Repole Stable’s Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty
jogged a mile with trainer Todd Pletcher’s first set Monday shortly after the
track opened for training at 5:45 a.m. (EDT).
“Both seemed very well (this morning),” Pletcher said later at his Barn 34
headquarters. “We took them out for a light jog today. They both ate up last
night and appear to be doing well. Knock on wood, we’re good.”
The duo just got some easy exercise the day following their tandem
five-furlong drill. On Sunday, last year’s two-year-old champion Uncle Mo
covered the distance in 1:01 3/5 and his stablemate and Grade 3 Gotham winner Stay
Thirsty recorded a time of 1:01 4/5.
In a correction from Sunday’s notes, Grade 1 Kentucky Derby rider John Velazquez
was aboard for Uncle Mo’s work, not exercise rider Hector Ramos as previous
reported. Stay Thirsty will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez in Derby 137.
Exercise rider Carlos Correa took Robert LaPenta’s Dialed In to
the track at 7.a.m. Monday for a long gallop over the sloppy surface at
Churchill Downs.
“He galloped a pretty long way, went around twice there,” trainer Nick Zito
said during a break in the morning rains. “It was just like this when he went
out, but then God said, ‘Nah, I want him to get wet like the other horses.’ But
he liked it.
“I can’t remember, believe it or not, since I got him galloping on a track
like that. I think that was the first time — this morning — that he galloped
on a wet track. It looked like he did all right.”
The ever-superstitious Zito, who has saddled Strike the Gold (1991) and Go
for Gin (1994) for victories in the Kentucky Derby, has been outwardly and
comfortably confident in Dialed In this spring, although he did make an effort
to knock on wood outside Barn 36 when he talked about his positive feelings
about the colt.
“I’m just confident with a horse like this. To me, he’s a special horse. He
always tries so hard, it’s nice to have a horse like that. You know he’s going
to put in his run,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “I’m always confident when I
have a horse like this – confident, but not overconfident.”
Dialed In, who won the Grade 3 Holy Bull and the Grade 1 Florida Derby at
Gulfstream Park, has returned to Churchill Downs, a more mature-looking colt
than the one who broke his maiden here last November.
“He was a little bit of a butterball. He was a little chunky. Obviously, he
streamlined. He’s not a very big horse, but he streamlined down beautifully,”
Zito said. “He’s a gorgeous horse. I think his development has been terrific.”
Florida Derby runner-up Shackleford got back to work Monday
morning with a two-mile jog at Churchill Downs with trainer Dale Romans
watching. Co-owned by Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge, Shackleford has posted
two fast workouts in recent weeks, including a bullet five furlongs Saturday in
:58 4/5.
“I thought both of his workouts were just perfect,” Romans said. “They were
fast, sure, but they were in hand. That’s what you want to see, a fast horse
working without being asked hard.”
Romans trained horses who placed in all three legs of the 2010 Triple Crown,
including a third on Kentucky Derby Day with Paddy O’Prado, a
second in the Grade 1 Preakness with First Dude, and a third in
the Grade 1 Belmont, also with First Dude.
“This horse, Shackleford, reminds me a lot of Paddy O’Prado last year, who
peaked at the right time,” Romans said. “He couldn’t be doing any better.”
Shackleford will school at the starting gate Tuesday and Thursday, while
Romans said he would likely school in the paddock during the races sometime this
week as well.
Jesus Castanon will have his first Kentucky Derby mount aboard Shackleford.
Harvey Clark and partners’ Soldat galloped 1 1/4 miles Monday
morning under exercise rider Danny Wright. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said on a
fast track he would gallop a bit longer, but cut things short by plan because of
the sloppy track conditions.
Sloppy track or not, McLaughlin said Soldat already has appreciated the
change in climate.
“It was 90 degrees on Florida Derby Day and they all got pretty hot that
day,” he said. “And the last 10 days he was at Palm Meadows, it got pretty hot
and muggy down there. But with the wet weather in Kentucky, I’m glad we kept him
down in Florida even with the heat.
