Godolphin's Thunder Snow (IRE) emerged from a brief quarantine to make his first trip to the Churchill Downs track on Tuesday. The homebred UAE Derby winner jogged once around and cantered a mile under exercise rider Darah O'Donohoe. (Coady Photography. Churchill Downs)
Isabelle deTomaso's Irish War Cry galloped approximately a mile under exercise rider David Nava on Tuesday at Churchill Downs. Trainer Graham Motion's plans call for Irish War Cry to gallop and school in the paddock on Wednesday. (Coady Photography, Churchill Downs)
Trainer Todd Pletcher's Florida Derby (GI) winner Always Dreaming galloped 1 1/16 miles Tuesday under exercise rider Nick Bush. (Coady Photography, Churchill Downs)
Trainer John Shirreffs Royal Mo, who sits 21st on the list of 20 horses that will be permitted to run in Kentucky Derby 143, turned in an easy gallop in his first trip to the Churchill Downs track Tuesday morning. (Coady Photography, Churchill Downs)
Santa Anita Oaks (GI) winner Paradise Woods, winner of the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) and morning line favorite for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), galloped a mile in her first visit to the Churchill Downs racing oval on Tuesday. (Coach Photography, Churchill Downs)
Juddmonte Farm's Lockdown breezed three furlongs in :35 under exercise rider Jo Lawson. The move by Lockdown was the only Kentucky Oaks work of the morning. (Coady Photography, Churchill Downs)
Miss Sky Warrior, a winner of five consecutive races, galloped a mile for trainer Kelly Breen on Tuesday. (Coady Photography, Churchill Downs)
Godolphin Racing’s Thunder Snow (IRE)
exited quarantine Tuesday morning and made his first visit to the main track at
Churchill Downs. Going out during the special training period reserved for
Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses at 8:30, Thunder Snow jogged a mile and cantered
a mile.
Also making their initial
appearances on the track were Monday arrivals Irish War Cry, Gormley
and Royal Mo for the Derby and Oaks hopefuls Mopotism and Paradise
Woods.
Later Tuesday morning, 14
fillies were entered for Friday’s $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I)
with Steven Sarkowsky and Pam and Marty Wygod’s Paradise
Woods being made the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Also, Juddmonte Farms’
Lockdown had a three-furlong blowout for trainer Bill Mott,
covering the distance in :35 in company.
KENTUCKY DERBY NOTES
ALWAYS DREAMING/PATCH/TAPWRIT – “Much better. One
hundred percent better. He didn’t fight me at all. He was a lot more relaxed.”
Exercise rider Nick Bush summed up Day 2
of the “draw reins” experiment succinctly following his mile and a sixteenth
gallop with Always Dreaming at 5:50 Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs.
The Florida Derby (GI) winner, a colt who has
been described as feeling so good of late he was “jumping out of his skin,” had
an adjustment to his morning routine Monday when Bush took over as his pilot
and the longer, stronger “draw reins” were added to his gear, giving the rider
more leverage and the ability to force the horse to drop his head while
galloping. The changes took some adapting to by the 3-year-old son of
Bodemeister at first – he bucked and pulled against the new setup Monday -- but
for the second go-round he was going smooth.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who orchestrated
the switches, watched the exercise Tuesday from the fourth floor of the
Churchill grandstand and had a positive report on his return to Barn 40
“I thought he went great this morning,” Pletcher
said. “I very much liked what I saw.”
Always Dreaming’s stellar race record in 2017
(three for three, including the Florida Derby), along with his series of extra
sharp bullet workouts, had the colt down as the possible favorite on more than
a few scorecards coming up to Derby 143. But his
feeling-so-good-he’s-going-to-jump-over-the-moon morning M.O. the past week
left his connections with concerns he might scatter his P.M. power with A.M.
antics. The changes put in place by Pletcher appear to have allayed those fears
and to have channeled his energy in a more positive fashion. It now appears
likely that the rest of Derby Week will flow in a much calmer fashion for the
precocious Kentucky-bred and his backers.
The trainer’s other two Derby hopefuls went about
their business in near ho-hum fashion, covering a mile and a half in good
gallops during the 8:30-8:45 a.m. special training period for Derby and Oaks
contenders. Patch had his usual exerciser rider Isabelle Bourez
in the saddle, while Tapwrit had his regular guy, Silvio Pioli,
on board.
Pletcher noted further
that Always Dreaming would paddock this afternoon with horses for the day’s
sixth race. He also said that the other two colts would do afternoon paddock
duty Wednesday.
BATTLE OF MIDWAY – WinStar Farm and Don
Alberto Stable’s Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Battle
of Midway galloped 1 1/2 miles under regular exercise rider Edgar
Rodriguez and stood in the starting gate on Hall of Fame trainer Jerry
Hollendorfer’s first morning overseeing her preparations at Churchill
Downs.
