earned a spot in the field with a running-on second-place finish behind Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway) in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 9, went out under the cover of darkness at 5:45 a.m. and posted a half-mile in a steady :49.60 (:13, :25.60, :37.80). He galloped out an extra two furlongs in :25.20 (:12.60, :12.60).

Shagaf (Bernardini), a disappointing, but troubled fourth in the Wood Memorial Apr. 9, came out after the break and worked a more aggressive half-mile in :47.80 (video), going in splits of :12.40, :24.40 and :35.80. He was out five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.20 (:24.40 final two furlongs).

“I felt like I was studying again for finals,” Brown said of constantly monitoring the weather forecast. “We felt like this would be the best day, so why risk it [waiting]? I think they worked very good.”

Arkansas Derby Also-Rans Take to Track…

Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft) and Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), second and third, respectively, to Creator (Tapit) in the GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park Apr. 16, each worked over five furlongs in advance of next Saturday's Run for the Roses.

Sent out during the reserved Derby/Oaks window, Suddenbreakingnews was timed in :59 3/5 and galloped out six furlongs in a strong 1:13 (video) with jockey Chris Landeros in the irons.

“I was happy with it and Chris was happy with it,” trainer Donnie Von Hemel said. “Chris said when he asked him, he stretched out. I was probably looking for something a bit slower, but not significantly. We just have to keep him healthy and happy now. And, make sure he stays in this frame of mind.”

Luis Quinonez, who has ridden the gelding in each of his eight career starts, including an upset victory in the GIII Southwest S. Feb. 15, has the Derby call.

By contrast, Whitmore was out at 5:45 a.m. and, with former jockey Greta Kuntzweiler at the controls, went five furlongs in 1:00 flat (:12.40, :24, :35.60, :48) before pulling up three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.

“It was perfect,” trainer Ron Moquett said. “We were just looking for the best possible surface this morning. He did it nice and easy. He looked like he was just galloping.”

Benson Twosome Go a Day Early…

G M B Racing's GIII Lecomte S. winner Mo Tom (Uncle Mo) and Tom's Ready (More Than Ready), second to Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 26, each turned in their final serious workouts Friday and not Saturday, given the risk of wet weather in Louisville.

Mo Tom was the first of the duo to take to the track and worked by his lonesome in a steady :48.60 beneath exercise rider Mario Garcia. The handsome bay clicked off three consecutive furlongs in :12.20 and his final eighth of a mile in :12 flat before galloping out five-eighths of a mile in 1:02.20 and six panels in 1:15.40 (video).

“What we're trying to accomplish with one week to the Kentucky Derby is for him to use a little energy out there in the work–which he did today–and that'll keep him nice and settled when he runs next week,” trainer Tom Amoss during an interview which was posted to the G M B Twitter account (@gmbracing).

Amoss told the Churchill notes team that he was not pleased with the racing surface during the designated window.

“I was a little disappointed in the track,” he said. “That was not the same track it was at six this morning and not the same track that you'll have in the afternoon.”

Tom's Ready, conditioned for the Bensons by Dallas Stewart, drilled five furlongs in :59.40 (video) in the company of his stablemate Forever d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and finished narrowly in front after posting fractions of :23.80 and :36 flat. He galloped out an extra furlong in :13.80 for a six-furlong time of 1:13.20 and was out seven panels in 1:27.20.

In Other Works…

Oscar Nominated (Kitten's Joy), who will be supplemented to the Derby for $200,000 after winning the GIII Spiral S. over the Turfway Poly Apr. 2, worked five furlongs 1:00.80 (video) at Churchill after making the move over from the Trackside training center; Fellowship (Awesome of Course), in need of a defection to draw into the Derby, continues to train well for Mark Casse and covered five furlongs in :47 after the break in fractions of :12.20, :23.60 and :35 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:00 flat; Majesto (Tiznow), runner-up to Nyquist in the Florida Derby, had Javier Castellano up for a five-furlong move that was timed in 1:01.40 (video) in splits of :12.80, :24.80 and :36.80. Trainer Gustavo Delgago indicated he would name a rider for Majesto this coming Sunday.

Dream Dance Tunes Up for Oaks…

Dream Dance (Afleet Alex) tuned up for next Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks by working five furlongs in a sharp :59.60 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. up.

Runner-up to Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road) in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks first off a November layoff, the Neil Howard-trained filly galloped out an extra eighth of a mile in :13 flat for a six-furlong time of 1:12.60.

“That was a helluva work,” Howard said. “I didn't think she'd go that fast but it was the perfect track with just the right amount of moisture in it. I got her in :59 and 3 and out in 1:12 and 2 or 3 and seven-eighths in 1:27 and 4. She is so honest.”

Hernandez, who has ridden the filly in all nine of her starts, said, “I had horses the whole way. You couldn't ask for a better work.”

Earlier Friday morning, several hours prior to Nyquist's work, Land Over Sea breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 (video) at Keeneland. She accomplished the move in fractions of :12.80, :24.40, :36.80 and was out six furlongs in 1:16 flat.

 

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