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Harlan's Holiday, Easyfromthegitgo Work; Request For Parole To Pass Blue Grass
April 9, 2002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 9, 2002) - Kentucky Derby contenders Harlan's
Holiday and Easyfromthegitgo turned in solid works over a "sloppy" track Tuesday morning (April 9) at Churchill Downs. Meanwhile, trainer Steve Margolis
said that John Battaglia Memorial winner Request For Parole would skip
Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes(GI) and will train up to the
May 4 Kentucky Derby.
HARLAN'S HOLIDAY -- Starlight Stable's Harlan's Holiday, winner of the
Florida Derby (GI), breezed four furlongs in :47.60 over a "sloppy"
track in his final major training move before a scheduled run in
Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
Jockey Edgar Prado was in the saddle for the for work as the Ken
McPeek-trained Harlan's Holiday carved out a first quarter in :23.60 and
galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60. The move was the best of 18 at
the distance.
"He went pretty well," said Prado. "It was a little heavy and
muddy track and we didn't want him doing more than he really wanted to
do. I think he did it pretty easily. It was a nice breeze and he did it
all on his own and galloped out real strong. He came and was bucking
and kicking and very happy."
Prado said Harlan's Holiday was very eager in the work's early
stages.
"At first he was pulling hard, but then he relaxed pretty good
in the first part of the breeze and he was waiting for my call," Prado
said. "When I called on him he responded."
"It's a good, solid maintenance work for the colt," said McPeek.
"He's really easy to maintain and he does things right. He cruised
around there no problem."
McPeek was pleased to see his colt gain experience over a wet
track.
"We ran him once in the mud and I'm kind of glad it rained
today, because I wanted to work him in the mud," he said. "I'm still
not sure he really likes an 'off' track, but he handled it well and he
worked good over it."
McPeek said the presence of Harlan's Holiday in his barn "softened the blow" of Monday's (April 8) loss of his other Kentucky Derby
hopeful, Select Stable's Repent. The winner of the Louisiana Derby
(GII) and runner-up in the Illinois Derby (GII) will undergo surgery on
Monday, April 15 to remove a small chip in his left front ankle, an
injury that will knock him out of the Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple
Crown campaign. McPeek also said that his star 3-year-old filly, Select
Stable's Ashland (GI) winner Take Charge Lady, remains on track to take
on members of her gender in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks - although she was
made a late nominee to the Derby and the Visa Triple Crown.
"The filly's going to run in the Oaks and I don't think that's
going to change," said McPeek. "Jerry (Select Stable's Jerry Bach) and
I had a nice discussion on it last night and we're both in agreement
that the Oaks is the goal right now. I've told him, and I'm not sure if
he agrees with me or not, but I'd love to think that if she runs back in
the Oaks the way she did in the Ashland, then let's try the Preakness (GI).
But we've got these options open and it's good to be able to use the
other plan if we need it."
EASYFROMTHEGITGO -- James Cassels and Bob Zollars' Easyfromthegitgo,
winner of the Lecomte and runner-up in the Louisiana Derby (GII),
tuned-up for a scheduled run in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) at
Keeneland on April 20 with a six-furlong breeze on Tuesday at Churchill
Downs.
Easyfromthegitgo covered the distance on a "sloppy" track in
1:14 under jockey Donnie Meche. The Dehere colt worked in fractions of
:24.20 and :50 and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:29.60.
Trainer Steve Asmussen expressed satisfaction with breeze. He
said the Coolmore Lexington will definitely be the next stop for his
colt and the prospect of a small field in Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass
(GI) at Keeneland has not tempted him to change the colt's schedule.
"From a standpoint of trainer to horse, I've got a great amount
of respect for him," he said. "He's showed up and ran hard a lot of
times and has been wonderfully consistent. The reason he's running in
the Lexington is I think he's got an excellent chance to win it. We're
doing what's best for Easyfromthegitgo."