"He’s doing just fine,” Hollendorfer said.
CLASSIC EMPIRE/STATE OF HONOR – Trainer Mark Casse’s
duo of Classic Empire, ridden by Martin Rivera, and State of
Honor, with Orlando Cross up, galloped 1 ½ miles Tuesday morning at
Churchill Downs.
“Both horses are doing very well,” Casse said.
Classic Empire and State of Honor schooled in the
paddock Tuesday during Churchill Downs’ first race.
FAST AND ACCURATE – Kendall Hansen, Skychai Racing,
Sand Dollar Stable and Bode Miller’s Fast and Accurate
jogged two miles at 6 a.m. under exercise rider Joel Cano Tuesday
morning at Trackside Louisville.
Trainer Mike Maker
confirmed that the Spiral (GIII)-winning son of Hansen will make the 15-minute
ship to Churchill Downs on Tuesday afternoon. He goes into Barn 27.
Channing Hill, who was aboard for his
graduation this winter at Turfway Park, rides in what will be his first
Kentucky Derby (GI).
GIRVIN – Brad Grady’s Louisiana Derby (GII)
winner Girvin went out at 6 a.m. at Keeneland and galloped a mile for
trainer Joe Sharp.
The dark bay son of Tale
of Ekati also won the Risen Star (GII) on Feb. 25 among his three victories
from four starts. His lone loss was a turf try at second asking three weeks
prior in the Keith Gee Memorial at Fair Grounds. In his debut, he outfought
highly regarded multiple allowance winner Excitations, who is expected
to run in the $250,000 Pat Day Mile (GIII).
“He went out first set
and had a great gallop,” Sharp said. “He cooled out great. We are going to
KESMARC (Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center) to the
hyperbaric chamber and then heading to Churchill (Downs). We’ll probably get
there around 5 or 6 o’clock.
Sharp, a 32-year-old West
Virginia native, will have his first Kentucky Derby starter with Girvin.
GORMLEY/ROYAL MO – Trainer John Shirreffs’
pair of Gormely and Royal Mo got their first feel for the
Churchill Downs strip Tuesday morning after being flown in from Southern
California Monday.
Shirreffs, aboard a borrowed pony named “Bucky,”
led Royal Mo to the racetrack at approximately 7:40. They stood near the outer
rail inside the six-furlong gap for several minutes before exercise rider Cisco
Alvarado slowly jogged off on his own and then circumnavigated the big oval
twice in an easy gallop.
“He handled it fine; no problems,” Alvarado
reported afterward back at Barn 42.
Royal Mo sits 21st on the list of
Kentucky Derby runners with only 20 allowed to enter the gate this coming
Saturday. Should something happen to or with any of the current 20 “in” horses
between now and Friday morning’s 9 a.m. Derby scratch time, Royal Mo will be
“the next man up.”
Gormley, the Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner, went
to the track at 8:30 during the special Derby/Oaks training period. Again,
Shirreffs on his pony led his charge onto the track through the six-furlong
gap, then let them go about their business on their own. Gormley and Alvarado
did two tours of the track and the rider opined all was good afterward, saying “he
likes this track.” Shirreffs was of a like mind: “It went very well,” he added.
Unlike his barnmate, Gormley is a go for Derby
143 and he’ll have the saddle services of the just-voted-in Hall of Famer Victor
Espinoza, who already has won the Run for the Roses three times. Espinoza
was on hand Tuesday morning at the barn, having flown in on the private jet of
the horses’ owner Jerry Moss, the music titan who laughed and shook hands as he
joined in on the morning activities.
Moss, of course, had teamed with Shirreffs at
Churchill Downs back in 2005 to pull off a major surprise in Derby 131 when
their 50-1 shot took his cues from rider Mike Smith and came rushing home to
prove a half-length best in that year’s edition of the Run for the Roses.
Yet another taking in the scene at the barn
Tuesday was the master of Spendthrift Farm, B. Wayne Hughes. The veteran
breeder has a two-way rooting interest in Gormley come Derby time Saturday.
First, he stands the horse’s sire, Malibu Moon, at his Kentucky farm. Secondly,
he inked a deal a few weeks back to have Gormley stand a Spendthrift when his
racing days are done.
GUNNEVERA – Peacock
Racing Stables’ Gunnevera galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Victor
O’Farrel at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning.
Trainer Antonio
Sano admits to getting excited about the Fountain of Youth (GII) winner and
Florida Derby (GI) third-place finisher’s chances in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
“Every day, I
get more excited. I get nervous. It’s my first time at Churchill Downs. I am proud
my horse is in the Kentucky Derby. All of the horses in the Kentucky Derby can
win,” Sano said. “I hope he can win the Kentucky Derby. It would be a big gift
for the people of Venezuela at this moment. In Venezuela, people are
killing people. People have no food. Very sad.”
