Barbaro, Lawyer Ron and 'Saint head busy Derby worktab

Last updated: 4/29/06 6:55 PM

Thirteen Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders turned in their final major drills at
Churchill Downs on Saturday, exactly one week before the “Run for the Roses.”
Heading the busy worktab were unbeaten Florida Derby (G1) winner BARBARO (Dynaformer),
impressive Arkansas Derby (G2) victor LAWYER RON (Langfuhr) and runaway Illinois
Derby (G2) hero SWEETNORTHERNSAINT (Sweetsouthernsaint), who each posted bullet
moves at their respective distances.

Barbaro had the fastest half at Churchill on Saturday
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

Barbaro blazed a half-mile on the fast track in :46, which was the fastest of
69 works, and proceeded to gallop out five in :59 2/5 and finished six in 1:12
1/5. Although there was a loose horse on the track, the Michael Matz pupil was
unfazed. A perfect five-for-five lifetime, he will be
partnered by Edgar Prado in the Derby.

“We just wanted to basically blow him out,” Matz said. “Right now, he’s ready
to go into the starting gate. He seems to be coming into the race the way we’d
like him to. We haven’t missed a work. He hasn’t given us anything that would
cause a delay. Everything has been on time.”

Matz believes that Barbaro, who celebrated his third birthday on Saturday,
has scope for even further development.

“I think he still has a lot of maturing to do,” Matz said. “He’s a big,
strong colt. I don’t know what he’s going to be like when he matures.”

Lawyer Ron sizzled five-eighths in :58 4/5 after the renovation break for trainer Bob Holthus.
With regular rider John McKee in the saddle, the chestnut turned in the best of
48 moves at the distance.

“I am very satisfied with everything this morning,” Holthus said. “I had him
in :59 and out (six furlongs) in 1:12. He went off more relaxed than he was down
at Oaklawn Park. He’s getting a little more professional and getting to where he
is more relaxed.”

The Michael Trombetta-trained Sweetnorthernsaint motored six furlongs in 1:11
3/5, the swiftest of 11 workers. Jockey Calvin Borel was a last-minute
substitute for Derby jockey Kent Desormeaux, who did not arrive for the work.
The dark bay gelding exercised in company with stablemate Fleet Valid (Montbrook)
but sped well clear of his comrade in the lane.

“The work went well,” Trombetta said. “I was pleased with how the horse
worked. The fractional times were good. I asked the riders to go the first
three-eighths in :36 and change, which they hit right on the mark, and then
build a little bit from there, and they came home a little bit quicker. I think
they finished the last quarter in :23 and change, and they galloped out well.”

Blue Grass S. (G1) romper SINISTER MINISTER (Old Trieste) strode five panels
in 1:00 1/5 with jockey Garrett Gomez aboard and galloped out strongly. The
Bob Baffert colt will be ridden by Victor Espinoza in the Derby.

“He worked well, and he felt good doing it,” Gomez reported. “The track was a
little dead today, but it was a good work for him.”

Ultra-game Florida Derby runner-up SHARP HUMOR (Distorted Humor) smoked
five-eighths in :59, second-best of 48 at the distance, under Derby rider Mark
Guidry.

“He was looking around a little bit when he turned for home by himself, but
it was good,” horseman Dale Romans said. “He finished up good, his last
three-eighths in :36. Mark said afterward he had trouble pulling him up. He’s
good and fit.”

Lawyer Ron fired his fourth straight bullet work Saturday
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

Romans is sticking with his colt’s forward running style in the Derby,
despite the overabundance of early speed factors.

“If I had it my way, he would be in front every jump,” Romans said. “There
are a lot of fast horses in there, but we are not going to change our style this
late in the game. You can’t afford to get in trouble in a big field, and the
rest of them will have to come through a lot of traffic to catch us.”

Arkansas Derby (G2) second STEPPENWOLFER (Aptitude) worked six panels in
1:13. Regular partner Robby Albarado guided the late-closing gray for
trainer Danny Peitz.

“I got his last quarter in :23 and one or two,” Peitz said, “which is pretty
much what he has done all winter long. I’m not trying to compare my work to
anybody else’s time-wise. I don’t care how fast everybody else worked. That’s
their horse, and I know what my horse has to and what he needs to do, and we did
what we wanted to do.”

