Derby Updates

A.P. WARRIOR -- Stan Fulton's A.P. Warrior, winner of the San Felipe (Grade II) and third in the Santa Anita Derby (GI), galloped 1 ½-miles on Sunday under exercise rider Steve Willard at Hollywood Park.

Trainer John Shirreffs has scheduled a Monday work for the son of A.P. Indy, who will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) by Corey Nakatani.

BARBARO - Lael Stables' unbeaten Barbaro, winner of the Florida Derby (Grade I), put in his final pre-Derby move over the Keeneland course on Sunday morning as he worked five furlongs in 1:01.40.

The move over a "fast" track under exercise rider Peter Brette was the third fastest of eight at the distance. The Michael Matz-trained son of Dynaformer went to the track around 7 a.m. (all times Eastern).

"Everything went well," Matz said.

Matz indicated that Barbaro would walk on Monday, then go to the track Tuesday and Wednesday before he ships by van to Churchill Downs on Thursday.

BLUEGRASS CAT/KEYED ENTRY/SUNRIVER - Two of trainer Todd Pletcher's Kentucky Derby contenders - Aaron and Marie Jones' Sunriver and Starlight Stables, Saylor and Lucarelli's Keyed Entry - worked over a "fast" track on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Sunriver, a brother to Pletcher's 2004 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Ashado and the third-place finisher in the Florida Derby (GI), took to the track shortly after the opening of training hours and worked six furlongs in company with Harlington, a 4-year-old graded stakes-winning stablemate. The son of Saint Ballado covered the distance in 1:14.20 - a clocking that was identical to that of his older workmate. The time was the best of just four works at the distance.

Retired Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. was in the saddle aboard Sunriver.

"I thought he worked extremely well," said Pletcher. "He finished strong and galloped out well. He's training really well."

Pletcher is keeping his fingers crossed the Sunriver will be able to make it into the Derby starting gate. At this point, he's on the bubble in terms of whether he has sufficient graded earnings to make the race if more than the maximum of 20 horses are entered.

"I think yesterday in the Lexington, we had maybe one come out and one come in and we didn't lose any ground to where we were before. We'll see what happens here."

Pletcher said Keyed Entry is now "definite" to be entered in the Kentucky Derby after he breezed five furlongs under Cordero just after the break for track renovation. The son of Honour and Glory, winner of the Hutcheson (GIII) and third in the Wood Memorial (GI), worked alone as he covered five furlongs in an official clocking of 1:00.80. The move ranked fourth among 48 at the distance.

"I thought he worked dynamite," said Pletcher. "He was pretty relaxed, finished well and galloped out great. It looks like he handles the track very well. He's a good work horse and the main thing is I didn't want him to go too fast. But I liked the way he was very relaxed down the backside and had his ears pricked around the turn, and he finished without being asked at all. He galloped out very strongly, so he's dead-on."

Patrick Valenzuela will ride Keyed Entry in the Kentucky Derby.

Pletcher's other Derby contender, WinStar Farm's Bluegrass Cat, galloped 1 ¼-miles under exercise rider Luis Castillo. The winner of the Remsen is scheduled to work at Churchill Downs next Sunday.

The injured John Velazquez had ridden both Bluegrass Cat and Sunriver before he went to the sidelines with injuries that will knock him out of action for the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher said he continues to search for a replacement rider for both horses. Garrett Gomez will take over duties as Pletcher's "first call" rider until Velazquez returns, but Gomez is already committed to ride Stonerside Stable's Bob and John in the Derby.

BOB AND JOHN/POINT DETERMINED/SINISTER MINISTER - Trainer Bob Baffert's trio of Kentucky Derby hopefuls galloped on two fronts Sunday morning.

The Lanni Family Trust's Sinister Minister, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) in his previous start, had his morning activity at Keeneland. Stonerside Stable's Bob and John and the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust's Point Determined galloped at Santa Anita.

The Santa Anita based duo is scheduled to work Monday morning

Bob and John won the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct in his last start, while Point Determined was second to Brother Derek in the Santa Anita Derby (GI).

BROTHER DEREK - Cecil Peacock's Brother Derek, the likely morning line favorite for Kentucky Derby 132, galloped 1 ½-miles on Sunday morning at Santa Anita under exercise rider Francisco Alvarado.

