Gonzalez watches Came Home work
April 23, 2002
By John Asher

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Gonzalez watches Came Home work
• Medaglia d'Oro breezes five furlongs
• McCarron works Ocean Sound

CAME HOME - Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Came Home worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 Tuesday morning after the renovation break on a fast track under regular rider Chris McCarron.

"He went a little faster than I thought he would," said trainer Paco Gonzalez. "The track is not a fast track like in California, and I thought he would go in 1:14, but he went a little faster and did it easy.

"I got him in 1:13 1/5 and galloping out in 1:26 2/5, but I must have been looking at the wrong poles. Neil (trainer Neil Howard) got him in 1:12 4/5 and out in 1:25 3/5. I got his last quarter in 23 2/5 and Chris got the last quarter in 23 2/5 and the last eighth in 11 3/5."

Gonzalez, who plans to remain in Louisville through the Derby, said Came Home would work again on Monday.

McCarron, who returned to California after the morning activity and plans to return to Louisville next Tuesday night, was also pleased with the move.

"He went very well, and got across the track beautifully," said McCarron, who won the Derby in 1987 with Alysheba and in '94 with Go For Gin. "I expect him to improve off the Santa Anita Derby. It is not a hope, it's an expectation."

McCarron was asked how key it is for a horse to handle the Churchill Downs surface in training.

"It's not crucial, because the track he works on this morning very likely is going to be different than the one he runs on Saturday, because on Friday and Saturday Butch (track superintendent Butch Lehr) goes out there and tightens the track down a little bit," McCarron said.

"A lot of times during the week, this track can be a little on the cuppy side in the morning, but in the afternoon, he keeps it really, really wet and the horses get a better hold of it. So if they can get over it well in the morning when it's in a loose condition, chances are they are going to handle it in the afternoon."

MEDAGLIA D'ORO - Edmund Gann's Medaglia d'Oro, winner of the San Felipe (GII) and runner-up in the Wood Memorial (GI), worked five furlongs on Tuesday for trainer Bobby Frankel, the colt's first work since his arrival at Churchill Downs.

The son of El Prado breezed the distance in 1:01.40 over a "fast" track. Exercise rider Marco Ramirez was in the irons as Medaglia d'Oro covered the distance in fractions of :12.20, :24, and :49 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.60.

"I didn't want to do too much," said Frankel, who is looking for his first Kentucky Derby win. "He had a hard race the other day, so we'll just keep him happy."

Frankel said Medaglia d'Oro's final pre-Kentucky Derby work is scheduled for Monday.

Ocean Sound - Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) third-place finisher Ocean Sound worked seven furlongs in 1:28 1/5 under Chris McCarron after the renovation break Tuesday morning over a fast track.

Churchill Downs clockers caught Ocean Sound in 50.60 for the half, 1:03 for five-eighths, 1:15.20 for three-quarters and a gallop out time of 1:43.20 for the mile.

Trainer James Cassidy expressed satisfaction with the work.

"I was trying to get a little stamina work in him and it looks like that's what we accomplished," said Cassidy, who was scheduled to return to California Tuesday and then return to Louisville on Sunday.

"He'll work pretty good five-eighths ... I don't need that. I just wanted to get a little more strength in him. I will probably blow him out three-eighths next Wednesday or Thursday, but I like to gallop a day before the race."

Cassidy saddled his first Kentucky Derby starter last year with Jamaican Rum.

"They are totally different horses," Cassidy said. "Jamaican Rum was lazy and laid back. This horse will work good if you want him to."

McCarron, who had worked Came Home only moments before hopping on Ocean Sound, described the work.

"He was extremely relaxed out there," McCarron said. "Jim said to go seven-eighths with him and get him to relax the first part of it, and if he does relax good, ask him to finish. He was more relaxed than I anticipated. Jim told me he can be keen at times, but there is so much for a horse to look at here the first time he is breezing over the racetrack. Finally at the three-eighths, I asked him to pick it up and he responded."