Sano, who
saddled more than 3,300 winners in Argentina, was kidnapped twice – the last
time held for ransom for 36 days in 2009 – recently celebrated his 500th
victory in the U.S. Having a chance to win the world’s most prestigious race on
Saturday has been occupying all of his thoughts.
“Last night,
it was impossible to sleep. I can’t sleep. I kept thinking about the
Kentucky Derby, the race, the post positions,” Sano said. “Every day, I stop to
think, ‘My horse can win the Kentucky Derby.’ ”
Sano plans to
paddock school Gunnevera Wednesday morning.
HENCE/LOOKIN AT LEE/UNTRAPPED – Hall of Fame trainer Steve
Asmussen had his trio of Kentucky Derby hopefuls walk the shedrow Tuesday
morning, one day after completing their preparations with half-mile breezes.
The trainer reports they all came out of their exercises in “good shape.”
Lookin At Lee and Untrapped had nearly identical
works, completing their moves in :50.20 and :50.40, respectively, while Hence
was the fastest of the three, going the distance in :48.40.
“Hence is fast,” Asmussen said. “We just get
along with him. (Exercise rider) Angel (Garcia) has done a
tremendous job with him. Angel just has so much experience with us in similar
situations with horses like Untapable and Gun Runner. Especially
Untapable. She was a lot like Hence. Lots of ability, but you have to manage it
well.”
Lookin At Lee is the most experienced of the
three having already danced many of the big dances starting last year when he
finished second in the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile (GI) behind likely Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Classic
Empire. He was most recently third behind that same rival in the Arkansas
Derby (GI).
“We need the distance to make the difference for
‘Lee,’ ” Asmussen said. “Looking at the field there are some extremely talented
horses in there. I feel that he is one of the few that is tested under
circumstances. You know how he is going to react in most situations and that gives
you a lot of confidence. I don’t think the circumstances of the day, the field
size, are going to surprise him or throw him off his game. That said, he has to
run the race of his life to do it.”
Untrapped will be looking to rebound from a
sixth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby after finishing second in two prep
races at Fair Grounds and third in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
“Untrapped is a beautifully training horse and he
gives you confidence that he deserves another chance,” Asmussen said. “He may
have gotten off track at Oaklawn, but we brought him here with an open mind.
He’s trained as impressively as any of them.”
IRAP – The Blue Grass Stakes (GII) winner went trackside
during the special Derby/Oaks training period Tuesday morning under regular exercise
rider Tony Romero. The pair put in a mile and one-eighth gallop
around the big oval and Romero gave it a thumbs up afterward.
Assistant trainer Leandro Mora oversaw the
exercise and reported that both trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Paul
Reddam were inbound for Louisville and would be at Barn 41 later in the
day.
Irap will be ridden by Mario Gutierrrez
Saturday.
IRISH WAR CRY – Isabelle
de Tomaso’s Irish War Cry was introduced to the Churchill Downs racetrack
Tuesday morning while galloping approximately a mile under exercise rider David
Nava.
Trained by Graham
Motion, the son of Curlin arrived at Churchill Downs late Monday afternoon
following a van ride from Fair Hills Training Center in northeast Maryland.
“He was a
little bit on the muscle today, being his first time out here,” Motion said.
“He didn’t train (Monday morning) obviously, with traveling. He was a little
sharp, but I think he’ll settle down as the week goes on.”
Motion
saddled Animal Kingdom for a Derby victory in the 2011.
Irish War Cry
will attempt to join Regret (1915) and Cavalcade (1934) as the
only New Jersey-bred horses to win the Kentucky Derby.
Irish War Cry
also will try to become the first Wood Memorial (GII) winner since Fusaichi
Pegasus (2000) to capture the Kentucky Derby. Funny Cide, the 2003
Wood Memorial runner-up, was the most recent winner of the Kentucky Derby who
had previously run in the Wood.
The Motion
trainee rebounded from a disappointing off-the-board finish in the Fountain of
Youth (GII) at Gulfstream Park to capture the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct by 3 ½
lengths.
“We’re here
to defend the Wood,” Motion quipped. “It lost its Grade I status last year.
I’ve run in it twice and actually won it twice. I also won it with Toby’s
Corner, who would have done very well in the Derby and it just so happened that
Animal Kingdom won it that year. How lucky am I to be in that position?
“I think it’s
a little like the Triple Crown. Everyone said it wasn’t going to happen. One
day the horse that won the Wood will win the Derby.”
Irish War Cry
is scheduled to gallop and school in the paddock Wednesday morning.
