Wood Memorial winner Verrazano, the individual favorite in all three pools of
the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, arrived at Churchill Downs on Sunday evening
and galloped beneath the Twin Spires on Monday on his first morning in
Louisville.
“Everything went perfectly,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He seemed to settle
in really well overnight and I thought he galloped very nicely over the track
today.”
Verrazano won the Tampa Bay Derby prior to his three-quarters of a length
victory in the Wood Memorial.
“We’ve gotten to this point with him as well as we could have hoped,”
Pletcher said. “He’s maintained his condition really well and looks phenomenal.
His appetite is good and he’s moving well. We’re really pleased and we’re hoping
for another 19 days of what we’re seeing right now.”
Pletcher added that if the weather cooperates, Verrazano and Louisiana Derby
winner Revolutionary will breeze at Churchill Downs on April 21 and April 28.
Overanalyze, Palace Malice and Charming Kitten are scheduled to work just once
before the Kentucky Derby, on April 28.
In a related development, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has secured the
mount on Blue Grass runner-up Palace Malice for the Kentucky Derby.
Normandy Invasion also arrived from New York on Sunday evening and is stabled
in Barn 42 for trainer Chad Brown.
“He came out of the Wood OK and arrived fine,” Brown said. “I just walked him
this morning, but I’ll send him to the track tomorrow (Tuesday) for the first
time. He’ll work the next two weekends, depending on weather.”
Also on the Tex Sutton flight from New York was Kentucky Oaks contender Close
Hatches, winner of the Gazelle in her last start. Close Hatches is stabled in
Barn 19 for trainer Bill Mott.
Assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy reported Close Hatches, who was stabled at
Churchill Downs for several months as a juvenile, arrived in good order and
jogged around the Churchill Downs oval Monday morning.
“She went over the track fine,” McCarthy said. “It was like coming home for
her.”
Arriving at Churchill Downs from Oaklawn Park on Sunday evening was four-time
Kentucky Derby winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas and his Derby contenders Will Take
Charge and Oxbow. Will Take Charge, winner of the Rebel, and Lecomte winner
Oxbow both arrived in good order and are stabled in Barn 44.
“They got settled in and got around here good this morning,” Lukas said.
“They got some of that bluegrass in them early and that will help them more than
anything. We’ve got three weeks to tweak the situation a little bit and then
we’ll see what we can get done.”
Lukas, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1988, 1995, 1996 and 1999, has started a
record 45 horses in the “Run for the Roses.”
“The Derby is the Derby,” Lukas said. “People say that when you win one, it
means less when you win a second one, but I think my enthusiasm is greater for
it now after winning four of them. I enjoyed the fourth one more than the first
one. The other thing is that you’re dealing with different people. I’ve got a
different assistant and different clientele. You want to give them that
experience.”
Lukas added that Will Take Charge is scheduled to work twice in advance of
the May 4 Kentucky Derby. Oxbow will have one work for sure, but he also could
work twice.
The next Kentucky Derby contenders scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs
this week are Sunland Derby winner Govenor Charlie, Blue Grass winner Java’s War
and Arkansas Derby runner-up Frac Daddy.
Govenor Charlie’s Tex Sutton flight from California is scheduled to land in
Lexington on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) and then he will van to Churchill
Downs. He is expected to arrive at Bob Baffert’s Barn 33 at Churchill Downs
between 1-1:30 p.m.
Joining Govenor Charlie on Tuesday’s flight will be Sunland Park Oaks winner
Midnight Lucky. She also will be stabled in Barn 33 for Baffert, who completed
the Sunland Park Oaks/Kentucky Oaks double in 2011 with Plum Pretty.
Trainer Ken McPeek, who has stalls in Barns 6 and 7 at Churchill Downs, said
Java’s War and Frac Daddy exited their races in fine form and will van to
Louisville this week. Frac Daddy is scheduled to van from Oaklawn Park to
Churchill Downs on Tuesday and Java’s War will ship from Keeneland later in the
week, most likely on Thursday.
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