IN OTHER DERBY NEWS.... EASY GRADES - Desperado Stables' Easy Grades walked the shedrow for trainer Ted H. West, Jr., a day after working seven furlongs in 1:29.40.

"He came out of the work perfect," West said. "He will go back to the track Wednesday. I was going to give him two days, but he didn't work that hard."

ESSENCE OF DUBAI - Godolphin Racing's Essence Of Dubai galloped a mile and a quarter under exercise rider Lee Roebuck before the renovation break.

Tom Albertrani, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said Essence Of Dubai would probably work Thursday.

Godolphin's two Oaks hopefuls, Tempera and Imperial Gesture, galloped a mile and a quarter and are being pointed to a work Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Albertrani was asked how the past two chilly mornings may affect his contingent, which shipped here from Dubai.

"They probably find it refreshing," said Albertrani, who has headed the Godolphin traveling party here the past four years. "I would rather it be warm like it was when we came in so they can adjust to being here easier. I don't think that bothers them."

HARLAN'S HOLIDAY - The Ken McPeek-trained winner of the Florida Derby (GI) and Toyota Blue Grass (GI) galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Helen Pitts. The Harlan colt is scheduled to work Wednesday morning following the mid-morning break for track maintenance.

IT'SALLINTHECHASE - Darwin Olson's It'sallinthechase galloped a mile and three-quarters under exercise rider Joe Higgins.

Trainer Wilson Brown is expected to be at the track Wednesday morning, a day that Higgins said he may walk the son of Take Me Out through the paddock.

"He has always been good at the gate, but we may start schooling in the paddock Wednesday," Higgins said.

Lusty Latin - Trainer Jeff Mullins reported that Lusty Latin came out of his half-mile work of Monday in good order and would return to the track Wednesday.

Lusty Latin worked in :49.20.

PERFECT DRIFT - Stonecrest Farm's Perfect Drift galloped a mile and a half under Joe Deegan at the Trackside Training Center.

"Things couldn't be better," trainer Murray Johnson said. "He galloped once around, stood in the gate, and then went around again."

Perfect Drift is scheduled to work a half-mile Wednesday morning at Trackside.

PRIVATE EMBLEM/WINDWARD PASSAGE - Trainer Steve Asmussen reported his two Derby hopefuls came out of their Monday half-mile works in good order and would return to the track Wednesday.

Private Emblem worked in :51.40 and Windward Passage in :50.

Asmussen's Oaks hopeful, Lake Lady who worked a half in :49.40, also walked the shedrow Tuesday and will return to the track Wednesday.

Proud Citizen - Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that Coolmore Lexington (GII) winner Proud Citizen continues to do well in the aftermath of Saturday's victory and he walked under the shedrow for the third consecutive day on Tuesday. The son of Gone West is scheduled to return to the track for a jog on Wednesday morning.

REQUEST FOR PAROLE - Jeri and Sam Knighton's Request For Parole jogged two miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Loren Diego.

"I like to do that every now and then just to change things up," trainer Steve Margolis said of the morning's activity.

Request For Parole is scheduled to work Thursday morning after the break going six furlongs with Derby rider Robby Albarado up.

STRAIGHT GIN/CRIMSON HERO - Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito does not expect to have a starter in Kentucky Derby 128, but he refused to rule out a Derby bid by either Coolmore Lexington (GII) runner-up Crimson Hero or Straight Gin, the fourth-place finisher in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI). Both horses are stabled at Churchill Downs and Zito is keeping his options open.

"You never say never because you never know what's going to happen," said Zito. "But on the other hand, you always want to do what's right for the horses."

Even if Zito were to decide to point one of his colts to the Kentucky Derby, he will need some help to get into the race. Neither has sufficient graded stakes earnings, at this point, to make it into the maximum field of 20 horses.

