Kentucky Derby Daily Activity Report – Thursday, April 28, 2011
ANIMAL KINGDOM/TOBY’S CORNER – Team Valor International’s
Animal
Kingdom is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Thursday
afternoon.
Animal Kingdom will stabled in Barn 22 and is scheduled to
work Saturday for trainer Graham Motion.
Motion also trains Wood Memorial (G1) winner Toby’s Corner,
who is scheduled to work Sunday at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and
ship to Churchill Downs on Monday.
Robby Albarado has the Derby mount on Animal Kingdom and
Eddie Castro on Toby’s Corner.
ARCHARCHARCH – Robert Yagos’
Archarcharch galloped
in company on Thursday over a track labeled as “fast” after the renovation
break, and is set to have a workmate for a scheduled five-furlong work after
Friday’s renovation break.
“He will work in company with Supreme Ruler,” trainer
Jinks Fires said of the Arkansas Derby (G1) winner.
Jockey Jon Court, who has been aboard Archarcharch in
all six of his starts, will be aboard for the work as well as the ride in
Kentucky Derby 137.
BRILLIANT SPEED – The Live Oak Plantation’s
Brilliant Speed, winner of the Blue Grass S. (G1) on April
16 at Keeneland, is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Friday.
Brilliant Speed,
trained by Tom Albertrani, is scheduled train over the synthetic
Polytrack surface at Keeneland on Friday morning and the son of Dynaformer will
make the trip from the Lexington track to Churchill Downs during the afternoon.
DECISIVE MOMENT – Just for Fun Stable’s
Decisive
Moment galloped 1 1/4 miles after the renovation break with trainer Juan Arias up.
Decisive Moment
arrived at Churchill Downs on March 28, has been at the track longer than any
Kentucky Derby candidate. He is scheduled to work Friday after the break with
Jesus Castanon up. It will be Decisive Moment’s second local work following
a “bullet” half-mile in the mud in :47.40 on April 17.
Kerwin Clark,
has the Derby riding assignment.
MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE – Arnold Zetcher’s
Midnight
Interlude, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby (G1), jogged one mile under
exercise rider Dana Barnes in his first trip to the track since a
six-furlong work on Tuesday.
Trainer Bob
Baffert said the son of War Chant continues to do well and would gallop on
Friday.
Victor Espinoza,
who rode War Emblem to victory in the 2002 Kentucky Derby for Baffert,
will ride Midnight Interlude in the Kentucky Derby.
MUCHO MACHO MAN – Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and
Dream Team One Racing Stable’s
Mucho Macho Man galloped two miles
after the renovation break under exercise rider Mike Herra.
Trainer Kathy
Ritvo said the winner of the Risen Star (G2) would work Saturday or Sunday
depending on the weather. Rajiv Maragh is scheduled to ride Mucho Macho
Man in the Derby.
NEHRO – Zayat Stables’ Nehro, the Steve
Asmussen-trained runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the Louisiana
Derby (G2), stood in the Churchill Downs starting gate and then galloped a mile
under regular exercise partner Carlos Rosas.
“He’s doing well,”
assistant trainer Scott Blasi said. “He’s enjoying eating this Churchill
Downs grass out there by Longfield Avenue.”
Corey Nakatani
is scheduled to ride Nehro in Kentucky Derby 137.
PANTS ON FIRE – George and Lori Hall’s Louisiana
Derby (G2) winner Pants On Fire galloped a little more than 1 1/2
miles under exercise rider Juan Pizarro after the renovation
break.
Trainer Kelly
Breen plans to work the three-year-old winner either Saturday or
Sunday. Rosie Napravnik has the Derby mount.
SANTIVA – Tom Walters’
Santiva, winner of the
Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) here last fall in his only Churchill Downs start,
galloped before the renovation break under Brendan Walsh, assistant to
trainer Eddie Kenneally.
Shaun
Bridgmohan has the mount on Santiva in the Derby.
SHACKLEFORD – Michael Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge’s
Shackleford galloped 1 1/2 miles after the renovation break under Faustino Ramos.
Jesus Castanon
is scheduled for his initial Kentucky Derby ride on Shackleford, who is
scheduled to work Saturday for trainer Dale Romans.
STAY THIRSTY/UNCLE MO – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s two hopefuls for Kentucky Derby 137 galloped
1 1/2 miles each after
the renovation break.
Owned by Repole Stable, Uncle Mo returned to
the track under Hector Ramos for the first time since working five
furlongs in company in 1:01.80 early Tuesday morning. The 2010 Eclipse Award
winner as champion two-year-old and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) here
last fall is scheduled to work again Sunday or Monday.
Stay Thirsty, winner of the Gotham (G3) in his 2011
debut, was partnered by Fernando Espinoza. Stay Thirsty is scheduled to
work Sunday.
John Velazquez
has the Derby assignment on Uncle Mo and Ramon Dominguez is slated to
Stay Thirsty.
TWICE THE APPEAL/SWAY AWAY –
Edward Brown Jr., Victor Flores
and Henry Hernandez’s Sunland Derby (G3) winner Twice the Appeal
galloped 1 1/2 miles before the renovation break under exercise rider
Nate Quinonez.
Miguel Carranza,
assistant to trainer Jeff Bonde, said Twice the Appeal would work Friday
or Saturday with three-time Derby winning rider Calvin Borel scheduled to
be aboard for the move. Borel will ride the Sunland Derby (G3) winner in Derby
137.
Bonde’s other Kentucky
Derby hopeful, Batman Stable, Philip Lebherz, Cindy
Olsen, Janet Sharp and Glen Wallace et al’s Sway Away galloped the same distance after the break under Quinonez.
With $111,500 in
graded stakes earnings, Sway Away would need several defections of horses with
more graded earnings pointing to the Derby to make the field that is limited to
20 starters. Carranza had said earlier in the week that if Sway Away does not
make the Derby field, the Preakness (G1) would be the next target.
TWINSPIRED – Alpha Stables, Skychai Racing and
Sand Dollar Stable’s
Twinspired, runner-up in the Blue Grass
S. (G1) in his most recent start, galloped 1 1/2 miles at the
Trackside Training Center under exercise rider Derrick Smith.
Trainer Mike
Maker plans to work the Harlan’s Holiday colt on Saturday at Trackside and
then bring Twinspired to Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
Mike Smith
has the riding assignment in the Derby.
WATCH ME GO – Gilbert Campbell’s
Watch Me Go made
his first visit to the track at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning, galloping 1
1/2 miles under exercise rider Louie Feliciano after the renovation
break.
Watch Me Go arrived from Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday
afternoon. Trainer Kathleen O’Connell is scheduled to arrive in
Louisville Friday night with a work scheduled for Saturday or Sunday.
Luis Garcia, who has ridden Watch Me Go in his past five
starts that include a victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), has the call in
Derby 137.