Lane's End Winner Adriano Breezes Five Furlongs At Churchill Downs

ADRIANO – Courtlandt Farm’s Adriano, winner of the Lane’s End Stakes (Grade II) at Turfway Park, continued his preparation for the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) with a five-furlong work on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

The homebred son of A.P. Indy worked in company with 4-year-old Courtlandt Farm stablemate Longley as he covered the distance in 1:01.80. Adriano, with Kentucky Derby jockey Edgar Prado in the saddle, was about three lengths behind his workmate as the pair broke off for the move, but rolled past Longley in the stretch and finished about three lengths in front of his stablemate.

The Graham Motion-trained Adriano completed the distance in fractional times of :25, :37.60 and :49, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16. Longley completed his five-furlong work in 1:03.

“I was happy with it, but it looked like he just got to goofing off a little bit when he got by Longley – but that’s a little bit him,” said Motion. “I almost put blinkers on this horse before the Lane’s End, but I think on the day (of the race) he’s fine. He just gets to loafing a little bit when he gets in front.”

Motion said Adriano was scheduled for his final pre-Kentucky Derby work next Sunday. He will have company for that move, but could have a different workmate.
“He’s only going to do what he has to do anyway,” said Motion. “He’s just not been a flashy work horse. It’s never been his nature, really. The thing I was most pleased with – and Edgar was, too – was just the way he behaved today. He was like a different horse from when we were here last week. He just seems to have handled everything very well, and that was our biggest concern.”

Motion sent Adriano to the paddock prior to Sunday’s work, just as he has done before training each day since his arrival at Churchill Downs last Thursday.
Owner-breeder Donald Adam of Courtlandt Farm was at Churchill Downs to view Adriano’s work. Courtlandt’s only previous Kentucky Derby horse was Impeachment, who finished third to Fusaichi Pegasus in the 2000 Kentucky Derby.

“Anything can happen on that day,” said Adam of the Kentucky Derby. “All the stars have to align in the right alignment, so it’s a long way before you get over into winner’s circle.”

Adam said Courtlandt Farm was “very fortunate” to have a horse of Adriano’s caliber in this year’s Kentucky Derby picture. And the fact that the colt is a homebred makes it more exciting.

“For several years now, we’ve raced every single horse that we’ve raised – we don’t sell anything,” said Adam. “To have one that we own the mare and have the offspring, it’s a much greater feeling…It’s like your own child. It’s truly special.”

The name of the Kentucky Derby winner might make a victory even more special for Adam, who has named many horses after family members and associates. Adriano is essentially named for his owner-breeder, whose middle name is Adrian.

“I was in Italy with one of my good friends and we walked into this office as we were buying granite and marble for a project,” Adam recalled. “On the name plate on the person’s desk was ‘Adriano,’ and he elbowed me and said, ‘That’s you.’ So ever since then, he’s referred to me as Adriano.”
Adriano has a career record of 3-1-0 in seven races with earnings of $387,700.

ANAK NAKAL/COOL COAL MAN – Trainer Nick Zito’s two Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Anak Nakal and Cool Coal Man galloped Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.
Four Roses Thoroughbreds’ Anak Nakal was partnered by Heather Stark; Megan Smillie was on Cool Coal Man, who is owned by Robert LaPenta.

It was the first day back at the track for Anak Nakal, who walked the shedrow Saturday following a half-mile work of :49.40 on Friday which was the 20th fastest of 33 at the distance. Cool Coal Man, ninth in the April 12 Toyota Blue Grass (GI), is scheduled to work Thursday.

BOB BLACK JACK – Jeff Harmon and Tim Kasparoff’s Bob Black Jack, runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (GI), is scheduled to ship from trainer James Kasparoff’s stable at Santa Anita to Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Harmon said Bob Black Jack would work Monday under jockey David Flores. He is scheduled for his final pre-race work on Sunday or Monday of Kentucky Derby Week.

COURT VISION/Z HUMOR – Iroquois (GIII) winner Court Vision and Delta Jackpot (GIII) winner Z Humor, trainer Bill Mott’s two hopes for Kentucky Derby 134, galloped Sunday morning at Churchill Downs before the renovation break.

Joanna Trout was on Court Vision, who is owned by IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm. Keith Allen was on Zayat Stable’s Z Humor.
Both colts worked at Churchill Downs on Thursday; Court Vision posting a bullet :46.20 half-mile move and Z Humor covering the same distance in :47.60. A date for the duo’s next work has not been determined.

