Kentucky Derby Daily Activity Report – Monday, April 25, 2011
ARCHARCHARCH: With jockey Jon Court up, Arkansas Derby (G1) winner
Archarcharch galloped 1 1/2 mile over a sloppy track after the
morning renovation break Monday at Churchill Downs.
Owned by Robert Yagos, Archarcharch arrived back at Churchill Downs last
Tuesday following his victory at Oaklawn Park. Trainer Jinks Fires plans to give
the son of Arch one work prior to Kentucky Derby 137.
“He just ran a mile and eighth last Saturday,” Fires said. “I am going to
wait until the rain is over and when I feel the track is safe to work.”
DECISIVE MOMENT: Just for Fun Stable’s Decisive Moment galloped 1
1/2 miles after the renovation break with trainer Juan Arias in the saddle.
Arias plans to work Decisive Moment five furlongs on Thursday morning with
Jesus Castanon to handle the work. Kerwin Clark, who has ridden Decisive Moment
in his past four starts, will have the mount in the Kentucky Derby.
“Jesus worked him last week here,” said Arias, who brought Decisive Moment to
Churchill Downs two days after the colt’s runner-up finish in the Vinery Racing
Spiral (G3) at Turfway Park on March 26.
“I went home (to South Florida) for three days after the Vinery and came back
here April 1 because I wanted to be back here when he resumed training because I
get on him myself,” Arias said. “He likes the atmosphere here and he likes the
track. I told a reporter the other day that he feels like he is at the right
party and ready to dance.”
J P’S GUSTO: John O’Hara, racing manager for Gem Inc. (Dr. John Waken),
said Monday that no final decision has been reached on the possible Kentucky
Derby participation of J P’s Gusto, who ran eighth in the Arkansas Derby
(G1) in his most recent start.
“He has been at the farm and has had a week off,” O’Hara said. “If he comes
to Churchill Downs, he would come over between now and Wednesday.”
MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE/THE FACTOR: Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer
Bob Baffert sent his pair of Kentucky Derby contenders — Arnold
Zetcher’s homebred Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Midnight Interlude and
George Bolton and Fog City Stable’s The Factor — out for gallops over a
sloppy track during the special training period for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky
Oaks contenders.
Dana Barnes was in the saddle aboard both horses, and Baffert was especially
pleased with The Factor, who is coming off a seventh-place finish as the strong
favorite in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1).
“The Factor galloped for the first time,” Baffert said. “He’d just been
jogging. I might work him Wednesday. He looked good out there.”
Baffert said he has not made a firm decision on participation in Derby 137 by
The Factor.
“I’m just going to watch him,” Baffert said. “He’s still a very good
horse.”
Baffert remains delighted by the progress of Midnight Interlude, who jumped
from a maiden victory into the Derby 137 picture with his upset win in the Santa
Anita Derby. The son of War Chant is scheduled to work Tuesday during the
special training period for Derby and Oaks hopefuls.
“He went from zero-to-hero,” Baffert said. “The horse is just getting
better with every out. He’s tough and he can handle it — he can handle it
mentally.”
MUCHO MACHO MAN: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Dream Team One Racing
Stable’s Mucho Macho Man walked the shedrow at Barn 41 a day after
working seven furlongs in 1:29.20 under jockey Rajiv Maragh.
“I really wanted to take him out today, but I didn’t want him to get wet
again,” trainer Kathy Ritvo said. “He came out of the work fine and depending on
the weather will jog a couple miles tomorrow.”
NEHRO: A thunderstorm drenched Churchill Downs as training hours opened
on Monday at Churchill Downs, but trainer Steve Asmussen elected to send Zayat
Stable’s Nehro out for a scheduled five-furlong work around 6:15 a.m.
(all times Eastern) despite the rain.
The son of Mineshaft, a fast-closing runner-up in both the Louisiana Derby
(G2) and Arkansas Derby (G2), responded by gliding over the morning’s sloppy
footing and covered the distance in 1:02.80. Exercise rider Carlos Rosas
was in the irons as Nehro worked in fractional times of :13.20, :25.60, :38.20
and :50.40. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:17 and seven-eighths in
1:32.
“He was smooth and easy all the way around,” Asmussen said. “The
weather comes into play a little bit and, as usual, Mother Nature doesn’t care
how important we think it is.
“We’re just staying in a rhythm. The horse has had two hard races over
the last month, and we’re staying in a rhythm and following pretty much the same
(training) pattern as after the Louisiana Derby.”
Nehro comes into the Kentucky Derby with just one win in five career starts,
but his two stakes efforts that followed a maiden win at Oaklawn Park have
placed him among the most highly regarded contenders for Kentucky Derby 137. The colt lost his first two starts
— which included a 10th-place
finish in an 11-horse field in an Oaklawn maiden race on Jan. 11 — but he rolled
to a 4 1/2-length win in is next outing at the Arkansas track.
