My Pal Charlie Preps For Arkansas Derby With Easy Work At Churchill Downs

B. Wayne Hughes’ My Pal Charlie, a late nominee to the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) and the Triple Crown, breezed an easy four furlongs Sunday at Churchill Downs in his final major training move before a run in Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (GII) at Oaklawn Park.

Hughes was on hand at Churchill Downs with trainer Al Stall Jr. to watch the son of Indian Charlie cruise through the half-mile over a “fast” track in :49.40. Exercise rider Randi Melton was in the saddle as My Pal Charlie covered the distance in fractions of :12.60 and :24.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.80.

“Last week he threw a fast work – his major work was last week,” said Stall, whose colt breezed five furlongs in a blistering :58.20 on March 30. “He had a great week of training. I felt like the ‘cake was baked’ before this, so we kind of went out there and tried to hit :49. He really wanted to gallop out – he galloped out in two-and-change, so he was out there competing on his own. So we’re very happy about how things are and we’re going to load up and go.”

My Pal Charlie will travel to Oaklawn Park by van on Tuesday night. Stall had originally looked at a flight to the Hot Springs, Ark. track that departed Louisville on Sunday, but decided to work the colt at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning and delay his arrival at Oaklawn.

Stall’s colt has a career record of 2-1-0 with earnings of $161,310 – but his victories came in a maiden race for $50,000 claiming horses and an allowance race. His earnings in graded stakes races at this point total only $120,000, so Stall is looking for his colt to step forward in what figures to be a crowded field for the Arkansas Derby and prove that he belongs in the Kentucky Derby, along with boost his graded stakes earnings to a point that would ensure his participation in the “Run for the Roses.”

If more than the maximum of 20 horses are entered in the Kentucky Derby, preference is given to entrants on the basis of earnings in graded stakes races. My Pal Charlie’s graded stakes earnings came from his runner-up finish to Pyro in the Louisiana Derby.

“Everybody’s looking for the same thing,” said Stall. “Some go forward, some go backwards. We feel like we’re going forward and we hope to see that on Saturday.”

Dogwood Stable’s Blackberry Road, another Churchill Downs-based contender for the Arkansas Derby, traveled to the Hot Springs track on the Sunday flight from Louisville. The son of Gone West, who was fourth in the Louisiana Derby, is trained by David Carroll.