Kevin Willey handled both Advice and Join in the Dance in their gallops,
“They all went about a mile and three eighths,” Pletcher said. “It’s all
Just before 8 a.m., the trainer and his assistant Mike McCarthy, each with a
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Both Kelly Breen charges, WEST SIDE BERNIE (Bernstein) and ATOMIC RAIN (Smart
Strike), went out before the break for easy one-mile gallops with their trainer
aboard. They are exiting runner-up and fourth-place finishes, respectively, in
the Wood Memorial (G1).
“They’re both doing fine,” Breen said. “Atomic Rain is doing quite well
considering he worked in New Jersey on Tuesday and then sat on a van for 13
hours to get here yesterday. The way he’s acting, I don’t think the trip meant
much to him.”
Breen had the number 20 selection for West Side Bernie, and the only spot in
the gate left to him was post 1. On the other hand, he had the ninth selection
for Atomic Rain and took post 14.
“Atomic Rain is in a good spot,” said George Hall, who with wife Lori owns
both colts. “It’s a good post for his style. West Side Bernie is in a tougher
spot. Strategy is all up to Stew (jockey Stewart Elliott) when the gates open.”
Hall bought 20 yearlings at the 2007 Keeneland September sale, 10 fillies and
10 colts. West Side Bernie was a $50,000 purchase, and Atomic Rain cost
$170,000.
“It’s pretty amazing to have two starters in the Kentucky Derby from the 10
colts we got at the sale,” the owner said. “When Atomic Rain broke his maiden
and then ran second in the Remsen (G2) as a two-year-old, we expected a lot from
him. We’ve been disappointed in a number of his starts since then. But we still
think he has a lot of talent, and will be able to show it.”
Hall said his wife Lori names all the horses, and West Side Bernie is all
Broadway.
“He’s by Bernstein, so she immediately thought of Leonard Bernstein, who
wrote ‘West Side Story,'” Hall said. “So that’s how Bernie got his name. They’re
putting on a revival of ‘West Side Story’ now, and we’re involved in that as a
fundraiser for the Hearing Center at New York University.”
Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]) left
trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in an upbeat mood.
“Best morning I ever had with this horse,” Hollendorfer said.
The tall bay went trackside shortly after 7 a.m. under regular exercise rider
Lindsey Molina, stood in the gate briefly, then galloped a good 1 5/8 miles
before coming off the six-furlong gap looking like a happy horse.
“I messed him up yesterday and he didn’t like it,” the Northern
California-based conditioner stated. “I got him out there when all those people
were around (after the 8 a.m. renovation break) and he got a little hot. But
today we put him back in his usual routine and he was back to his old self. I’m
really pleased with how it went today. He galloped strong and he’s doing great.”
“They did it well,” bin Suroor said. “They’re in good form. Happy. Sound.
Bin Suroor said the colts schooled in the paddock before the 7TH race
“Regal Ransom was sweating for about 10 minutes because he could see the
Bin Suroor said his colts are ready for the Derby.
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“They are going into this race 110 percent fit,” he said. “There is no excuse
afterwards for fitness. I hope no excuses happen in the race.”
Lane’s End S. (G2) runner-up FLYING PRIVATE (Fusaichi Pegasus) went to the
track for a morning gallop under exercise rider Taylor Carty. The son of 2000
Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus has been rated at 50-1 in the morning
line, but trainer D. Wayne Lukas hardly views him as a desperate longshot.
Flying Private, who will break from the 20 post position, has won only one of
10 starts, but his trainer knows what it takes to win the Kentucky Derby, having
saddled four Derby winners: Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995),
Grindstone (1996) and Charismatic (1999).
“He’s as good as some of them I brought here, including some of them who’ve
won,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “Charismatic went on to be Horse of the
Year, but at this stage, I think he’s every bit as good as Charismatic, and I
think he’s better than Grindstone.”
When questioned about his opinion on synthetic surfaces, Lukas said that the
new surfaces don’t just pose problems to those horses who don’t run their best
over it.
“I’m not a synthetic person,” Lukas said. “I think it’s caused a nightmare
for the bettors. The very lifeblood of our industry is the gambling public, and
I think they’ve been put at such a disadvantage trying to sort this thing out.
“I think it’ll run its course, and maybe in a couple years, they’ll dig them
all up and get back to natural dirt.
“They have that Gamblers Anonymous for people who have that bad gambling
habit. Polytrack will take care of that. They won’t need to worry about that
anymore. People will quit gambling.”
“It was a successful morning,” Jones said. “We got out around there and came
Friesan Fire, who worked five furlongs in a bullet :57 4/5 on Monday morning,
“Apparently some people didn’t get the memo on what we did yesterday,” Jones
“I galloped him to the gate and then galloped back to the paddock and he
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Owner/trainer Tom McCarthy’s Blue Grass (G1) winner GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky
Mesa) jogged 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Julie Sheets and was full of
himself being led back to the barn by his 75-year-old trainer. Around a large
gathering of well wishers, General Quarters enjoyed his bath and soaked in the
surroundings.
