Wonder Dean

With one week to go until next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, contenders began putting in their final works Friday. At Keeneland, Golden Tempo (Curlin) had his final timed drill for first-time Derby trainer Cherie DeVaux. Working inside of MGSW Brilliant Berti (Noble Mission {GB}), the GIII Lecomte Stakes winner clocked a half-mile in :47.40 (2/72). "He's had different company, and he's outworked each one," DeVaux said. "This was just a maintenance work and Brilliant Berti is a pretty good workhorse and he's older. We didn't want him (Golden Tempo) doing...

Several horses clustered near the bottom of the "Road to the GI Kentucky Derby" are eligible for the race based on points, but their connections have not committed to the Derby. So this list differs slightly from the official qualifying rankings with respect to a few horses who are currently outside the top 20 points leaders and looking to get in. 1) COMMANDMENT (c, Into Mischief--Sippican Harbor, by Orb). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000...

Jockey Ryusei Sakai, who rode Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) to a narrow third-place effort in the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby and has since piloted him to four top-level victories, has picked up the ride on G2 UAE Derby winner Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}) for this year's Run to the Roses on May 2, NetKeiba reported Saturday. Sakai, who turns 29 on May 31, will also renew his partnership with Forever Young owner Susumu Fujita's Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf...

Trainer Brad Cox had a pair of horses work Friday ahead of a projected next start in the GI Kentucky Derby. Both Wathnan Racing's GI Florida Derby winner Commandment (Into Mischief) (:48.40 {14/44}) and St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Fulleffort (Liam's Map) (:48.40 {14/44}) recorded published four-furlong workouts Friday morning. Commandment was the first of the two Cox trainees to breeze and worked in company with George Messina's Louisiana-bred stakes winner He's Late Again (Aurelius Maximus). The duo completed an opening quarter-mile in :24.40...

Tomoya Ozasa's T O Elvis (Volatile), a five-time winner and never worse than third in his eight career appearances at home, will make his next start in the $1-million GI Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 2, trainer Daisuke Takayanagi told the Japanese website Sanspo.com on Wednesday. Bred in Kentucky by Jeff and Melissa Prunzik, the 4-year-old son of the eight-time stakes winner Stopshoppingdebbie (Curlin) is currently on a four-race winning streak at home, most recently streaking clear to take out the G3 Capella Stakes (1200 meters)...

For the fifth year running, a horse trained in Japan has proven too good in the G2 UAE Derby, as Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}) went to front-running Six Speed (Not This Time) at midstretch and edged away for a solid victory, to collect 100 points on the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby Exiting a sound fourth to would-be UAE Derby runner and the undefeated Al Haram (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G3 Saudi Derby across in Riyadh on Feb. 14, Wonder Dean jumped with them and...