J BOYS ECHO – Albaugh Family Stable’s J Boys Echo
galloped 1 ½ miles Tuesday morning at 8:30 with regular exercise rider Tammy Fox
aboard for trainer Dale Romans.
“It’s the best he’s ever looked,” Romans said.
“We’re ready to go.”
McCRAKEN – Whitham Thoroughbreds’ McCraken had a
regularly scheduled walk day Tuesday at trainer Ian Wilkes’ barn. The
two-time graded stakes winner was scheduled to school in the paddock Tuesday
afternoon with horses in the fifth race.
McCraken will represent
the first Derby starter for Wilkes and for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.,
his second Derby mount. But the Wilkes-Hernandez team has struck big-time gold
before.
In 2012, Hernandez
celebrated his 27th birthday in grand style by riding the
Wilkes-trained and Whitham-owned Fort Larned to victory in the Breeders’ Cup
Classic (GI) at Santa Anita.
“I was talking with Clay
(Whitham, son of Janis Whitham) and how everything is so magnified at
the Derby,” Hernandez said. “With Fort Larned, we had a lot of confidence going
into the race and the feeling is the same with McCraken.”
Hernandez had picked up
the mount on Fort Larned midway through the colt’s 4-year-old season. He has
been with McCraken all along, beginning with the colt’s debut at Churchill
Downs on Oct. 2.
“That is what makes this
more special to be a part of it since Day One,” Hernandez said. “After I won on
him the first time, I was coming back through the tunnel and (jockey) Robby
Albarado said I had better stay close to him because we was going to be a
good one.”
PRACTICAL JOKE – Klaravich Stables and William H.
Lawrence’s Practical Joke galloped about 1 ½ times around the
Churchill Downs oval under exercise rider Fernando Rivera during the
Kentucky Oaks and Derby training session.
“He galloped well and he stood in the gate,”
trainer Chad Brown said.
After working in small-cup blinkers since
finishing second in the Blue Grass Stakes (GII) last time out, Brown has
decided not to use them in the Derby.
I’m not going to put him in blinkers for the
race,” Brown said. “He breezed fine in them and accepted them well. I got him
used to them in case I wanted to do it and I gave myself the option by training
him in them, if I wanted to make that change on entry day tomorrow. But the
more I thought about it I’m just going to leave it alone. I think the horse is
doing well as is and he won’t race in them.”
SONNETEER – Calumet Farm’s Sonneteer
returned to the track to jog Tuesday, one day after firing a bullet half-mile
in :47.20 over a “good” track Monday under jockey Corey Lanerie.
Assistant trainer Julie Clark reported he
was doing “great.” Trainer Keith Desormeaux is scheduled to arrive
Wednesday.
THUNDER SNOW – Godolphin Racing’s homebred
UAE Derby (Group II) winner Thunder Snow made his first
appearance on the Churchill Downs main track Tuesday morning since clearing
quarantine, jogging once around before cantering a mile under Godolphin
exercise rider Daragh O’Donohoe
.“We wanted to make sure he had a nice jog before
we cantered him off and it was a good idea because he’s never had people so
close around him,” O’Donohoe said. “That was the first time he’d been with a
pony, as well; it was a good lesson.
“It was really nice to get him out because he was
getting pretty fresh in that barn. He’s got a very high recovery rate so
there’s not a lot that fazes him. He was pretty professional out there on the
track and I was actually pretty surprised because we’re used to our own private
gallops at Al Quoz in Dubai. We don’t see a lot of traffic so his behavior this
morning was exceptional. He floated over the track and I had no problems on
him. He moved well, he’s breathing well. He changed leads a couple times on the
bend. I was really happy.
“It was just a normal, steady canter. I was just
so happy he was changing his leads at the most important parts.
O’Donohoe, who retired from race-riding in 2015,
was named aboard Aljabr for Godolphin in the 1999 Kentucky Derby but the horse
was scratched the day before the race.
“He went lame on me,” O’Donohoe said. “It was an
emotional day because I gave him a really good shot. He was training really
well and later he won three Group Is so it could have been a special ride to
have. But that’s life for a jockey.”
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY –
Likely starters in the 143rd running of the $2 million Kentucky
Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) to be run for 3-year-olds at 1 ¼ miles on
Saturday, May 6: Always Dreaming (John
Velazquez), Battle of Midway
(Flavien Prat), Classic Empire
(Julien Leparoux), Fast and Accurate
(Channing Hill), Girvin (Mike
Smith), Gormley (Victor
Espinoza), Gunnevera (Javier Castellano), Hence
(Florent Geroux), Irap
(Mario Gutierrez), Irish War Cry
(Rajiv Maragh), J Boys Echo (Luis
Saez), Lookin
At Lee (Corey Lanerie), McCraken
(Brian Hernandez Jr.), Patch
(Tyler Gaffalione), Practical Joke (Joel
Rosario), Sonneteer (Kent Desormeaux), State of Honor (Jose
Lezcano), Tapwrit (Jose Ortiz), Thunder Snow (Ire)
(Christophe Soumillon) and Untrapped
(Ricardo Santana Jr.).
