LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 22, 2005) - Nick Zito cast an eye to a cloudy sky and an ear to weekend weather forecasts filled with everything from severe storms to snow showers, and the two-time Kentucky Derby (Grade I)-winning trainer decided to call an audible.

Two of his five Kentucky Derby hopefuls were scheduled to work at Churchill Downs on Saturday, but Zito decided to change that plan and breeze Live Oak Plantation's High Fly and My Meadowview Farm's Noble Causeway, the 1-2 finishers in the Florida Derby (GI), on Friday morning before the weather started to deteriorate.

Zito's horses hit the track together around 6:45 a.m. (all times EDT), although they worked separately. Each horse was credited by Churchill Downs clockers with five furlong moves, although the recorded times were slow. High Fly, with Maxine Correa up, was credited covering the five furlongs in 1:06.60, while Noble Causeway, ridden by Carlos Correa, was clocked in 1:04.60.

Both horses worked from the half-mile pole to the seven-eighths, which is located midway around the first turn, and Zito said he thought the clockers may have been confused about exactly what his horses were doing in coming up with those slow clockings. Zito's stopwatch caught his Derby hopefuls in considerably faster splits and he was happy with their moves.

"The main thing is, regardless of what times they got, both horses went super," said Zito. "I loved the way both horses went around that (first) turn. High Fly scooted around that turn. Noble Causeway looked great. They both looked super and that's all we could ask for. We'll do some serious work next week."

The horses breezed over a track that was still listed as "fast" before rain moved in later in the morning. Zito was happy to get those works out of the way before the weekend's predicted rugged weather moved in.

"When they started talking about rain on Sunday, too, and hail and this and that and everything, I said let's not fool. With Mother Nature," said Zito. "Let's just go a day earlier. It's either a day earlier or a day late, and we got them both in and they went well."

Zito said that he expects to breeze Tracy Farmer' Sun King, fourth in last week's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI), around Thursday of next week. Kinsman Farm's Bellamy Road, the likely Kentucky Derby favorite and winner of the Wood Memorial (GI), breezed five furlongs on Thursday and was doing well on the day after that move.

Zito's fifth Derby candidate, Robert LaPenta's Andromeda's Hero, continues to train at Keeneland. He plans to keep the high-strung son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus in the relative calm of the Lexington track for as long as possible.

"I really think it's the best thing for me right now to leave him there," said Zito. "I think he's really happy right now and doing good. I don't want to be second-guessing myself. It would be easier to bring him in here, but I don't think that's the way to go."

Zito said he could bring Andromeda's Hero to Churchill Downs to gallop or work at some point, but he would make a decision on that later.

GREELEY'S GALAXY BREEZES SIX FURLONGS -- B.Wayne Hughes' Illinois Derby (GII) winner Greeley’s Galaxy worked six furlongs under the Twin Spires in preparation for a possible start in the "Run for the Roses."

The son of Mr. Greeley covered the distance in 1:16.80 just after the mid-session break for track maintenance. The colt started his work at the three-quarters pole and carved out splits of :13.60, :26.40, :38.80, :51.40 and 1:04.20 before hitting the finish line in 1:16.80. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:32.40 in a light rain on a track that was labeled "fast."

"He felt fabulous", said exercise rider Mikki Fincher. "He's a happy, fresh horse, likes to train and hits the ground really good."

Fincher, who has worked for trainer Al Stall, Jr. for four years, has become quite familiar with the California-based Greeley’s Galaxy.

"I've galloped him for about a week and this is the second time that I've worked him", she said. "I'm just trying to be a good passenger. I can't teach that horse to be a better horse than he already is."

Trainer Glen Stute is scheduled to arrive from California with the colt's owner sometime next week. Stute remains in California because his wife is due to give birth on May 3.

Greeley’s Galaxy is not nominated to the Visa Triple Crown. Hughes plans to make the colt a supplemental nominee to the Kentucky Derby for a fee of $200,000, but the colt could still be excluded from the Derby if 20 or more horses are entered in the race. In that event, preference is given to horses that were nominated at the early or late nomination stage.

The Illinois Derby winner has a record of 3-0-0 in four career starts, all as a 3-year old. If he does get in, Greeley’s Galaxy will have Derby history to overcome. No horse has won the Derby without racing as a 2-year old since Apollo in 1882 and the last to win the roses off only four career starts was Exterminator in 1918.

His career earnings total $358,480.

PLETCHER HORSES ARRIVE AT CHURCHILL DOWNS - Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher's Kentucky Derby arsenal of Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Bandini and Lane's End Stakes (GII) winner and Arkansas Derby (GII) runner up Flower Alley arrived at Churchill Downs' Barn 42 around 2 p.m.

Among the nine Pletcher trainees that accompanied the Derby duo to the Louisville track was 2004 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Ashado. Pletcher's group had been stabled at Keeneland. They shipped to Louisville by van after training at the Lexington track on Friday morning.

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