Conditioner Todd Pletcher sent out his three Derby hopefuls, one day earlier
than originally planned to avoid a potentially off track on Sunday.

Hutcheson S. (G2) winner KEYED ENTRY (Honour and Glory) went three-quarters
in 1:12 4/5 beneath Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr. Most recently third in the
Wood Memorial (G1), the dark bay colt will be piloted by Patrick Valenzuela in
the Derby.

“He’s a tough one,” Cordero said, referring to the colt’s rank behavior
early. “He’s strong.”

Also guided by Cordero, Florida Derby third SUNRIVER (Saint Ballado) traveled
the same distance in 1:13 3/5. The full brother to two-time champion Ashado
exercised in company with stablemate Harlington (Unbridled), a Grade 2-winning
four-year-old. Because he ranks 22nd on the graded earnings list, Sunriver will
not be able to draw into the Derby field unless two higher-ranked contenders bow
out.

“Excellent,” Pletcher said. “It looked awful good to me.”

Remsen S. (G2) victor BLUEGRASS CAT (Storm Cat) took a half-mile spin in :50
4/5. The Pletcher charge is exiting a distant fourth-place effort in the Blue
Grass.

“He was very aggressive today,” exercise rider Luis Castillo said. “I had to
take a pretty good hold of him. I didn’t want him to do too much.”

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin worked his Derby pair together over five furlongs.

Jazil (left) worked with stablemate Flashy Bull, who might not make it into the Derby
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

Wood Memorial runner-up JAZIL (Seeking the Gold) finished marginally in front
of Fountain of Youth S. (G2) runner-up FLASHY BULL (Holy Bull), both of them
clocking 1:00 2/5. Under Cordero, Jazil strode clear of his workmate on the
gallop-out. He will have Fernando Jara
aboard in the Derby. Flashy Bull, coming off a seventh in the Florida Derby,
currently stands 21st on the graded earnings list. If he makes it into the Derby
field, the gray will get the services of last year’s Derby winner Mike Smith.

“Angel told me to save a rose for him when the horse wins,” McLaughlin said,
smiling. “They went perfect. They both switched leads when they should, and the
riders said they wouldn’t blow out a match when they came back. When they work
together, they push each other and get the most out of their work.”

El Camino Real Derby (G3) winner CAUSE TO BELIEVE (Maria’s Mon) finished up
in 1:00 4/5. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil was third in the Illinois Derby in his
latest outing.

“It was just a maintenance breeze,” Hollendorfer said, “and it was just what
I expected from him. He’s not a good work horse, but he gets something out of
his breezes.”

Rebel S. (G3) second RED RAYMOND (Deputy Commander), Lawyer Ron’s stablemate,
zipped in :59 4/5. Exiting a 10th-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, the
Holthus colt ranks only 24th on the graded earnings list and faces an uphill
battle to make it into the field. If he doesn’t draw into the Derby, the
chestnut could contest Friday’s Crown Royal American Turf (G3).

In other Kentucky Derby news:

Trainer Barclay Tagg wants to monitor his undefeated Lexington S. (G2) winner
SHOWING UP (Strategic Mission) for a few more days before confirming a Derby
bid. The late developing colt, like Barbaro a Lael Stables colorbearer, came out
of his victory at Keeneland with a puncture wound to his right foreleg.

“He’ll breeze on Monday, but we won’t know for sure if he has a flare-up of
his little problem until Tuesday morning,” Tagg said. “If everything is OK on
Tuesday morning, we’ll gallop him on Wednesday. If he gallops nice, we’ll enter
him on Wednesday and ship on Thursday.”

Santa Catalina S. (G2) second SACRED LIGHT (Holy Bull) took a flight from
Southern California along with stablemate and Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender
BALANCE (Thunder Gulch), and the David Hofmans duo arrived at Churchill Downs early Saturday afternoon
Sacred Light is coming off a distant fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1)
after diving to his nose at the break and ranks only 23rd on the graded earnings
list.

Three California-based Derby contenders are scheduled to work Sunday before
shipping to Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday.

Baffert’s pair, Wood Memorial winner BOB AND JOHN (Seeking the Gold) and
Santa Anita Derby runner-up POINT DETERMINED (Point Given), will turn in their
final drills at Santa Anita, and San Felipe S. (G2) hero A. P. WARRIOR (A.P.
Indy) will work at Hollywood Park for horseman John Shirreffs.