Next
up in order of preference: Royal Mo (Gary
Stevens), Local Hero
(TBA), Master
Plan (TBA) and Petrov
(TBA).
KENTUCKY OAKS NOTES
ABEL TASMAN – China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms’
Santa Anita Oaks (GI) runner-up Abel Tasman galloped under regular
exercise rider Dana Barnes while outfitted with blinkers as Hall of Fame
trainer Bob Baffert looked on.
“She was a little bit lost out there yesterday,”
Baffert said. “She likes to look around a lot. I think the blinkers are going
to make a big difference. When I first got her Simon (Callaghan,
her previous trainer) told me she’d been sick so I went real easy with her for
a week. And then she got away bad in that race, but she wasn’t going to beat
Paradise Woods.
“Then I put the blinkers on her and she came back
and worked really well. She looks great here and she’s healthy but there are
some really tough fillies in there. She’s going to need some racing luck and
she needs to break; she can’t walk away from there like she did last time.”
Abel Tasman finished nearly 12 lengths behind
Paradise Woods in the Santa Anita Oaks.
“Paradise Woods is an extremely talented filly,”
Baffert said. “She’s the horse to beat. I watched her school the other day at
Santa Anita and, wow, she’s imposing. She’s really, really special.”
Abel Tasman, the 5-1 co-third choice on the
morning line, drew post 13.
“All I know about 13 is that I was born on
January 13,” Baffert said. “I guess it’s all right. It’s too late to worry
about it now.”
DADDYS LIL DARLING – Normandy Farm’s Ashland (GI)
runner-up Daddys Lil Darling will break from post position 12 in Friday’s
Kentucky Oaks.
“She’s had way too much bad luck with post
positions,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “At least we aren’t breaking from
the14 hole.”
Daddys Lil Darling jogged Tuesday morning at 5:45
and is scheduled gallop Wednesday.
EVER SO CLEVER – Clearview Stable's Fantasy Stakes winner Ever
So Clever returned to the track Tuesday and galloped once around under Angel
Garcia. She had walked Monday after completing her Oaks preparations Sunday
with a half-mile breeze that trainer Steve Asmussen called “spot on.”
She was scheduled to school in the paddock during Tuesday’s fourth race.
Ever So Clever, listed at
20-1 on the morning line, drew post position one and will have Luis Contreras
aboard Friday.
“The post wouldn’t have been our first choice,”
Asmussen said.
FARRELL – Coffeepot Stables’ Wayne Catalano-trained
Farrell left Barn 30 at 8:25 a.m. and was the first horse on the track
for the special training session. Escorted by Sara Tittle on a pony and
with exercise rider Antonio Ramos up, the three-time GII winner walked
the paddock and schooled in the gate before galloping a “long mile and a half,”
according to assistant conditioner Fernando Canteria. She is
expected to school in the paddock during Tuesday’s second race.
In the post position
draw, the daughter of Malibu Moon drew favorably in the seven hole, one of the
posts for which jockey Channing Hill hoped. She was assigned 5-1
third-choice morning-line odds.
“I do like the seven,”
Catalano said. “When I school her, I have been putting her in the seven, so it
came out how we’ve been putting her in there.
“I'd like to know if I
could get the 5-1, if I could bet now,” he joked before transitioning back to a
more serious tone. “You can’t get her coming in better. We have a little more
experience. She’s proven she likes the racetrack, so if that means anything, we
might have an advantage. My filly can probably do whatever she wants and she
proved that in her last race. She has speed. We’ll watch what (Paradise
Woods) does and let them break and see what happens.”
A three-time Breeders’
Cup winner overall, Catalano won two of those at Churchill Downs — Dreaming of
Anna in the Juvenile Fillies (GI) in 2006 and Stephanie’s Kitten in the
Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII) in 2011. He last raced in the Kentucky Oaks in 2014
with Aurelia’s Belle, whom Hill piloted to a ninth-place finish of 14.
These are the kinds of
races we go to work for every day, seven days a week at 4:30 in the morning,”
he said. “You want to get to these kinds of races. The rest of the races are
just kind of going through the motions waiting to get to these. We’re always
happy to be here.”
Farrell has four graded
stakes victories around two turns, but has yet to win at the nine-furlong
distance of the Kentucky Oaks. Catalano is not worried about an increase in
trip.
“She’s had a few under
her belt, so I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” he said.
