Derby Updates

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY/CIRCULAR QUAY/COWTOWN CAT/SAM P./SCAT DADDY - Three of three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher's five contenders for the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) turned in major workouts over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland on Sunday.

Florida Derby (GI) winner Scat Daddy and Any Given Saturday, third in the Wood Memorial (GI) in his most recent outing, worked alone, while Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Circular Quay breezed in company with Pletcher's star 3-year-old filly Rags to Riches, the favorite for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI).

All breezed five furlongs and the sharpest clocking for the Kentucky Derby trio was earned by Any Given Saturday, who covered the distance in :58.80 under jockey Garrett Gomez.  The move by the son of Distorted Humor was the second fastest of 32 works at the distance.

"He worked very good," said Pletcher.  "He finished up super strong - he went the last quarter in :22-and-four.  It was a visually impressive work."

Circular Quay worked in company with Rags to Riches for the second consecutive week and covered five furlongs in 1:00.20, which was the same time recorded by the Oaks favorite.  Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. was in the saddle aboard Circular Quay, whose work time tied as the 11^th fastest of the 32 works at the distance.

"They make nice workmates and both did very well," said Pletcher.  "We were very pleased with both of them."

The planned start in the Kentucky Derby by Circular Quay will be the first for the son of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch since the Louisiana Derby on March 10, but Pletcher believes that the colt will be ready for his best effort on the first Saturday in May.

"I'm very pleased with the way he's training," Pletcher said.  "I'm very comfortable with the eight weeks in between.  I think he'll run his best race that way."

Scat Daddy covered five furlongs in 1:00.80 under jockey Edgar Prado - which ranked 16^th among the 32 moves at the distance at Keeneland.

"That's pretty much what we always do with him," said Pletcher.  "He was just nice and steady throughout, and never left the bridle from the time he left the pole until well after the wire."

The Pletcher-trained Cowtown Cat, winner of the Illinois Derby (GII) and the Gotham (GIII), walked the shedrow on the morning after a half-mile work on Saturday.  The son of Distorted Humor covered five furlongs in :58.40.

Pletcher's fifth Kentucky Derby candidate - Starlight Stable and Donald Lucarelli's Sam P., is training at Churchill Downs and galloped on Sunday.  The third-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) is scheduled to work on Monday at Churchill Downs and Pletcher will be present for the move, which is scheduled just after the break for track maintenance.  

CHELOKEE - Centennial Farm's Chelokee, the third-place finisher in the Florida Derby (GI), had a quiet morning at Keeneland following an eventful Saturday.

Trainer Michael Matz, who saddled Barbaro to win last year's Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), said that Chelokee took it easy on Sunday some unanticipated excitement during his trip to the Lexington track one day earlier.

"He went to gallop and the right rein broke," said Matz.  "He galloped almost two miles yesterday, and the rein broke and we were lucky we didn't have an accident."

After that anxious morning, Matz said the son of Cherokee Run just went for a walk on Sunday morning.

"We just took a walk with him," said Matz.  "He just went for a walk in the paddock and Peter (assistant trainer Peter Brette) got on him and he just walked around the grounds."

Matz said he was unsure when Chelokee might work again.

CURLIN/REPORTING FOR DUTY/ZANJERO - All three of trainer Steve Asmussen's contenders for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands - Stonecrest Farm, Padua Stable, George Bolton and Midnight Cry Stable's Curlin; Ronald Winchell's Zanjero; and Bob and Kathy Zollars' Reporting for Duty - galloped over Polytrack at Keeneland on Sunday in preparation for workouts on Monday for all three horses.

Asmussen said that Curlin, a 10 ½-length winner of the Arkansas Derby (GII), and Zanjero, third in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI), would work alone.  Reporting for Duty is scheduled to work in company with the 3-year-old filly Appealing Zophie, winner of last year's Spinaway (GI) at Saratoga.

Carlos Rosas is scheduled to be aboard all three horses for Monday's works.

"We'll work all three horses in the morning, then move over to Churchill tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday morning," Asmussen said.

COBALT BLUE/GREAT HUNTER/LIQUIDITY - Trainer Doug O'Neill's trio of Derby hopefuls hit the track Sunday morning at Keeneland.

With exercise rider Tony Romero handling the duties Cobalt Blue, owned by Merv Griffin, and Liquidity, owned by J. Paul Reddam, jogged twice around the main oval at the Lexington track. Great Hunter, also owned by Reddam, jogged a mile and galloped a mile.

It was the first day back at the track for Cobalt Blue and Liquidity, both of whom worked Friday.

The three are scheduled to work Friday at Keeneland and ship to Louisville on Sunday.

Riding assignments for the trio are Corey Nakatani (Great Hunter), David Flores (Liquidity) and Victor Espinoza (Cobalt Blue).

