Nehro takes on slop in Derby preparation

A thunderstorm drenched Churchill Downs as training hours opened on Monday,
but trainer Steve Asmussen elected to send Kentucky Derby (G1) candidate NEHRO
(Mineshaft) out for a scheduled five-furlong work around 6:15 a.m.
(EDT) despite the rain.

A fast-closing runner-up in both the Louisiana Derby
(G2) and Arkansas Derby (G2), Nehro responded by gliding over the morning’s sloppy
footing and covered the distance in 1:02 4/5. Exercise rider Carlos Rosas
was in the irons as Nehro worked in fractional times of :13 1/5, :25 3/5, :38
1/5
and :50 2/5. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:17 and seven-eighths in
1:32.

Midnight Interlude seeks to snap a 22-year drought for Santa Anita Derby winners in the Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) “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 the Derby. The colt lost his first two starts — which included a 10th-place finish in an 11-horse field in an Oaklawn maiden race on January 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 (Jump Start) 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.

Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert sent his pair of Kentucky Derby contenders — Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner
MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE (War Chant) and
Rebel S. (G2) winner THE FACTOR (War Front) — out for gallops during the special training period for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky
Oaks (G1) 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 heavy
favorite in the Arkansas Derby.

The Factor remains on the fence for the Derby after his recent setback in Arkansas (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) “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 the Derby 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 picture with his upset win in the Santa Anita Derby. He 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.”  In other Derby news: Trainer Todd Pletcher said UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie) 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 juvenile colt champion, who will work for the first time since his third-place finish behind TOBY’S CORNER in the Wood Memorial S. (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 (Southern Image), the four-year-old winner of the Tom Fool S. (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.

DECISIVE MOMENT (With Distinction) galloped 1 1/2 miles after the renovation
break Monday 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
Spiral S. (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.”

Grade 1 winner COMMA TO THE TOP (Bwana Charlie), a half-length second to
Decisive Moment in the Santa Anita Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:02 2/5
Monday over the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park in California.