JORDAN’S HENNY – Erv Woolsey and Ralph Kinder’s Jordan’s Henny
galloped a little more than a mile and a half under exercise rider Edgar Cano after
the morning renovation break.
Trained
by Mike
Tomlinson, Jordan’s Henny drew post position five
and is listed at 30-1 on the morning line.
“Post
position doesn’t matter,” Tomlinson said. “She has tactical speed and you can
put her were you want. Plus, in my opinion, I have the most underrated jockey
in the country in Joe Rocco.”
LOCKDOWN – The Juddmonte Farms
homebred Lockdown posted the only official work during the Oaks and Kentucky
Derby training session, a three-furlong “blowout” from the three-eighths marker
to the finish line in :35 under exercise rider Jo Lawson. The move came
in company with Naples Princess, a 3-year-old filly who broke her maiden here
last fall and is coming up on her 2017 debut. Churchill clockers recorded
splits of :11.40 and :23 for Lockdown, as well as a half-mile gallop out into
the clubhouse turn in :48.60.
“The hope was that she would go well and come
back good so everything’s good so far,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said.
“She went along nicely.”
MISS SKY WARRIOR – Arlene’s Sun Star Stable’s Kelly Breen-trained
Miss Sky Warrior left Barn 43 at 8:30 a.m., escorted by her conditioner
on a pony and proceeded to gallop one mile on the main track at Churchill Downs
with exercise rider Aurelio Gomez in the saddle.
“Everything was perfect,”
Breen said. “She deserves to be in the race and I feel really good about her.”
Entering the Kentucky
Oaks off five consecutive victories, including four graded stakes and a
13-length romp last out in the Gazelle (GII) at Aqueduct, the daughter of First
Samurai is expected to be forwardly placed.Drawing well, she will
break from post 10 with regular jockey Paco Lopez in the saddle. She was
assigned 9-2 morning-line odds, making her second choice behind Paradise Woods
(5-2, post four).
“I don’t know if I could
have drawn it up any better,” Breen said. “If they let me draw the pills and
decide who went where, the 10-post is probably the best spot for us. We were
the first one drawn and even if the other speed drew outside of us, we could
have dictated it from the 10 (-post). It's a perfect position for us. Paco is a
great gate rider with a good head on his shoulders. He’ll be able to see what
we’re going to have to do.”
MOPOTISM – The Uncle Mo filly Mopotism,
who races in the silks of California’s Paul Reddam, got her first feel
for the racing surface at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning when she went trackside
during the special Derby/Oaks training period under former rider Amir Cedeno.
The double winner did a single tour of the strip and handled it well, said
assistant trainer Leandro Mora, who oversaw the activity in the place of
trainer Doug O’Neill, inbound from California.
Later in the morning, Mopotism drew post 3
for Friday’s 14-horse Oaks.
Mora saw some good in that. “We’re going to
be closing Friday,” he said, “so the fact that she’s inside can have
advantages. She’ll be saving ground right from the start and if we get enough
speed to run at she could be tough.”
PARADISE WOODS – The Santa Anita Oaks (GI)
winner
Paradise Woods was introduced to the racetrack at Churchill Downs
Tuesday morning, slipping through the six-furlong gap just after 7 o’clock with
former rider-turned-exercise-rider-and-assistant-trainer-for-
Richard
Mandella Alex Bisono in the tack.
Mandella and his wife Randi looked on trackside
as their precocious daughter of Union Rags went through a nice gallop of a
mile, a move that had Bisono offering “she loved the track” a few minutes later
Barn 42.
The trainer was happy with the exercise and holds
high hopes for his charge, who only has three starts to her credit as she steps
up to her demanding assignment Friday in the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks (GI).
“We’re here to do the best we can,” he said. “I’ve
been here and know the obstacles involved with a race like this. The crowd, the
competition. And I haven’t had a lot of luck at Churchill.”
Mandella’s record in Churchill’s two biggest
races – the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks – do not lend themselves to
bragging. He’s 0-for-6 in the Derby, with his best finish a fifth by Soul of
the Matter in 1994. In the Oaks, he’s 0-for-3 with his best effort a
second by multiple-champion Beholder, who – unfortunately -- threw a wing-ding
in the post parade (unseating rider Garrett Gomez), then acted up in the gate
prior to her second to Princess of Sylmar. Mandella has not come up totally
empty at the Louisville track, however. He shows nine victories here over the
years, including several notable stakes scores.
Still, he’d like nothing better than to put an
Oaks on his ledger come Friday.
The Hall of Fame conditioner, who has a Hall of
Fame wit about him, cracked wise following the post position draw Tuesday
morning in which he was assigned post 4 and given the role of favorite at 5-2.
“I like it (the post),” Mandella stated. “It’s
right there – between thethree and the five.”