"Everything is good here," trainer Dan Hendricks said. "He will work seven-eighths in the morning at 8 o'clock and Alex (Solis) will be on him."

The Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner is scheduled to ship to Louisville on Tuesday.

CAUSE TO BELIEVE - Peter Redekop and Peter Abruzzo's Cause to Believe, winner of the El Camino Real (GIII) Derby and California Derby, walked the shedrow at trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's Bay Meadows barn a day after the colt worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 at the Northern California track.

"He's doing really good," Hollendorfer said. "He will gallop in the morning then ship Tuesday and go to the track on Thursday."

The son of Maria's Mon worked just before Saturday's first race at Bay Meadows and his splits for the move were 24.40, 48.40 and 1:00.40.

Russell Baze has the riding call for the Derby.

DEPUTY GLITTERS - Joseph Lacombe Stable Inc.'s Deputy Glitters galloped 1 ½-miles on a "muddy" main track at Belmont Park Sunday morning under exercise rider Miguel Gutierrez.

Trainer Tom Albertrani has a work scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday for the Tampa Bay Derby (Grade III) winner. The Deputy Commander colt will ship to Churchill Downs on Thursday.

Jose Lezcano, the leading jockey at Tampa Bay Downs, has the Derby mount on Deputy Glitters, which will be his first.

FLASHY BULL/JAZIL/LIKE NOW - Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin took one of his three Kentucky Derby hopefuls off the road to Louisville Sunday morning saying that the "Run for the Roses" was out for John Dillon's Like Now.

"He will not run in the Derby; most likely the Preakness," said McLaughlin of Like Now, who finished second in Saturday's Coolmore Lexington (Grade II) Stakes at Keeneland and won the Gotham (GIII) at Aqueduct.

Earlier Sunday morning, West Point Thoroughbreds LLC's Flashy Bull worked a half- mile under exercise rider Desmond Farrell in :50.40 over the "fast" Polytrack training surface at Keeneland.

"He went very well," McLaughlin said. "He's doing very well and he will work again next Sunday at Churchill Downs." The trainer's third hopeful, Shadwell Stable's Jazil, galloped Sunday morning at Belmont Park with exercise rider Simon Harris up. The Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up, who will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Fernando Jara, is scheduled to ship to Keeneland on Thursday and move on to Churchill Downs on Saturday.

LAWYER RON - The Estate of James Hines Jr.'s Lawyer Ron galloped 1 ½-miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Betsy Couch.

The winner of his past six races, Lawyer Ron is scheduled to work on Saturday.

Trainer Robert Holthus is attending sales in Ocala, Fla. and was not on hand for Lawyer Ron's training on Sunday. He will return to Louisville on Thursday.

Jockey John McKee, who has ridden Lawyer Ron in all but one of his 14 career starts, has the call for the Derby.

PRIVATE VOW/STORM TREASURE - Mike McCarty's Kentucky Derby duo of Private Vow and Storm Treasure each galloped 1 7/8-miles on Sunday at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Private Vow, third in the Arkansas Derby (GII) and winner of the Belmont Futurity (GI) and Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at two, and Storm Treasure, runner-up in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI), were ridden in their gallops by Carmen Rosas.

Both horses are scheduled to work at Churchill Downs on Monday, April 24. The works will come before the track renovation break. Training at Churchill Downs opens at 6 a.m. (all times Eastern) and the break is scheduled for approximately 8 a.m.

SACRED LIGHT - Amerman Racing Stables LLC's Sacred Light galloped 1 ¼-miles at Hollywood Park under exercise rider Martin DeRubin.

Trainer David Hofmans has a work scheduled for Wednesday for Sacred Light before the son of Holy Bull ships to Louisville on Saturday.

Aaron Gryder has the call on Sacred Light, if he gets into the Kentucky Derby field. The Derby is limited to 20 starters with preference to horses based on their earnings in graded stakes races. If the race were run today, Sacred Light would not have the earnings to make the prospective Derby field.

"If we don't get in the Derby, we will go in the grass race the day before," Hofmans said, referring to the Crown Royal American Turf (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day, May 5.