Asmussen indicated that even a big effort by Easyfromthegitgo
would not guarantee a bid for the Kentucky Derby. He said the second
jewel of the Visa Triple Crown would be a more likely spot for the colt.
"I think that Easyfromthegitgo, if he runs really well in the
Lexington, he would probably go straight to the Preakness (GI)," he
said. "I'm not eliminating (the Derby), but we're just working with
what we have. He's a wonderful horse that has definitely jumped up and
surprised a lot of people and he's put in all the work, he hasn't made
any short cuts.
"At this stage with these 3-year-olds, I'm not going to
eliminate any possibility. I think we have an excellent chance in the
Lexington with him and I think we'll lead a lot of horse over there and
we're going to feel really good about the spot we have him in. We think
that he'll run good and that he'll come back well. We'll simply do that
and evaluate the performance off that, but realizing that the Kentucky
Derby is a huge stretch for any horse. Running a mile and quarter that
day against 20 horses, and there will be full gate this year, is going
to be an extremely strenuous occasion and there's no way he or anybody
else can do it if it isn't their day."
Easyfromthegitgo has a record of 3-4-1 in eight races and has
earned $295,425.
REQUEST FOR PAROLE -- Trainer Steve Margolis said Request For Parole, who
finished third in the Lane's End Spiral (GII) at Turfway Park in his
most recent race, would skip Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and
train up to the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
The colt had rebounded slowly from his tough outing in the
Lane's End Spiral, in which he set a strong pace and fought hard in the
stretch to lose by only a neck to Perfect Drift and Azillion (Ire). Request
For Parole breezed five furlongs on Sunday at Churchill Downs and
Margolis said he came out of that effort in good shape, but a discussion
with owners Sam and Jeri Knighton resulted in the decision to bring the
son of Judge T C up to Derby 128 on works.
"He's doing good," said Margolis. "We just want to do what's
right for the horse and give him the extra time. We'll probably come
back and give him a couple of more good works."
The consistent Request For Parole has a career record of 4-3-2
in 10 races and has earned $343,812.
Notes: Trainer Dallas Stewart said he was "leaning toward" running Risen
Star (GIII) runner-up Bob's Image in Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass...Tom
Van Meter and WinStar Farm's Mr. Mellon is scheduled to ship to Oaklawn
Park for Saturday's Arkansas Derby (GII) on a Thursday morning
flight...Trainer Patrick Biancone has told Churchill Downs officials
that he plans to run Michael Tabor's Mayakovsky, winner of the Gotham
(GIII) and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (GI), in the $100,000-added
Derby Trial (GIII) on April 27, the opening day of the Churchill Downs
Spring Meet. The Trial is run over a one-turn mile course similar to the
Aqueduct course over which the Matty G colt won the Gotham...Debutante Stakes
(GIII) winner Cashier's Dream breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80.
Derby Week Stakes Nominations Due Tomorrow - Churchill Downs Racing
reminds owners and trainers that the deadline for nominations for 11
Kentucky Derby Week stakes races will close on Wednesday, April 10.
The stakes races include the $100,000-added Derby Trial, which
will be run on Saturday, April 27; the $100,000-added Mamzelle and the
$100,000-added La Troienne (GIII), which are scheduled for Thursday, May
2; the $100,000-added Edgewood, the $100,000 Aegon Turf Sprint (GIII),
the $300,000-added Louisville Breeders' Cup (GII), and the
$100,000-added Crown Royal American Turf (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day,
May 3; and the $150,000-added Churchill Downs Handicap (GII), the
$100,000-added Three Chimneys Juvenile, the $100,000-added Citgo Distaff
Turf Mile (GII), and the $200,000-added Humana Distaff (GI), which will
be run on the Kentucky Derby Day card on Saturday, May 4.
For information, call Churchill Downs Racing at (502) 636-4470
or nominate via fax at (502) 636-4479.
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