Consolidator, Going Wild, And Bellamy Road Sharp In Churchill Downs Works
By: John Asher
Consolidator, Going Wild and Bellamy Road - all considered to be major contenders for the $2 million Kentucky
Derby - turned in sharp workouts on Sunday at Churchill Downs in
preparation for their final preps for the 131st renewal of the "Run for
the Roses" on Sat., May 7.
Robert and Beverly Lewis' Consolidator, winner of the San Felipe
(GII) at Santa Anita and last fall's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (GI)
at Keeneland, zipped over a "fast" track at Churchill Downs as he
breezed five furlongs in :58. The move by the Storm Cat colt was the
easily the fastest of 26 at the distance. Consolidator could make his
final pre-Derby start on April 16 in Keeneland's $750,000 Toyota Blue
Grass (GI).
Going Wild, the Lewis-owned winner of the Sham and runner-up to
Declan's Moon in the Santa Catalina (GII), breezed five furlongs in one
minute. The work by the son of Wild Again was ranked as the day's
ninth-fastest move. He is expected to make Saturday's Wood Memorial
(GI) at Aqueduct his final Kentucky Derby prep.
Four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas trains both
horses. Bellamy Road, another possible contender for the Wood Memorial,
breezed five furlongs in :59.80 in his first serious training since his
arrival at Churchill Downs.
The son of Concerto is one of five Kentucky Derby contenders
trained by Nick Zito and scored a 15 ¾-length allowance victory at
Gulfstream Park in his only race of the year. The Kinsman Stable of New
York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner owns Bellamy Road, the winner of
the Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes at River Downs as a 2-year-old.
Other Kentucky Derby hopefuls on the Sunday work tab included
Kansas City Boy and Storm Surge. Kansas City Boy, runner-up in the Holy
Bull (GIII) and third in the Lecomte (GIII), breezed five furlongs in
1:00.60 for trainer Ken McPeek. Overbrook Farm's Storm Surge, third in
the Louisiana Derby (GIII), covered the distance in 1:00.60.
Naveed Chowhan's Kentucky Oaks (GI) contender Runway Model
turned in another sharp training move on Sunday. The Bernie
Flint-trained daughter of Petionville zipped five furlongs in :59, the
third fastest move of the day at the distance.
Runway Model, winner of the Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs and
third to champion Sweet Catomine in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
(GI), finished third in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) in her only start of
the year. She is scheduled to run in the $500,000 Ashland (GI) at
Keeneland on April 9.
Another possible Kentucky Oaks contender in action on Sunday was
Overbrook Farm's Cape Hope. The daughter of Cape Town breezed four
furlongs in :50. Trainer Dallas Stewart said that Cape Hope, who is
unbeaten since she moved to the turf and won the Herecomesthebride
(GIII) at Gulfstream Park last time out, would try the dirt again in the
Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park.
Others working over the Churchill Downs track on Sunday included: Clock
Stopper, who breezed four furlongs in :48; Stephen Foster Handicap (GI)
winner Colonial Colony breezed four furlongs in :48; Silverfoot breezed
five furlongs in 1:01.80; and Exceptional Ride, who breezed four
furlongs in :48.20.
DERBY WEEK STAKES NOMINATION DEADLINE LOOMS - Nominations for stakes
races scheduled for Kentucky Derby Week (April 3-May 7) at Churchill
Downs will close at midnight (EDT) on Sat., April 9. The deadline does
not affect the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Woodford Reserve Turf
Classic (GI). The races include:
* Sat., April 30 -- $100,000-added Derby Trial
* Thurs., May 5 -- $100,000-added Mamzelle,
$100,000-added La Troienne (GIII)
* Fri., May 6 (Kentucky Oaks Day) -- $100,000 Edgewood,
$100,000-added Alysheba, $100,000-added Aegon Turf Sprint (GIII),
$300,000 Louisville Breeders' Cup (GII), $100,000-added Crown Royal
American Turf (GIII)
* Sat., May 7 (Kentucky Derby Day) --
$200,000-added Churchill Downs Handicap (GII),
$100,000-added Three Chimneys Juvenile,
$100,000-added Winnercomm Turf Mile (GIII), and the
$250,000-added Humana Distaff Handicap (GI).
« Back To Derby News
|