"They'd have to have a little luck to get in and, more importantly, you have to do what's right for the game. You never say never and you never say you won't do it. You just see how it plays out. We've got a free week, I think, and we'll go from there and see what happens."

SUNDAY BREAK/FLYING DASH - Trainer Neil Drysdale said that Flying Dash is not yet officially out of the Kentucky Derby picture, although he has recommended to owner Fusao Sekiguchi that the German-bred colt continue to concentrate on turf racing.

Drysdale said he sent his recommendations to Mr. Sekiguchi via fax, but has yet to speak directly with him and won't rule Flying Dash out of Derby consideration until he does so. Sekiguchi owned the Drysdale-trained Fusaichi Pegasus, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby. Flying Dash worked six furlongs on the main track at Churchill Downs on Monday and walked under tack in the shedrow this morning.

Drysdale's other Kentucky Derby contender, Koji Maeda's Sunday Break, jogged two miles under exercise rider Marcelino Olguin.

WAR EMBLEM - The Thoroughbred Corp's War Emblem galloped 1 5/8 miles Tuesday for trainer Bob Baffert. Exercise rider Mick Jenner was in the irons for gallop.

The Illinois Derby (GII) winner is scheduled to work Wednesday morning. Regular workout rider Dana Barnes will be in the saddle and Baffert said she would arrive this in Louisville this evening. War Emblem is scheduled to breeze just after the mid-session training break for track maintenance

Wild Horses - Peachtree Stable's Arkansas Derby runner-up Wild Horses galloped a mile and three-eighths after the renovation break under exercise rider Cindy Hutter,

"He had another good day and he two-minute licked the last three-eighths," Hutter said.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is due in Louisville from his New York base Thursday or Friday.

U S S TINOSA - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer notified Churchill Downs officials that he would ship Peter Abruzzo and Barry Thiriot's U S S Tinosa to Louisville either on Wednesday or Thursday. The Ohio-bred son of Foxhound, winner of the Sham Stakes and third in the San Rafael (GII), is scheduled to travel to Churchill Downs from Hollendorfer's Northern California base on a Federal Express flight.

IN OAKS NEWS....

BELTERRA/TAKE THE CAKE - Trainer Carl Nafzger's pair of contenders for the Kentucky Oaks - Robert Manfuso's Belterra and Elizabeth Valando's Take The Cake - each worked five furlongs on Tuesday over a "fast" track at Churchill Downs.

Belterra, the winner of the Golden Rod (GII) and third in Keeneland's Ashland (GI), breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 in her first series move since she underwent throat surgery following the Ashland. Jockey Jon Court was in the saddle as the daughter of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled rolled through fractions of :25 and :50 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20.

"She was eager to get to work today and seemed to really enjoy her training," said Court. "There were no signs of stress. She clipped around there pretty good getting to the pole and worked a nice easy quarter. She picked it up as we turned for home and just kind of leveled off. It was a good even work."

But assistant trainer Ian Wilkes saw less than he had hoped from Belterra.

"It wasn't spectacular," he said. "It was an even work - just an even work. Nothing to write home about."

Court and Wilkes were more enthusiastic about Take The Cake, who breezed five furlongs in a sharp :59.20. Court was aboard as she breezed in fractions of :24, :47.80 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.80.

"She worked real good," said Court. "She had no problems and worked pretty dad-gum good." "She's doing good, she's training good, she's happy," said Wilkes. "Her mind's in the right place.

BELLA BELLUCCI - Michael Tabor's French Deputy filly galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Marcelino Olguin.

MS BROOKSKI/CHAMROUSSE - Trainer Niall O'Callaghan's Kentucky Oaks hopefuls both galloped under assistant trainer Jennifer Brown.

Ms Brookski is scheduled to breeze on Wednesday (after the break).

TAKE CHARGE LADY - Select Stable's Ashland (GI) winner galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Helen Pitts. She also stood in the starting gate after her gallop.

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