Tampa Bay Derby (G2) hero Quip polished off his major preparations for the Preakness (G1) by reeling off a half-mile in :48.20 at Keeneland Sunday.
Having the track to himself at 6:30 a.m. (EDT), the Distorted Humor colt strode out beneath trainer Rodolphe Brisset. After a first quarter in :24.40, he picked it up to clock :23.80 for the second quarter and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60.
“He did exactly what we wanted and exactly his usual half-mile, out five-eighths,” Brisset said. “There was nothing fancy. We don’t need anything fancy anyway. We’re ready. He’s fit.
“We let him go off a little faster than :25 and came home in :23, and he galloped out (six furlongs) in 1:12 2/5. That’s his usual. He was by himself. We didn’t want to do more than this.”
A WinStar Farm homebred campaigned in partnership with China Horse Club and SF Racing, Quip has overlapping ownership with Kentucky Derby (G1) hero – and Preakness rival – Justify. He had more than enough points to compete in Derby 144, but connections preferred to freshen him in the wake of his runner-up effort in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
“He’s shown all the signs that he is back to his own self,” Brisset said. “The race in Arkansas and the trip was pretty hard on him. We gave him an easy week and a half after the Arkansas Derby. We didn’t lose anything because he has been galloping on a daily basis.
“Then we decided to pick the weather last week – breezing on Thursday (May 3) before the Kentucky Derby to beat the rain. That gives us a good 10 days between his last breeze and this one today. It’s good timing. Now we don’t have to do anything much, just keep him on his basic, regular galloping.”
Although Quip’s tactical speed suggests he’ll be close early, Brisset is awaiting Wednesday’s draw before discussing the scenarios with jockey Florent Geroux.
“I think the (post position) draw is important, even if it’s a short field,” the trainer said. “The draw will determine what kind of plan we can come up with Florent. I don’t think we need to overthink it, either. Hopefully, everybody will have a clean trip, and then we go from there.”
Brisset is already quite familiar with Justify. The WinStar team had sent the future Derby winner to his barn at Keeneland to limber up a bit more before shipping out to Bob Baffert.
“Since he (won) the Derby, it would be lying to say we knew what the horse was going to be,” Brisset said of Justify. “Now, saying that, the horse was forward. He was a pleasure to be around. He never (took) one bad step. For sure, looking at him body-wise and his mind, you could have guessed something was in him.”
Over at Churchill Downs, D. Wayne Lukas intended for both of his Preakness contenders to work. Bravazo complied, but the mercurial Sporting Chance did not.
According to Daily Racing Form’s Marty McGee, Sporting Chance refused a few times before the team went to Plan B, and the Hopeful (G1) winner consented just to gallop about 1 1/2 miles. Lukas reported that he won’t try to breeze him again before the Preakness. The Tiznow colt comes off a troubled fourth in the Pat Day Mile (G3) on Derby Day.
Meanwhile, stablemate Bravazo was a much more willing pupil as he negotiated a half in :50.60, right in the zone his Hall of Fame trainer prescribed.
The Risen Star (G2) winner who was a useful sixth in the Kentucky Derby, Bravazo recorded fractions of:13, :25.40 and :38 and galloped out five in 1:04.80, Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols reported.
“I don’t know what the splits were, have no idea,” Lukas said. “I don’t pay any attention to that. I just want to see how they go. What were the splits? Had to be slow first.
“He just ran eight days ago. He doesn’t need much.”
Unlike Quip and Justify who fly out on Wednesday, Team Lukas will van to Pimlico at 3:30 a.m. Monday.
Also at Churchill later Monday morning, Tenfold is set to breeze an easy half-mile in keeping with Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s typical pattern on the week of the race. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred was fifth in his stakes debut in the Arkansas Derby.
At Parx, Federico Tesio winner Diamond King worked five-eighths Sunday in company with Colonel Juan, each timed in 1:01.51 on the sloppy track. Regular rider Frankie Pennington, who will hand over the reins to Javier Castellano in the Preakness, was aboard as Diamond King galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.53.
“Everything went super, very good. It was exactly what I was looking for,” trainer John Servis said. “I told him I was looking for around 1:01 and then let him gallop out on his own…so it was right on the money.
“He went in company today because he works better in company than he does by himself. He can be a bit lazy. I’m very happy with him. I’m tickled to death. I think he’s doing great.”
Servis also commented on the track condition, and his relief at getting the work in Sunday instead of having to postpone it a day.
“Very much so,” he said. “It was a sealed racetrack. It wasn’t the best racetrack in the world but the bottom was good. I would have preferred a fast racetrack, but for a wet track it was very good, actually.
“He’ll walk tomorrow and then I’ll just play it by ear after that,” Servis added regarding shipping plans for the colt, who along with the other Preakness runners must be at Pimlico by noon Friday. “I’ll see how he comes out of this work and how everything is and adjust his schedule accordingly.”
Like other horsemen seeking to challenge Justify in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, Servis has healthy respect for the Derby winner.
“He’s very impressive. Especially as good as he did it, and as good as he looks, it’s just hard to imagine that was only his fourth start,” he said. “He’s a good horse. He might be a great horse. I think we’re finding that out.”
Quip will love the mud justify better have his best shoes on.