DELIGHTFUL KISS - Hobeau Farm's Delightful Kiss had a paddock schooling session and then galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Alex Castanon before the renovation break Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Pete Anderson said the Kissin Kris gelding handled the paddock "beautifully. Now let's see what he does with 100,000 people."

Anderson is hoping Delightful Kiss gets that chance, but with $83,000 in graded stakes earnings, there would have to be some defections from those horses under Derby consideration with more graded earnings for Delightful Kiss to be in the top 20.

"If he doesn't get in, I would probably supplement him to the Crown Royal American Turf (GIII)," Anderson said of the 1 1/16-mile grass stake to be run May 4.

DOMINICAN/SEDGEFIELD - Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner Dominican, with exercise rider Willie Herrera up, galloped 1 ½-miles Sunday morning at Keeneland while his Silverton Hill Farm stablemate Sedgefield walked the shedrow a day after working a half- mile in :49 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Darrin Miller plans to ship both horses to Churchill Downs on Thursday with Dominican's major Derby work slated for Sunday. Sedgefield's Derby status has not been finalized.

"He worked fine over the dirt yesterday, but I want to breeze him one more time before we make a decision," Miller said.

Rafael Bejarano, who has ridden Dominican to victory in the Rushaway and Blue Grass in the only races he has been on him, has the call in the Derby.

HARD SPUN - Fox Hill Farms' Hard Spun jogged a half-mile and then galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Justin Cline at Keeneland Sunday morning.

Trainer Larry Jones was en route back to the Blue Grass from Delaware Park so he could oversee a Monday work for Hard Spun.

"If everything goes as planned he will work a mile and Mario (jockey Mario Pino) will be up," Jones said. "He will go early, about 6:30, because Mario has to catch a flight later in the morning out of Louisville."

NOBIZ LIKE SHOBIZ -- Elizabeth Valando's multi-graded stakes winning Nobiz Like Shobiz galloped Sunday morning at Belmont Park with exercise rider Derek Sturniolo up.

Trainer Barclay Tagg said he planned to work Nobiz Like Shobiz either Monday or Tuesday.

In his lone work since winning the Wood Memorial (GI) on April 7, Nobiz Like Shobiz covered a half-mile in :51.20 on the training track at Belmont on April 18.

"I worked him there partly because of the weather and also because it is a smaller track like Churchill Downs," Tagg said.

Cornelio Velasquez, who has been aboard for all six starts, has the mount in the Derby.

STORM IN MAY - Arkansas Derby (GII) runner-up Storm in May walked the shedrow at Barn 41 Sunday morning.

Freddy Guzman, who is overseeing the Tiger Ridge colt's preparations for trainer and part owner Bill Kaplan, said Storm in May would return to the track Monday morning.

Kaplan is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Saturday.

Juan Leyva, who never has ridden in the Kentucky Derby, has the mount.

STORMELLO - Dual graded stakes winner Stormello jogged Sunday morning at Hollywood Park with exercise rider Alin Vidal up, his first day back at the track after working a mile in 1:39 on Friday.

"He came out of the work excellent. He's strong and good looking," trainer and co-owner Bill Currin said. "He jogged and played out there this morning. We will be coming with great expectations."

Currin said Stormello would gallop in the morning and have his final major Derby work Saturday.

"Kent (jockey Kent Desormeaux) will be out here to ride a couple horses for me and he will work him probably an easy half," Currin said. "He'll get Sunday off and then we will ship on Monday."

STREET SENSE - James Tafel's Street Sense galloped 1 ½-miles under regular exercise rider Mark Cutler before the renovation break at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Carl Nafzger liked what he saw of the morning activity.

"He's coming good. I'm not going to have any excuses," Nafzger said.

The conditioner of 1990 Kentucky Derby hero Unbridled has been watching the weather as the key to Street sense's next work as the threat of thunderstorms exists in the Louisville area for the next few days.

"It is looking more now like we'll work Tuesday," Nafzger said. "If we get some rain late Monday, that will put a little moisture in the track."

Regular rider Calvin Borel is slated to be aboard for the work, which is planned for five furlongs.

TIAGO - Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Tiago, working with a stablemate, worked seven furlongs in 1:25 on Sunday morning at Hollywood Park. Jockey Mike Smith was aboard for the work for trainer John Shirreffs.

The move was the second-fastest of six at the distance on the all-weather track.

TEUFLESBERG - Southwest Stakes winner Teuflesberg galloped a mile and a half Sunday morning at Keeneland with part owner and trainer Jamie Sanders up.

"He is doing just wonderful," Sanders said of the Johannesburg colt, who finished fourth in his most recent start, the Toyota Blue Grass (GI).

Stewart Elliott has the call on Teuflesberg, who is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Friday with a work scheduled for Saturday.

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