Derby News

Trainer Doug O’Neill put his three Kentucky Derby hopefuls through their final major pre-Kentucky Derby works at Keeneland on Friday and expressed satisfaction with all three six-furlong works.

“It was a spectacular morning; they all worked well,” said O’Neill, whose colts all worked solo and under exercise rider Tony Romero.  “Great Hunter went in 1:13 and got his last eighth in 12 (seconds) and finished full of energy.  Liquidity, we’ve been trying to get him to give us 110 percent and he started off with his first eighth in 12 and had a nice, steady work in 1:11 and 3. Cobalt Blue was the same way; we asked him to go a bit and he was 1:11 and 4.

“Cobalt Blue and Liquidity we asked a little bit of and they both responded,” O’Neill continued. “Great Hunter did it on his own.  From a fitness standpoint, we are ready to run and now all we need is to get some luck.”

Keeneland clockers provided the following splits on the works --  Great Hunter: :25.40, :48.80 and out seven furlongs in 1:26.20;  Cobalt Blue: :24.20, :47.40 and out seven furlongs in 1:26; Liquidity: :24, :48.80 and out seven furlongs in 1:24.

The three colts are scheduled to walk in the morning and then jog Sunday morning at Keeneland before vanning to Churchill Downs that afternoon.

Corey Nakatani is slated to ride Great Hunter; David Flores has the call on Liquidity and Victor Espinoza is scheduled to ride Cobalt Blue. The first two colts are owned by J. Paul Reddam; Cobalt Blue is owned by Merv Griffin.

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