SEASIDE RETREAT - William S. Farish Jr.'s Seaside Retreat walked the shedrow at Barn 17 on Sunday morning. The son of King Cugat is scheduled to work on Thursday for trainer Mark Casse.

"That work will be the deciding factor," said Casse. "If he works well, he will run if he gets in. I know that he likes Churchill Downs."

Patrick Husbands will have the Derby riding assignment. He would be the first Derby contender for either Casse or Husbands, both of whom are based at Toronto's Woodbine Race Course.

SHARP HUMOR - Purdedel Stable's Sharp Humor jogged two miles at Churchill Downs after the renovation break with exercise rider Faustino Orantes up.

The Dale Romans-trained Distorted Humor colt is scheduled to work on Saturday. Jockey Mark Guidry has the call for Kentucky Derby 132.

SHOWING UP - Lael Stables' Showing Up, an authoritative winner of Saturday's Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland, shipped back to trainer Barclay Tagg's home base at Belmont Park at noon Sunday.

Tagg said the undefeated colt would walk for a few days before returning to the track.

Should Showing Up contest the Kentucky Derby, it would give Tagg a shot to become only the third trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with his first two starters. Tagg won his Kentucky Derby debut in 2003 with Sackatoga Stable's Funny Cide. The others are Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons (Gallant Fox, 1930 and Omaha, 1935) and Henry Forrest (Kauai King, 1966 and Forward Pass, 1968).

STEPPENWOLFER - Robert and Lawana Low's Steppenwolfer, the runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (GII), galloped 1 ½-miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Jody Pieper. Trainer Dan Peitz was scheduled to arrive in Louisville Sunday afternoon.

SWEETNORTHERNSAINT - Joseph Balsamo and Ted Theos' Sweetnorthernsaint galloped 1 ¼-miles on Sunday morning at Laurel Park under exercise rider Ernesto Ferdinand. The Illinois Derby (Grade II) winner is scheduled to train the next two mornings at Laurel and then ship by van to Churchill Downs later Tuesday for trainer Michael Trombetta.

WITH A CITY - A mystery illness has claimed the life of Equirace.com's With a City, winner of the $500,000 Lane's End (Grade II) at Turfway Park and a contender for the 132nd Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Mike Maker said the son of City Zip, who was stabled at Churchill Downs' Trackside training center, fell ill on Thursday with an unknown ailment and quickly deteriorated. The colt was taken to the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky. on Friday, but With a City's condition continued to worsen and the decision to euthanize the colt was made on Sunday morning.

Maker said it is possible that the illness that ultimately claimed With a City's life may never be identified.

"They treated him for everything and ran tests on everything," said Maker. "They just don't know at this time. Hopefully, a necropsy will tell us more, but their feeling right now is that they're not so sure that they're going to be able to tell."

With a City would have been the first Kentucky Derby starter for Maker, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer and four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas.

The colt's sudden passing is a crushing disappointment to the trainer and Equirace.com owner Ron Peltz, who was also looking toward his first "Run for the Roses."

"We're just thankful that we had the opportunity while we had it," Maker said. "Hopefully we'll get another one down the road, either from Mr. Peltz or from somebody else."

With a City posted one of the more stunning upsets along the road to Kentucky Derby 132 when he won the Lane's End on Turfway Park's Polytrack surface at odds of 49-1 on March 25. He followed that race with a troubled outing in the Arkansas Derby (GII) at Oaklawn Park. He got off to a poor start in that race and finished last in the field of 13, beaten 51 ¼-lengths by Lawyer Ron.

Maker said With a City had trained well since his return to Arkansas and the plan was to run the colt in the Kentucky Derby - but that plan quickly changed on Thursday.

"He was absolutely a picture of health one minute and gone the next," Maker said.

With a City launched his racing career at Florida's Calder Race Course and raced for a $40,000 claiming tag five times in 10 races as a 2-year-old for trainer Jose Mendez. He was purchased privately by Peltz earlier this year for a reported $150,000 and turned over to Maker. He ran eighth in the John Battaglia Memorial in his first start for his new barn, but then notched his shocking upset victory in the Lane's End that put him on the list of contenders for the Kentucky Derby. The Florida-bred colt had a career record of 4-0-2 in 13 races and earnings of $359,680.

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