“He likes people,” McCarthy said. “He sure enjoys the audience. That will
help him Derby Day for sure, I’ll tell you that. A lot of people want to see him
do well.”
The McCarthy stable handed out green General Quarters buttons to those who
came by to visit the horse this morning, and among those who came by to check on
the horse was Steve Bass, agent for General Quarters’ jockey Julien Leparoux and
a former student of McCarthy’s in the Louisville school system.
“He had a good gallop,” trainer Bill Mott said. “We went early. The track was
Hold Me Back will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, a
Wood Memorial star I WANT REVENGE (Stephen Got Even) went to the track for
The dark bay colt was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the
“I was actually telling him to sell him. At that time, he was an ugly horse,”
Lanzman didn’t heed his trainer’s advice and bought back I Want Revenge for
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“If we all wanted to buy the same horse at a sale, then everybody would just
try to buy the same horse and all the others would be bought back,” Lanzman
said. “I had a lot of people who loved the horse. The farm people are all here
and they loved him. They told me he’s a racehorse. We thought he was something.
We signed the ticket and I handed it to Jeff. He looked at me and said, ‘I
wouldn’t have bought him for one of my clients.'”
Lanzman would eventually sell a big chunk of I Want Revenge to IEAH Stables
and Puglisi Racing while retaining control of the colt’s racing career. IEAH
bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto subsequently sold “a minute share as a favor to
Jeff Singer.”
Canadian champion juvenile MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) galloped two miles
around 7:30 a.m. and gave New Mexico-based trainer Chip Woolley reason for
optimism, despite a 50-1 morning-line assignment at Wednesday’s post position
draw.
“He went super and really got over the ground well today,” Woolley said. “I’m
trying to keep a level keel as Saturday approaches. It’s been exciting from day
one, and I’m just happy to be here. His (morning) line was right what I figured,
which is fine with me. Besides, I’ve never bet a horse I’ve run in my entire
life. I don’t ever want anyone to worry about that kind of stuff with me.”
Woolley said he will gallop Mine That Bird again Friday and then probably
“backtrack” him on raceday morning and let him jog a bit.
Santa Anita Derby third MR. HOT STUFF (Tiznow) galloped smartly, covering 1
1/2 miles under exercise rider Paul Turner. Bowing his neck and grabbing the
bit, the dark WinStar Farm homebred looked a picture when he went through his
exercises shortly after 7 a.m.
Half of the WinStar connections — Bill Casner, along with his wife Susan —
looked on alongside their trainer, Eoin Harty.
“He’s more relaxed today,” the trainer said. “Today’s day three (his third
day at Churchill Downs since coming in from California) and he’s got it figured
out now. He knows what’s going on.”
The conditioner said that he had Mr. Hot Stuff school in the paddock on
Wednesday afternoon and would again Thursday during the races.
“He doesn’t need to go to the gate,” he said. “He’s fine in there.”
Illinois Derby (G2) and Tampa Bay Derby victor MUSKET MAN (Yonaguska) was out
early for a 1 1/2-mile gallop as he eases into the Kentucky Derby.
“He’s doing fine,” trainer Derek Ryan said of his charge, who has won five of
six lifetime starts.
Ryan had selection number 18 and few options left at the post position draw,
and took post 2 for Musket Man.
“Strategy will be all up to the jockey (Eibar Coa),” Ryan said. “But I expect
he’ll be somewhere behind the leaders in the second tier heading into the first
turn.
“I don’t want him on the lead. He does his best when he has some horses to
run at. I usually work him in company because he needs a target to do his best.”
Musket Man showed speed in his first three races, all sprints, but always sat
off the pace before making a late move. In the Tampa Bay Derby, he got into a
world of trouble early, and had to make a big wide run to get up. In the
Illinois Derby, he gained command on the stretch turn and held stoutly to the
wire.
“He’s got a high cruising speed,” Ryan said, “but the great thing about him
is that he also has a real kick for an eighth of a mile.”
Baffert said the colt, who stood patiently for several minutes while people
“Everything is smooth and he looks good out there on the track,”
“He’s fit. He looks really fantastic, flesh-wise. His mind is great. He’s
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Arkansas Derby (G2) third SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone) is one of the most relaxed
horses on the Churchill Downs backside coming into the Kentucky Derby. Thursday
morning the chestnut colt was lying down in his stall taking a nap at 7 a.m.
because he wasn’t scheduled to go to the track until 8:30, after the break.
“He woke up early, ate up all his breakfast and then went back to sleep,”
trainer Tim Ice said. “He is a very calm horse.”
Out on the track after the break, Summer Bird schooled in the gate, and then
galloped one mile under jockey Chris Rosier.
Ice had selection number 14 and chose post 17 for Summer Bird, who made his
first start on March 1, broke his maiden on March 19, and finished third in the
Arkansas Derby on April 11.
“Better 17 than post three,” Ice said. “I expect him to be mid-pack early,
and make his way over toward the inside before the first turn. I think he’ll run
well.”