On a more serious note,
he said he’d afternoon paddock Paradise Woods on both Wednesday and Thursday
during the races.
SAILOR’S VALENTINE – Semaphore Racing LLC and Homewrecker Racing
LLC’s Sailor’s Valentine left Barn 31 at 8:35 a.m. with exercise
rider Kelly Wheeler aboard and trainer Eddie Kenneally on pony.
The Ashland (GI) winner galloped a mile on the Churchill Downs main track and
promptly returned to her barn
“Everything went well
today,” Kenneally said. “I was extremely happy with her gallop.”
The gray daughter of
Mizzen Mast drew post eight in the 14-filly Kentucky Oaks (GI) field. She was
assigned 30-1 morning-line odds and will be ridden by Corey Lanerie.
“It’s perfect for her,”
Kenneally said. “I really like the post.”
SALTY/SUMMER LUCK – Gulfstream Park Oaks
(GII) winner Salty will break from post position 14 in this Friday’s
Kentucky Oaks for trainer Mark Casse.
“If we got that post in the Derby we’d be really
happy,” Casse joked. “It could’ve been worse. I don’t think our filly has a lot
of speed so the post could’ve been a little harder on some of the others.”
Salty galloped 1 ½ miles Tuesday morning under
exercise rider Janelle Castonguay.
The lone horse on the also-eligible list for the
Kentucky Oaks is Gary Barber’s Summer Luck for Casse.
“She’s been doing well in the morning,” Casse
said. “We’ll see if she can sneak in.”
The daughter of Lookin At Lucky galloped 1 ½ miles
Tuesday morning at 8:30 with Froylan Garcia aboard.
Salty will be ridden in the Oaks by Joel Rosario while Javier Castellano has
the call on Summer Luck should she get in the field.
TEQUILITA – Dorothy
Alexander Matz’s Tequilita was a bundle of energy Tuesday morning while
galloping 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Jo Robinson at Churchill
Downs.
“She’s doing
good. She was a little strong today, but she’s fresh. She’s fit. It’s cooler
weather,” trainer Michael Matz said. “I guess it’s better than if she
goes out there, going the other way.”
Tequilita,
who captured the Forward Gal (GII) and finished second in the Gulfstream Park
Oaks (GII), drew post position 11 at Tuesday’s draw for the Kentucky Oaks.
“I think it’s
fine. The speed is on the inside, so it’s no problem,” said Matz, whose trainee
is listed at 20-1.
VEXATIOUS
– Calumet
Farm’s Vexatious visited the starting gate and galloped one mile
under exercise rider Freddy Quevero, according to Hall of Fame trainer Neil
Drysdale, who then grazed her behind Barn 42 after training hours.
The full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner
Creative Cause and last year’s Belmont Stakes runner-up Destin inspired
Kentucky Oaks dreams from the time she hit the track.
“She’s always shown talent from the beginning,
even when she was young,” Drysdale said. “The way she broke her maiden,
everything went wrong and she still won, so we thought, ooh, this looks pretty
good.”
Vexatious drew post six and was assigned 20-1
odds on the official morning line.
“I don’t dwell on that at all,” Drysdale said.
“There’s nothing you can do about draws. It’s just good to be in the body of
the race.”
WICKED LICK – Lee Mauberret’s Wicked Lick
galloped a mile and a quarter and stood in the starting gate after the renovation
break under exercise rider Leo Garcia.
Trained
by Brendan
Walsh, Wicked Lick drew post position nine for Friday’s Oaks and
is 30-1 on the morning line. Brian Hernandez Jr. will
have the mount.
“I’m
happy enough with the draw,” Walsh said. “For once we are not too inside or too
outside, so we are happy.”
KENTUCKY OAKS FIELD
The field for the
Longines Kentucky Oaks with jockey and morning-line odds from the rail out, is:
Ever So Clever (Luis Contreras, 20-1), Lockdown (Jose Ortiz,
20-1), Mopotism (Mario Gutierrez, 20-1), Paradise Woods (Flavien
Prat, 5-2), Jordan’s Henny (Joe Rocco, 30-1), Vexatious (Kent
Desormeaux, 20-1), Farrell (Channing Hill, 5-1), Sailor’s Valentine
(Corey Lanerie, 30-1), Wicked Lick (Brian Hernandez Jr., 30-1), Miss
Sky Warrior (Paco Lopez, 9-2), Tequilita (Luis Saez, 20-1), Daddys
Lil Darling (Julien Leparoux, 20-1), Abel Tasman (Mike Smith, 5-1)
and Salty (Joel Rosario, 6-1). Also-Eligible: Summer Luck (Javier
Castellano, 30-1). All starters will carry 121 pounds.
