Medaglia d'Oro, Sunday Break Scheduled For April 16 Arrival At Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 15, 2002) - The number of Kentucky Derby (GI) contenders on the grounds at Churchill Downs is scheduled to grow substantially this week as equine transport flights from New York, California and Dubai carry Derby-bound horses to Kentucky.

The first of the new arrivals will be the 2-3 finishers in the Wood Memorial (GI) - Edmund Gann's Medaglia d'Oro and Koji Maeda's Sunday Break. Also on the flight from Aqueduct will be Michael Tabor's Comely (GIII) winner Bella Bellucci, one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Oaks (GI). Those horses are scheduled to arrive at Lexington, Ky.'s Blue Grass Airport between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. (EDT) and then travel by van to Louisville and Churchill Downs.

Godolphin's group of Dubai-based hopes for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Wednesday, April 17. That group includes Kentucky Derby contender Essence Of Dubai, winner of the UAE Derby, and Kentucky Oaks contenders Imperial Gesture and Tempera, the 2-1 finishers in the 2001 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and the 1-2 finishers in last week's UAE Oaks. The Saeed bin Suroor trainees will travel to Lexington to quarantine at Keeneland and will return to Churchill Downs when they clear those procedures. Godolphin officials hope to ship those horses to Churchill Downs sometime on Friday, April 19.

Also scheduled to arrive Friday is Toffan, McAffery, Goodman and Farish's Came Home, winner of the Santa Anita Derby (GI). Came Home will travel to Louisville on a flight from California.

Correction: Sunday's (4/14) Kentucky Derby News stated incorrectly that Ocean Sound, the third-place finisher in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI), had arrived by van at Churchill Downs on Sunday. The horse that arrived at Churchill Downs was Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up Easy Grades, who arrived by van following a flight from California to Cincinnati.

Churchill Downs Work Tab (Track: SLOPPY) - Clergy, who may run in the Derby Trial (GIII), breezed three furlongs in :38.80...Spain breezed four furlongs in :50.60...Solvig breezed a half-mile in :49.60...2000 Travers (GI) winner Unshaded breezed four furlongs in :51.80...Descapate breezed five furlongs in 1:03.60.

« Back To Derby News