Asmussen admitted that he is surprised that this colt turned out to be his
Kentucky Derby contender, but his strong last month, starting with his close
second-place finish to Pants On Fire in the Louisiana Derby, has put him in that
position.
“That (Louisiana Derby bid) was 100 percent taking a swing,” Asmussen said. “The horse stepped up and he ran a big race, and I think he validated that
performance in Arkansas. Hopefully, we’re still on the way up.”
Corey Nakatani is scheduled to ride Nehro in the Kentucky Derby.
PANTS ON FIRE: George and Lori Hall’s Louisiana Derby (G2) winner
Pants On Fire walked the shedrow at Barn 27 a day after arriving from
South Florida.
Trainer Kelly Breen was scheduled to arrive in Louisville later Monday. Rosie
Napravnik has the Derby mount on Pants On Fire.
SANTIVA: Tom Walters’ Santiva, winner of last fall’s Kentucky
Jockey Club (G2) in his lone start at Churchill Downs, galloped 1 1/2 miles after the renovation break under Brendan Walsh, assistant to trainer Eddie
Kenneally.
Shaun Bridgmohan has the Derby riding assignment on Santiva.
SHACKLEFORD: Michael Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge’s Shackleford
jogged two miles under exercise rider Faustino Ramos after the renovation break.
Trainer Dale Romans plans to work the Florida Derby (G1) runner-up on
Saturday.
STAY THIRSTY/UNCLE MO: Trainer Todd Pletcher said Repole Stable’s Stay
Thirsty, winner of the Gotham (G3), came out of a five-furlong Easter
Sunday work well. The colt walked under Pletcher’s shedrow on Monday.
Jockey Calvin Borel was aboard on Sunday as the son of Bernardini, working in
company with 4-year-old stablemate Bridgetown, worked five furlongs in 1:00.
Pletcher said Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo galloped in the rain on Monday
morning under exercise rider Hector Ramos in preparation for a scheduled
five-furlong work on Tuesday. Jockey John Velazquez is scheduled to be in
the saddle aboard the reigning American 2-year-old champion, who will work for
the first time since his third-place finish behind fellow Kentucky Derby 137
contender Toby’s Corner in the $1 million Wood Memorial (G1).
The setback in the Wood was the first loss in five races for the colt that
prior to that defeat had been a heavy favorite to win the Run for the Roses. He was found to have been suffering what Pletcher described Sunday as an
inflammation of his gastrointestinal tract and Uncle Mo has been undergoing
treatment since, but has been able to keep up with scheduled gallops.
Uncle Mo is scheduled work in company with his Repole-owned stablemate
Calibrachoa, the 4-year-old winner of the Tom Fool (G3) at Aqueduct on March 5.
Pletcher said Uncle Mo would work at 8:30 a.m. during the 15-minute training
period for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders that follows the break
for track maintenance.
TWICE THE APPEAL/SWAY AWAY: Edward Brown Jr., Victor Flores and Henry
Hernandez’s Sunland Derby (G3) winner Twice the Appeal jogged early under
exercise rider Nate Quinonez.
Trained by Jeff Bonde, who is scheduled to return to Louisville on Friday,
Twice the Appeal will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Christian Santiago
Reyes.
Bonde’s other Kentucky Derby hopeful, Batman Stable, Philip Lebherz, Cindy
Olsen, Janet Sharp and Glen Wallace et al’s Sway Away, galloped 1 1/2 miles after the renovation break under Quinonez, who served as the exercise
rider here two years for Papa Clem, who ran fourth behind Mine That Bird.
Miguel Carranza, assistant to Bonde, said that Sway Away would be pointed to
the Preakness (G1), if he does not make the Kentucky Derby field. Sway Away has
$111,500 in graded stakes earnings and would need several defections from horses
under consideration for the Kentucky Derby to make the race that is reserved for
the top 20 Triple Crown-nominated graded stakes earners that pass the entry box
on May 4.
TWINSPIRED: Blue Grass (GI) runner-up Twinspired galloped
on Monday at Trackside Louisville training center as trainer Mike Maker
continued to hope that the son of Harlan’s Holiday would find some way to make
it into the maximum field of 20 horses for the Kentucky Derby.
Derrick Smith was in the irons for Monday’s gallop over the sloppy
six-furlong surface at Trackside.
“Everything’s great,” said Maker.
Twinspired, who is owned by a partnership that includes Alpha Stable, Skychai
Racing and Sand Dollar Stable, is scheduled to work on Saturday or
Sunday. Maker has not yet lined up a rider for the colt should he make the
Kentucky Derby field.