“He really picked his head up since coming to this cooler weather. Going from
hot to cool for a horse is like a vitamin shot.”
But McLaughlin won’t shed any tears if the track turns up sloppy on Saturday
for the Derby.
“We won’t mind the slop, look at what he did on that sloppy track at
Gulfstream,” he said, referring to a 10 3/4-length allowance win in
January. “That won’t bother me on race day, but I’d prefer to train on a fast
track any day.”
Alan Garcia rides Soldat in Derby 137.
Robert and Val Yagos’ Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch galloped
1 1/2 miles after the renovation break over a sloppy track with jockey Jon Court
aboard.
The owners were driving to Louisville from Jacksonville, Arkansas, Monday and
expected to be on hand during training hours Tuesday morning when more rain is
expected.
The long-range forecast for Derby Day calls for a 30 percent chance of rain
and Court was asked if he had any concerns about Archarcharch handling a wet
track.
“I would prefer a dry track, but they all have to run on it,” said Court, who
will be riding in his first Kentucky Derby. “It doesn’t show (on his past
performances), but he has had experience on an off track. I am confident in his
ability and skill to think that he could handle it.”
Archarcharch’s only off-the-board finish in six starts came on a track listed
as “good” in a fourth-place finish in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park on
January 17.
“That day,” Court said, “that track was muddy, sticky and tiring.”
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Dream Team Racing’s Mucho Macho Man
galloped two miles at Churchill Downs Monday morning after the renovation break
under regular exercise rider Mike Herra.
The Kathy Ritvo trainee, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 Saturday
morning, returned to the track after walking the shedrow on Sunday. Ritvo
expressed complete satisfaction in her colt’s preparation at Churchill for
Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
“He’s pretty laid back and he’s gotten used to everything. I’m sure there’s
nothing that compares to Derby Day, but we’re going to try until we get there,”
she said. “I’m honored to be here. I’m excited to be here. Everything’s going
good with the horse, so it couldn’t be any better.”
Mucho Macho Man, who captured the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds before
losing a shoe during a close third-place finish in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby,
hasn’t caused his trainer one anxious moment since arriving at Churchill Downs
on April 18.
“I’m just blessed and fortunate that he’s doing so well here. We haven’t had
anything to deal with. He loves the mud; he loves the track,” the South
Florida-based trainer said. “He’s been great around here. The weather has been
for him. For me, I don’t like the rain.”
Team Valor International’s Animal Kingdom returned to
the track Monday morning and jogged a mile over a sloppy course.
Dan Rock, assistant to trainer Graham Motion, sent the Grade 3 Spiral winner out
a little after 7 a.m. during a short break in the rain. The colt worked six
furlongs Saturday morning in 1:13, and Rock said the colt has come out of the
work in good order.
Trainer Juan Arias was aboard Decisive Moment for a
morning gallop Monday following the renovation break at Churchill Downs, where
another man by the name of Juan Arias visited the winner’s circle with 1971
Kentucky Derby winner Canonero II.
Decisive Moment’s trainer is quick to point out that he is no relation to the
trainer of the Venezuelan invader who pulled off the shocking victory 40 years
ago.
“People want to make me Juan Arias II, but I don’t want to be second. I want
to be first,” Arias quipped.
Arias, though, admitted that he wouldn’t mind if Decisive Moment followed in
Canonero II’s footsteps and pulled off an upset in the Derby.
The South Florida-based trainer reported that the Just For Fun Stable’s
homebred colt galloped well over the sloppy track Monday.
“He loved it. I wish on race day it would be the same way,” he said. “He’s
been here a month and tried every condition this track can have, and he adjusts
perfectly on all of them. No surprises for him.”
Kerwin Clark will ride Decisive Moment in the Derby.
George and Lori Hall’s Pants on Fire did not visit the track one
day after breezing a half-mile in :47 4/5. However, trainer Kelly Breen relayed
that the Louisiana Derby winner came out of his work in good order.