KNOWN ARRIVAL SCHEDULES
WEDNESDAY (BY PLANE FROM CALIFORNIA) – Finest City (Ian
Kruljac, Barn 24); Ritzy A.P. (Dan Blacker, 9); Union Strike
(Mick Ruis, Barn 24).
PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR
UPCOMING STAKES
$500,000 WOODFORD RESERVE TURF CLASSIC (GI) (Entries taken Wednesday,
May 3, race Saturday, May 6) – Probable: Bal A Bali, Ballagh Rocks, Beach
Patrol, Can’thelpbelieving, Conquest Panthera, Divisidero, Enterprising,
Flatlined, Kaigun, Kasaqui, Oscar Nominated
$300,000 HUMANA DISTAFF (GI) (Entries taken
Wednesday, May 3, race Saturday, May 6) – Probable: Carina Mia, Finest City,
Paulassilverlining
$500,000 CHURCHILL DOWNS (GII) (Entries taken
Wednesday, May 3, race Saturday, May 6) – Probable: Awesome Slew, Clearly Now,
Denman’s Call, Limousine Liberal, Masochistic, Solid Wager, Tarpy’s Zapper,
Tom’s Ready
$300,000 CHURCHILL DISTAFF TURF MILE (GII) (Entries taken
Wednesday, May 3, race Saturday, May 6) – Probable: Believe In Bertie,
Harmonize, Linda, Miss Temple City, Mississippi Delta, Roca Rojo
$300,000 AMERICAN TURF (GII) (Entries taken
Wednesday, May 3, race Saturday, May 6) – Probable: Big Score, Conquest
Farenheit, Holiday Stone, Kitten’s Cat, La Coronel, Made You Look, Oscar
Performance, Parlor, Ritzy A.P.
$250,000 PAT DAY MILE (GIII) (Entries taken
Wednesday, May 3, race Saturday, May 6) – Probable: Bitumen, Bobby On Fleek,
Chief Know It All, Colonelsdarktemper, Excitations, Guest Suite, Impressive
Edge, No Dozing, Rapid Dial, Rockin Rudy, Sonic Mule, Uncontested, Warrior’s
Club, Wild Shot, You’re To Blame
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …
DERBYGIVES.COM 50/50 RAFFLE – The
Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation will host a trio of nationwide online
50/50 charitable raffle drawings on Thurby (May 4), Kentucky Oaks Day (May 5)
and Kentucky Derby Day (May 6) to help raise money for its charitable
initiatives, including Thoroughbred aftercare; arts and educational
opportunities for stable area employees; and breast and ovarian cancer research
and prevention. Raffle tickets are on sale now at www.DerbyGives.com for $5 in
jurisdictions where online wagering is permitted. The winner will receive half
of each day’s sale and the other half will go toward the charitable initiative.
The Churchill Downs Incorporated Foundation has donated more than $2.2 million
and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable partners, including more than
$740,000 for education and prevention of breast cancer and more than $140,000
to Thoroughbred retirement aftercare.
ENHANCED APP FOR ON-TRACK GUESTS –
Churchill Downs Racetrack has launched a new version of its on-track mobile app
to provide guests with additional features and information to enhance their
experience at the racetrack and The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands.
The new features offer fans easy access to equine, racing and wagering
information, as well as up-to-date information about each day’s events and
news. Additionally, guests can wager from their mobile device; find parking and
get directions to seating locations; skip food and beverage lines in seats
where Express Pickup or In-Seat Delivery is offered; and buy, manage and scan
mobile admission tickets. The updated app is available at iTunes at https://appsto.re/us/USS6bb.i and the Google Play
Store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.venuenext.churchilldowns&hl=en.
WORKOUT VIDEOS
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZZUYbTe2A
Monday, May 1, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMw0voefXts
Sunday, April 30, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZZUYbTe2A
Saturday, April 29, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kxsPlKI4Uo
Friday, April 28, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRX3vhcIk6k
Thursday, April 27, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFEIUxoKKLs
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwvX6FhLHc4
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MULqY6_yM0
Monday, April 24, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF3Fs4JUYkM&t=1s
Sunday, April 23, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40LNE7itWks
Saturday, April 22, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97zKxR_qh0U
PAST PERFORMANCES COURTESY
OF BRISNET.COM
Kentucky
Derby:
http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/KYDerby17.pdf
Kentucky
Oaks:
http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/KYOaks17.pdf
Both
Derby & Oaks:
http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/DerbyOaks17.pdf
TWINSPIRES.COM “TURF
TALK” WITH GARY YOUNG
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycqU1bGDf8o
Monday, May 1, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS0cKMHPIfg
Sunday, April 30, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp8noanH8_M&t=2s
Saturday, April 29, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQP4xfWo10
Friday, April 28, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPe2aWoz_to&feature=youtu.be&a