|
|
Ice Box, Paddy O'Prado reel off bullet works in the Churchill slop
Did Ice Box gallop out all the way to the kitchen by the half-mile pole? "Yes. Yes he did, just like Strike the Gold," Zito said beaming as he recalled the colt's final work before his Kentucky Derby victory. As Ice Box was finishing up his activity, the siren for a loose horse went off. "That will make you old in a hurry," Zito said after Ice Box was back at the barn without incident. Zito's other Kentucky Derby hopeful, multiple stakes hero JACKSON BEND (Hear No Evil), walked the shedrow after working a half-mile in :47 1/5 on Thursday. Despite finishing runner-up in both the Wood Memorial S. (G1) and Fountain of Youth S. (G2), Jackson Bend is on the bubble and may not have enough graded stakes earnings to make the 20-horse field. "I hope he gets in," Zito said. "Both horses are doing well, and he (Jackson Bend) is a real consistent horse." Paddy O'Prado's time of :58 2/5 for five furlongs ranked as the fastest of 21 moves at that distance. Former jockey Tammy Fox was in the saddle as the Romans trainee appeared to relish the sloppy track in a work that was moved up a day because of the threat of heavier rain and storms on Saturday.
With eyes on the dark sky and a weather forecast that called for additional rain and storms on Saturday, trainer Mike Maker moved the pre-race works for his Kentucky Derby duo of Blue Grass upsetter STATELY VICTOR (Ghostzapper) and Lane's End S. (G2) winner DEAN'S KITTEN (Kitten's Joy) up a day. He sent both horses to the sloppy track at Trackside Louisville training center in the company of workmates. Stately Victor, who crashed the Kentucky Derby picture with a shocking 40-1 victory in the Blue Grass, worked over the six-furlong oval just after the mid-session break for track maintenance. Under Marvin Jimenez, Stately Victor blitzed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 3/5, tying for the fastest of 13 moves at the distance. Working in company with the three-year-old Kera's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), Stately Victor covered the distance in fractions of :11, :22 2/5, :34 3/5, :and :47 1/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16 3/5. Multiple stakes victor Kera's Kitten, a distant fifth in the Hansel S., was ridden by Derrick Scott and was timed in 1:00 4/5 for five furlongs. The move by Stately Victor was his first serious training move since his breakthrough victory over a synthetic Polytrack surface in the Blue Grass and only significant move prior to the May 1 Kentucky Derby. "I was looking for what we got," Maker said. "He did it well within himself and galloped out strong as usual. So it's status quo. He hasn't lost an ounce of weight and to me looks to me as beautiful as he was going into the Blue Grass, so hopefully his synthetic track (form) will transfer over the to the dirt." For the second consecutive week, Dean's Kitten worked in company with the stakes-winning three-year-old filly Age of Humor (Distorted Humor), Maker's candidate for the Kentucky Oaks. The pair worked as a team into the stretch and Age of Humor, wearing Ramsey Farm blinkers and ridden by Scott, edged ahead in upper stretch. But Dean's Kitten, with Jiminez up, rallied and the two finished together in 1:01 1/5. The duo covered the distance in fractional times of :11 1/5, :22 3/5, :35 3/5 and :47 4/5. Age of Humor finished the six-furlong gallop-out about a length in front of Dean's Kitten. Maker was just as happy with the work by Dean's Kitten, who was pushed along by Age of Humor, an improving filly who appears unlikely to draw in to the 14-horse Kentucky Oaks field because of insufficient earnings in graded stakes races. "It was a similar-type work and the results were about the same as last week," he said. "Dean's Kitten is not an impressive work horse, so he's status quo as well." Maker's Kentucky Derby duo must ship to Churchill Downs from Trackside Louisville by Thursday of Derby Week. He would have preferred to keep the horses at Trackside until Derby morning, but the move is not a significant factor in his mind. "I'd like to, but they'll get a trip around the track, school in the (starting) gate and the paddock and we'll lead 'em over there," he said. In other Kentucky Derby news: Illinois Derby (G3) hero AMERICAN LION (Tiznow) galloped after the renovation break over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Paul Turner up. The Eoin Harty trainee is scheduled to work Monday. Gotham S.