Two Derby 128 Contenders Drill Over Different Surfaces
April 28, 2002
By, Jill Byrne

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 26, 2002) - The workout action for Derby and Oaks contenders has been fairly quiet the last two days with most of the important final tuneups scheduled for Monday (Apr. 22) and Tuesday (Apr. 23). Two Derby 128 contenders were out for breezes on Apr. 29, and the moves were conducted over two very diffferent surfaces.

It'sallinthechase worked before the track renovation break, when the surface had been sealed tight to protect it from strong overnight storms. The track was packed down like a beach with some water standing on the surface, but the son of Take Me Out seemed to relish this type going and worked strongly with jockey Eddie Martin, Jr. in the irons. His action was very low over the tight track and resembled the stride of a turf horse. The final time of 1:00 3/5 was good, but he was being asked for all he had by Martin in the work.

Trainer Todd Pletcher had Wild Horses wait until after the morning break to go out for his work. The track surface changed dramatically as it was harrowed, and therefore was not so packed down. It was nearly rated "fast" with still quite a bit of moisture in it and the cushion had a much better bounce after the break. Wild Horses, by Saint Ballado, was very comfortable over the track and went a good five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 with Cindy Hutter aboard. Cindy only slightly asked him with her hands inside the eighth pole to pick it up, which he did nicely. He was equipped with blinkers for the workout but will not wear them in the Derby.

All the Derby horses are training very well at this time with the one exception being Sunday Break (Jpn). He does not seem to be moving well over the track and is getting very lathered up and hot before he even gallops.

We'll see if shows any improvement, as he is expected to workout Monday (Apr. 29) .

From the April 27 Work Tab

On Saturday, Apr. 27, Bella Bellucci was out the first set for Neil Drysdale at about 5:45 a.m., for a seven-furlong work. She was accompanied by a lead pony before breaking off to gallop at the wire. She was very aggressive going to the seven-eighths pole as there were quite a few other horses around her causing exercise rider Marcelino Olguin to have to throttle her down a bit. She worked very easily throughout the move and Olguin never asked her for any run at all, as he sat motionless throughout the drill. This was a very typical work for Neil Drysdale in that she went well within herself over a longer distance pf ground.

The daughter of French Deputy has only one loss, a third-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI), and has run two races this year fairly close together. She appears to have a high cruising speed with a long, bounding stride; she gets a great deal of push from her powerful hind quarters. Bella Bellucci puts a lot of effort into her daily gallops and does not require hard breezes between races.

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 Dosage 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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