Garrett Gomez has the riding assignment in the Derby on Court Vision; Rene Douglas has the call on Z Humor.

COWBOY CAL/MONBA – Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher continues to assess his training options with Starlight Stable, Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor’s Monba, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (GI), and Stonerside Stable’s Cowboy Cal, runner-up in the same race.

Both horses are stabled at Keeneland and training over the Polytrack oval at the Lexington track.

“I haven’t decided a hundred percent for sure, but I’m leaning towards giving them a breeze over there on Saturday and Sunday and then shipping over here on Monday or Tuesday,” Pletcher said on Sunday at Churchill Downs. “They’re doing well there and I’m happy with the way they’re handling the surface there. I thought the move there sort of brought them up another level.”

Monba already has an allowance win over the Churchill Downs surface, so Pletcher has no concerns over how he will handle the traditional dirt surface under the Twin Spires.

“My theory on it is either they’re going to handle it or they’re not,” said Pletcher. “It’s probably going to be a little tighter on Derby Day than it is when they work here. So that’s what we’re leaning towards.”

Pletcher got a big start on the weekend when Behindatthebar rallied in the stretch to win Saturday’s $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) at Keeneland. The Forestry colt, owned by Satish Sanan’s Padua Stable, Michael Shustek and Don Stanley, earned $201,500 for the victory, enough graded stakes earnings to have qualified the colt for the field of 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby. But Pletcher said the Derby was not an option for Behindatthebar.

“I’ll have to talk with Mr. Sanan first,” Pletcher said. “The first thought would maybe be to look at the Preakness.”

GAYEGO – Cubanacan Stables’ Gayego, winner of the Arkansas Derby (GII) in his most recent start, walked the shedrow at Barn 33 on Sunday morning.
Trainer Paulo Lobo is scheduled to be in Louisville from his Southern California base Sunday night.

Mike Smith, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby aboard Giacomo, has the call on Gayego.

RECAPTURETHEGLORY – Illinois Derby (GII) winner Recapturetheglory returned to the track for the first time since working five furlongs on Thursday with a one-mile jog and a one-mile gallop under Lara Van Deren.

Trainer Louie Roussel III, who co-owns the Cherokee Run colt with Ronnie Lamarque, said Recapturetheglory has thrived since his four-length victory at Hawthorne and would work again, another five-furlong move, on Thursday with jockey E.T. Baird possibly flying in to handle the work.

SMOOTH AIR – Mount Joy Stables’ Smooth Air, runner-up in the Florida Derby (GI) in his most recent start was scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Sunday afternoon after a flight from West Palm Beach, Fla.

Trained by 70-year-old Bennie Stutts Jr., Smooth Air worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80 at Calder on Saturday morning, galloping out a mile in 1:40.80 under exercise rider Jodi Gelb.

Manoel Cruz, who has ridden Smooth Air in all seven of his starts, will have the mount for the Derby.

Smooth Air, who will be housed in Barn 35, is scheduled to work next Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Z FORTUNE – Zayat Stables’ Z Fortune, runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (GII) in his most recent start, is scheduled for a four-furlong work on Monday at Churchill Downs.
The Steve Asmussen-trained son of Siphon galloped two miles Sunday morning at Churchill Downs under exercise rider Marcos Orantes.

Robby Albarado, who was aboard in the Arkansas Derby, has the riding assignment for the Kentucky Derby.

MY PAL CHARLIE – B. Wayne Hughes’ My Pal Charlie, fifth in the Arkansas Derby (GII) in his most recent start, is “headed to the Lone Star Derby (on May 10),” according to trainer Al Stall Jr.

With $150,000 in graded stakes earnings, My Pal Charlie would need plenty of defections from horses that are under consideration for the Kentucky Derby.
“If four or five were to drop out (of Derby consideration), that could change, but that’s the plan right now,” Stall said of the Lone Star Derby.

TRES BORRACHOS – Phil Houchens, John and Beau Greely’s Tres Borrachos, sporting a Kentucky Derby 134 saddle towel, galloped an easy mile under exercise rider Andy Durnin on Sunday morning.

Third in the Arkansas Derby (GII) in his most recent start, Tres Borrachos has $118,000 in graded stakes earnings and would need an abundant amount of defections from the prospective Kentucky Derby cast to make it into the field when entries are drawn April 30.