(G3) star AWESOME ACT (Awesome Again) returned to the track two days after working six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 for an easy gallop with assistant trainer Wayne Tanner up. Third after a less than ideal trip in the Wood Memorial last out, the Jeremy Noseda pupil is slated to work Tuesday. Sanford S. (G2) victor BACKTALK (Smarty Jones), third in the Illinois Derby, galloped over a wet-fast track early Friday morning with Maurice Sanchez aboard. Trainer Tom Amoss has scheduled a Sunday work for Backtalk, but with more rain in the Louisville, Kentucky, forecast the next two days, Amoss is toying with the idea of taking Backtalk to Keeneland to work over the Polytrack surface. Trainer Bob Baffert had his two hopefuls for Kentucky Derby 136 gallop after the renovation break over a sloppy track. Dana Barnes was aboard champion LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike), a badly-troubled third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), and Peter Hutton was on dual Grade 3 scorer CONVEYANCE (Indian Charlie), who is coming off a runner-up effort in the Sunland Derby (G3). The two colts are scheduled for their final pre-Derby works on Monday. Louisiana Derby (G2) winner MISSION IMPAZIBLE (Unbridled's Song) was the first of trainer Todd Pletcher's Kentucky Derby hopefuls to go to the track Friday, galloping 1 1/4 miles under Kevin Willey over a track labeled as wet-fast.
"Usually we work our horses five, six or seven days out, so we are still in that window," Pletcher said. "Hopefully we can get some of them in tomorrow morning and the rest Sunday, but we will just monitor the weather and see." Hopeful S. (G1) winner DUBLIN (Afleet Alex), a close third in the Arkansas Derby, galloped under exercise rider Arielle Witkowski following the renovation break. Bay Shore S. (G3) scorer EIGHTYFIVEINAFIFTY (Forest Camp) galloped after the renovation break under Nick Santagata in his final exercise prior to Saturday's Derby Trial (G3), where he will try to earn a berth in the Run for the Roses. Sunland Derby star ENDORSEMENT (Distorted Humor) jogged over a sloppy track under trainer Shannon Ritter after the renovation break. Ritter is planning to work Endorsement on Sunday, but that could change with plenty of rain in the forecast. "I may change it, but it won't be Saturday," Ritter said. "We are just waiting for our window of opportunity, and he could work Monday or even go to Tuesday." Champagne S. (G1) victor HOMEBOYKRIS (Roman Ruler), runner-up in a one-mile allowance at Gulfstream Park on February 27, walked the shedrow at Barn 45. Santa Anita Derby romper SIDNEY'S CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]) was on the track shortly before 6 a.m. (EDT), when the track was rated wet-fast, to gallop under exercise rider Lupillo Alferez. "I wanted to get him out there before the track got cut up," trainer John Sadler said of the early activity that was accomplished in light showers. Looking on was jockey Joe Talamo, who will be aboard for Sidney's Candy's final work that is scheduled for Saturday. "I'm just going to check the weather and see how things are in the morning," Sadler said. "We planned the workout a week out, knowing I had a day I could play with. He worked six days before he won the Santa Anita Derby." Sadler's other Derby contender, Arkansas Derby winner LINE OF DAVID (Lion Heart), stood in the starting gate and then galloped under Alferez. Line of David is scheduled to work again Monday. Dual Grade 1-placed MAKE MUSIC FOR ME (Bernstein), sixth in the Blue Grass and needing several defections to enter the Derby, galloped 1 3/8 miles under Andy Durnin after the renovation break. Trainer Alexis Barba is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Saturday from her Southern California base. Breeders' Futurity (G1) hero NOBLE'S PROMISE (Cuvee), fifth after encountering early trouble in the Arkansas Derby, galloped after the morning renovation break under Walter Blum Jr. Noble's Promise is scheduled to work Monday for trainer Ken McPeek.
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