“He looks good, he’s eating good, and when I showed up this morning he was
resting well,” Breen said. “He’s up and around now and doing well.”
Pants on Fire will return to galloping during the Derby-Oaks training session
Tuesday.
Twice the Appeal and Sway Away, the two
colts trained by Jeff Bonde, walked the shedrow for a second day following
six-furlong works on Saturday.
Twice the Appeal, who earned his way into the 137th Kentucky Derby with a
tally in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby in March, covered the distance in 1:15 3/5,
while Sway Away, who is not yet guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s starting gate,
went the six panels in 1:14.
Bonde’s assistant trainer, Miguel Carranza, confirmed that the double walk
days were standard procedure in their barn.
“That’s the way he (Bonde) likes to do it,” Carranza said at Barn 42 Monday
morning. “We’ll take them back to the track tomorrow.”
Sway Away is No. 23 on the list of eligibles for the prestigious race that
only allows for 20 runners. Entries for the Run for the Roses will be taken
Wednesday.
Calvin Borel has the call on Twice the Appeal, while Martin Garcia would be
aboard Sway Away if he gets to enter.
At the Trackside Training Center, Grade 1 Blue Grass runner-up Twinspired returned to the track Monday morning for the first time since his final
major Derby workout on Saturday. The Mike Maker trainee galloped 1 1/2 miles
under exercise rider Derrick Smith.
Twinspired will van across town to Churchill Downs on Tuesday after training
hours and complete his Derby Week preparations beneath the Twin Spires, for
which he is named. He’s owned by Alpha Stables, Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar
Stable.
“He came out of the Blue Grass fine and the horse doesn’t think he lost,
that’s the good part,” said Maker, who came within a nose of back-to-back wins
in Keeneland’s signature prep race after winning last year with Stately Victor.
“I don’t think there are a lot of similarities between Twinspired and Stately
Victor other than people saying both had to prove themselves on the dirt. But
they’re different horses.”
Maker remains hopeful that Derby Kitten can draw into the
Derby 137 lineup. Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Derby Kitten ranks No. 21 on
the current graded stakes earnings list that determines the starting lineup.
Maker said a rider for Derby Kitten remains in limbo.
“If Derby Kitten draws into the race, it’s because someone unfortunately had
to come out,” Maker said. “So we’d obviously look at the rider that became
available if something were to happen as one consideration.”
Derby Kitten also galloped 1 1/2 miles on Monday at Trackside Training
Center.
The three Derby contenders not yet in Kentucky — Toby’s Corner, Comma to the
Top and Master of Hounds — are
all due to arrive Tuesday.
Dianne D. Cotter’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial winner Toby’s Corner jogged at the Fair
Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland, one day worked six furlongs in 1:15 on
the Tapeta surface. He is scheduled to van to Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
Trainer Peter Miller reported that his Grade 1 CashCall Futurity winner Comma to
the Top looked “super” Monday morning at Hollywood Park following his
five-furlong drill Sunday that he accomplished in 1:00 2/5.
“He’s doing great,” Miller said. “We just walked him today and he’s got his
plane at 4 tomorrow morning (PDT).”
Miller indicated that he’d be flying Monday afternoon from Los Angeles and
planned to be on board at Churchill when Comma to the Top makes the scene,
probably early Tuesday afternoon.
California-based Patrick Valenzuela – one of four of this year’s Derby riders
who has won the race previously – has the call on Comma to the Top.
Mrs. John Magnier’s Master of Hounds is scheduled to arrive in Louisville
between 8 and 8:30 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday and van to Churchill Downs with an arrival
time at the quarantine section of Barn 45 between 9 and 9:30 a.m.
The Irish-based colt, trained by Aidan O’Brien, finished second in Dubai’s
Grade 2, $2
million U.A.E. Derby on March 26, in his only start of 2011. Master of Hounds
visited Churchill Downs last fall for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships,
where he finished sixth in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Master of Hounds will be ridden by Garrett Gomez.