International Star, Mubtaahij put in final major moves for Derby

International Star brings a three-for-three sophomore mark into the Derby (Alexander Barkoff/Hodges Photography)

Louisiana Derby
(G2) winner International
Star (Fusaichi Pegasus), who tops the Kentucky Derby (G1) leaderboard with 171
points, recorded his final serious work in advance of the 141st Run for the
Roses early Saturday morning at trainer Mike Maker’s preferred local base, Trackside
Louisville training center.

With regular jockey Miguel Mena up, the bay colt officially clocked a
half-mile in :50 4/5 while working came in company with Nominative (Johar), a
four-year-old
allowance filly who recorded an identical time.

“We were out trying to beat the rain,” Maker said of the 6
a.m. (EDT) move. “It was a simple maintenance work and everything went well. He was
well within himself. He’s fit by now. We’re not going to do anything in the last
seven days that might put him ‘over the top.’ We’re ready to go.”

Trackside clockers recorded splits of :13, :25 1/5 and
:37 3/5 with a five-furlong gallop-out time of 1:06 1/5. Owner Ken Ramsey reported that
the work was intended as a five-furlong move, with an additional eighth past the
wire and around the first turn of the Trackside “bullring” (a six-furlong oval).

Mubtaahij took his second spin around Arlington on Saturday ahead of the KY Derby (Four Footed Fotos)

By midmorning International Star was relaxing in a
hydrotherapy spa that Ramsey installed at Trackside just for his top three-year-old.
The water is kept between 33 and 35 degrees and includes a salt solution that
helps to minimize heat and inflammation.

“He had it in Florida and loved it,”
Ramsey said. “When he first got to Trackside, after a few days Mike said he was
doing fine but he was missing his cold water spa. So I said, well, good grief,
we have to get one up there! It took a week to get permission to put one in but
we got his spa and last I heard this morning he was in it and enjoying it. I’m
doing all I can to win that Derby!”

Maker said International Star will van to Churchill Downs
Monday or Tuesday.

Umgiyo sailed over the Polytrack in advance of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (Four Footed Fotos)

Their system recorded Mubtaahij covering four furlongs in :49 3/5, with a final three furlongs in :35
1/5. The last quarter of the work was
timed in equal splits of :11 2/5, home in :23.

“I was very happy with both pieces of work,” assistant
trainer Trevor Brown said, also alluding to Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1)
hopeful and stablemate Umgiyo (Danehill Dancer) who was caught in :50 for the
same distance.

“They had a good blow out and were a bit more
intense than on Tuesday. They seemed to come out of it in good order and got
right into their food mangers afterward.”

De Kock, with a phalanx of runners at Turffontein
Racecourse on Saturday, the richest day in South African racing, pushed his
flights back a day and will arrive in Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday morning.