Bold Conquest, Mr. Z tune up for Arkansas Derby

Bold Conquest will seek to upset American Pharoah in the Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography) Bold Conquest (Curlin) completed major preparations for Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) by working a half-mile in :48 3/5 a little more than an hour after the track opened for training Monday morning. Clockers had Bold Conquest galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 following a final quarter-mile of :24. The track was rated fast, despite rain Sunday. “He’s doing extremely well,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “We lucked out with the race track today. I was very concerned with all the rain in the area, but it was a good track again this morning. His last two works have been the two best works of the year. It’s a good time to be doing so.”

Bold Conquest is coming off a third-place finish in the $750,000 Rebel (G2)
March 14.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Mr. Z (Malibu Moon) is headed to the
Arkansas Derby following a half-mile work in company Monday morning, the colt’s
first breeze since finishing last in the $750,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) March 28
at Fair Grounds.

Lukas said Mr. Z, who is again equipped with blinkers, is scheduled to be
ridden for the first time Saturday by Ramon Vazquez, Oaklawn’s second-leading
jockey this year.

Although Zayat Stables also owns champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the
Nile), who will be heavily favored in the Arkansas Derby, Lukas noted a high
finish Saturday would insure Mr. Z a berth in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The
Arkansas Derby — as a Kentucky Derby qualifying race — offers 100 points to
the winner, 40 to second, 20 to third and 10 to fourth. Points in designated
races determine eligibility if more than the maximum 20 horses enter. Mr. Z
currently ranks 30th with 14 points.

“I think he’s still on the radar for the Derby,” Lukas said. “If he were to
run in the first three, or something like that, he would earn a spot. That’s the
other side of the coin.”

Mr. Z and Hillbilly Style (Malibu Moon), a three-year-old stablemate, breezed
about 10 minutes after the track opened for training Monday. Both horses were
credited with :48 1/5.

“I thought he worked well,” Lukas said.

Mr. Z came to Oaklawn as a leading Kentucky Derby candidate, but finished
third in the track’s $150,000 Smarty Jones January 19 and $300,000 Southwest
(G3) February 22 before finishing last in the Louisiana Derby. Lukas said he had
no explanation for Mr. Z’s poor performance in the Louisiana Derby, but added
the blinkers off experiment didn’t work.

Mr. Z had worn blinkers in his last five starts, including narrow losses in
the $1 million Delta Jackpot (G3) and $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G1).

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