Trainers beat the rain by moving Derby works forward one day

Materiality, seen here galloping Thursday, led out a Pletcher’s Derby contenders to work on Friday (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

It was beat-the-rain day at Churchill Downs Friday with five
Kentucky Derby (G1) and six Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopefuls putting in works over
the fast main
track.

The worktab for the Derby was comprised of half-mile works from the
Todd Pletcher quartet of Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid), Materiality (Afleet
Alex) and Stanford (Malibu Moon), with Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky) also
taking to the track;
Danzig Moon (Malibu Moon) for trainer Mark Casse; and Far Right (Notional) for trainer Ron Moquett.

Not wanting to take a chance of working on an off track, Pletcher
sent his four Churchill Downs-housed Kentucky Derby hopefuls to the track for
four-furlong moves during the 8:30-8:45 a.m. (EDT) window reserved for Derby and
Oaks hopefuls.

Working first together were Florida Derby (G1) hero Materiality and Fountain
of Youth S. (G2) scorer Itsaknockout. The horses raced as a team through a half-mile in :48 with
fractions of :12, :23 3/5 and :35 3/5 while galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 and six furlongs
in 1:14 3/5. The moves were the seventh fastest of 78 at the distance. Javier
Castellano was on Materiality and Ezequiel Perez on Itsaknockout.

Following right behind in company were Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Stanford, with Isabelle Bourez
up, and Rebel S. (G2) second Madefromlucky with John
Velazquez aboard.

Fellow Pletcher trainee Itsaknockout worked in company with Materiality (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

“I am thinking that Belmont Park with its sweeping turns
might be a good fit for him,” Pletcher said.

The Churchill Downs pressbox later tweeted out that Pletcher confirmed
Madefromlucky will bypass Derby via text.

Velazquez has the mount on Pletcher’s other Derby hopeful Carpe Diem (Giant’s
Causeway). Javier Castellano
will ride Materiality and Luis Saez will have the mount on Itsaknockout.

Regarding Stanford, Pletcher said, “No decision has been made yet on running.
Florent Geroux rode him the last time in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and he would
be a possibility.”

With jockey Julien Leparoux aboard, Danzig Moon worked a half-mile in company in :48
4/5, posting fractions of :12 4/5, :25 and :37 while galloping out five furlongs
in 1:01 4/5. The Blue Grass S. (G1) runner-up worked with maiden
winner Bollente (More Than Ready).

“We just decided to get the work done and not worry about
it,” assistant trainer Norman Casse said of moving the work up a day for Danzig
Moon. “He always works in company and we just wanted a good, even work.

“His preparation could not be any better and I feel he has
moved up since the Blue Grass,” Casse added. “Other than (his fourth-placing in
the) Tampa Bay Derby (G2), he has run well every time. There were two reasons
for the Tampa Bay results; one, he didn’t handle the track at all and came back
with cuts on his hind legs and two or three days after that he came down with a
virus that may have affected the performance.”

Stanford completed Pletcher’s Derby workers on Friday after Madefromlucky was withdrawn from consideration (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

“I’m glad that we can put that behind us and now we can go
on and worry about something else,” Moquett said.

On the West Coast, stakes winner and Santa Anita Derby (G1) third-place finisher Bolo
(Temple City) worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 over Santa Anita’s fast main track on an overcast
Friday morning under Rafael Bejarano, who will ride the dark bay colt in
the Kentucky Derby a week from Saturday, May 2, at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Carla Gaines said the Kentucky-bred colt worked “perfectly” and will leave
Sunday for the Blue Grass State.

Also departing Sunday for trainer Bob Baffert will be unbeaten Santa Anita Derby
(G1) winner Dortmund, who is scheduled to breeze at Santa Anita
on Saturday. Sunland Derby (G3) romper Firing Line (Line of David) will depart
Sunday as well for conditioner Simon Callaghan.

In other Kentucky Derby news:

One who already began and completed the trip to Churchill on Friday is Grade
3 victor Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense).

The dark bay colt left trainer Jim Cassidy’s barn at Santa Anita at 4:15 a.m.
(PDT) bound for Kentucky on a H.E. Tex Sutton charter flight.
He was bedded down at Barn 41 at 2:40 p.m. (EDT).

Ocho Ocho Ocho is no stranger to traveling, having shipped to Keeneland for
the a third-place effort in the Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland on April 4
before heading back to Santa Anita. Though Cassidy was
disappointed by that effort he remains positive based on what he has seen in
back in California, including his charge’s Wednesday morning breeze of 1:13 3/5
for six furlongs,
handily, from the gate.

Weather will play a factor in when Tencendur has his breeze on Saturday (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

“Mother Nature is going to dictate,” trainer Mike Maker said of International
Star’s scheduled move. “If the weather is good we’ll go at 8:30 (a.m. [EDT]).”

If there are showers Saturday morning that muddy the track,
as currently expected, then International Star’s breeze would “most likely” be
pushed back to Sunday, the trainer said. Another possibility — less likely but
also under consideration — would be to train Saturday at Trackside Louisville as soon as
the track opens to beat the rain.

Exercise rider Blair Golen said that jockey Manny Franco will be in from New York
to breeze Tencendur, who will work in company with stablemate Wake Up in Malibu.
Trainer George Weaver typically sends Tencendur out with a workmate for his
breezes.

“We do that with him because he gets a little distracted out there by
himself and it just keeps him focused,” Golen said.

With rain in the forecast, Golen said Weaver has not decided what time he will have the colt do his
five-furlong work.

“We might go at 6 o’clock or we might go at 8:30,” he shrugged. “We’re going to keep an eye on the
weather. We’re all going to be here early and decide at 4:30 or 5 in the
morning.”