Came Home Sitting On Go For San Rafael
By, Jill Byrne

With important Derby preps this weekend in the East, Midwest and West, three-year-olds were burning up racetracks coast-to-coast in morning workouts.

At Santa Anita on Feb. 26, Came Home worked a solid half-mile in :46 4/5 in preparation for the one mile San Rafael Stakes (GII) on March 2. Trainer Paco Gonzalez and co-owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan have been realistic in their approach to the possibility of the son of Gone West going on to the Kentucky Derby (GI). They will take each race one step at a time as he progresses in distance, and let the colt tell them if he can overcome his sprint- biased pedigree.

One of his competitors in the San Rafael will be Pelirrojo, who is coming off a nice win in a tough optional claiming race. The gelding, who is by Flying Continental, worked a strong six furlongs at Santa Anita on Feb. 24 in 1:12 2/5, starting off easily and finishing full of run.

Also at Santa Anita on Feb. 27, trainer Bob Baffert's only two hopes for the Kentucky Derby put in strong mile workouts in preparation for the March 17 San Felipe Stakes (GII). Danthebluegrassman went the distance in 1:38 2/5. Mike Pegram owns the Pioneering colt who has been the hero of the Northern California Kentucky Derby prep races to date, while Baffert's other quality three-year-old, Mountain Rage, covered eight furlongs in 1:37 3/5. Mountain Rage, a son of Mecke, has demonstrated most of his talent on turf and will try to translate that form to the main track in the San Felipe.

Baffert's duo will face Siphonic in the San Felipe, and that rival seems to be back on course, evidenced by a strong five furlong work at Hollywood Park on Feb. 23 following a slight setback with a fever. The colt's trainer, David Hofmans, was pleased with the colt's work, telling Daily Racing Form, "He went well", as he watched the Siphon colt click off five furlongs in 1:00 2/5, gallop out six furlongs in 1:13 and pulling up after seven furlongs in 1:27 4/5.

Saarland (2) Impresses In Half Mile Move At Gulfstream - Just Needs Race To Fill

Across the country at Gulfstream Park many potential Derby contenders were lighting up the work tabs. Saarland (2), the hero of the Remsen Stakes (GIII) in his last start, continues his comeback, which now appears to be the Gotham Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct on March 17, with a half-mile move in :48 flat on Feb. 25. This was by far the most impressive work for the son of Unbridled that I have seen to date. He is physically stronger and handling the surface in Hallandale Beach with ease, as he floated over the ground effortlessly with huge strides. The Wood Memorial (GI) on April 13 will be Saarland (2)'s most important prep for the Derby.

Stephentown, the highly-touted son of Wild Again owned by the Willmott Stable, is trying to rebound from a dismal performance in the Feb. 16 Foutain of Youth (GI). He worked an easy half-mile in :49 4/5 on Feb. 25, yet trainer Tony Reinstedler has not committed his charge to the March 16 Florida Derby (GI). The work was again a bit on the slow side, as has been the pattern for Stephentown since his win very early in the current Gulfstream meet.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Harlan's Holiday and Repent were burning up the Gulfstream Park strip on Feb. 27 for trainer Kenny McPeek.

I witnessed these works carefully from the front side of the track as Jerry Bailey, aboard Repent for the first time, seemed to have a bit of trouble getting the usually relaxed son of Louis Quatorze to settle. He was a bit rank going to the five-eigths pole, and went the first eighth in :11 2/5. Bailey just urged Repent to finish through the final eighth and he appeared to flatten-out slightly. He did not gallop out strongly, though his final time was a sharp :59 4/5. The colt may have been on edge with a new rider aboard and will probably settle back in nicely next time.

Harlan's Holiday, with new rider Edgar Prado up, worked shortly after Repent, drilling five-eigths of a mile in a bullet :59 1/5. Prado seemed to be testing the colt as he was asking him strongly through the final quarter mile of the work and got all he wanted from him. Trainer McPeek told Daily Racing Form "Those were pretty much maintenance works for both horses."

Working in between those two quality colts was the promising Ethan Man for trainer Pat Byrne. With Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day in the irons, the son of Glitterman worked six furlongs in company with multiple stakes winner Duckhorn going in 1:12 4/5, galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25 flat.

Ethan Man now appears to be headed to the seven furlong Swale Stakes (GIII) on Florida Derby day, hoping to use that race as a stepping stone to the 1 1/16-mile Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) on April 20 at Keeneland.

Fairly Quiet On The Midwestern Front

The workout tabs at Oaklawn Park and the Fair Grounds were fairly quiet this past week.

The eight furlong Southwest Stakes will take place March 2 at Oaklawn Park with a full lineup of Derby hopefuls. Most of these horses have been running recently and are not in need of strong workouts for this race.

The Bob Holthus-trained Cojet and the Frank Brothers-trained Clergy seem to be the potential stars of this race.

Easyfromthegitgo went an easy half mile in :51 1/5 at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 27 for trainer Steve Asmussen as the Dehere colt preps for the Louisiana Derby (GII) on March 10th.

Request For Parole Drills 1:14 Flat In Preparation For John Battaglia Memorial

Turfway Park will play host to the 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial on March 2.

Request For Parole, hero of the WEBN Frog Stakes, will be the overwhelming favorite in the Battaglia. He drilled a strong six furlongs in 1:14 flat on Feb. 22 for trainer Steve Margolis and appears ready for a repeat.

Piston will be strongly supported off back-to-back wins, the most recent of which coming at a mile, worked a "bullet" five furlongs in :59 4/5 on Feb. 19. The son of Peaks and Valleys is owned by former Turfway Park owner Jerry Carroll.

Sneaker Mike worked three furlongs in a "bullet" :36 flat on Feb. 25 for trainer Pat Byrne. The gelding, who is by Williamstown, is owned by James "Mattress Mac" Macingvale, a former sponsor of the Spiral Stakes (GII).

Sneaker Mike is coming off a poor turf try in a stakes event at Gulfstream Park but had previously won a two- turn allowance race at Turfway Park, and finished a close third to Blue Burner (third to Booklet in the Grade I Foutain of Youth) at Gulfstream Park.

Perfect Drift, runner-up in the WEBN Frog Stakes, and Thunder On Land, third in the aforementioned black-type event, are the other Battaglia contenders.

Jill Byrne serves as an analyst for TVG's award-winning "The Works" program, which focuses on the morning workout activity of horses preparing for the Kentucky Derby (GI) and Breeders' Cup. Additionally, she is a handicapper for the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network (CDSN) and is a knowledgeable, hands-on horsewoman who assisted her husband, trainer Patrick Byrne, in the development of Eclipse champions Favorite Trick and Countess Diana. She is the daughter of noted show horse rider and Thoroughbred trainer Peter Howe and first started riding show horses in her native Virginia at age three; she got on her first Thoroughbred when she was 11. She went to the University of Virginia where she studied political science and has worked directly with dosgae guru Steven Roman identifying top quality horses through a race analysis system he developed. Jill and Patrick have a daughter, Devon, and reside in Louisville.

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