DYNAMIC ONE, KEEPMEINMIND LIGHT UP HEFTY KENTUCKY DERBY WORK TAB; COX FILLIES DRILL SHARP 5/8THS FOR KENTUCKY OAKS
LOUISVILLE, KY (Friday, April 23, 2021) – On a cool Kentucky morning, a total of 17 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses put in their final timed workouts before next weekend’s editions of the $3 million Derby and $1.25 million Oaks.
The fastest move of the morning was a half-mile drill in :46.20 by Keepmeinmind with Dynamic One, one of four Derby workers for Todd Pletcher, having the second-fastest clocking of the 108 at the distance in :47.80.
Other Derby workers for Pletcher were Bourbonic (half-mile in :49.60) and Known Agenda and Sainthood (five furlongs together in 1:01.
Other Derby workers were Caddo River (five furlongs in 1:00.60), Helium (half-mile in :49.80), Soup and Sandwich (half-mile in :50), Hozier (six furlongs in 1:16) and Starrininmydreams (five furlongs in 1:00.20).
Headlining the Kentucky Oaks workers were the Brad Cox-trained duo of Travel Column and Coach, both of whom covered five furlongs in 1:00.40.
Other Oaks workers were Search Results (five furlongs in 1:02.60), Malathaat (half-mile in :48.40), Will’s Secret (half-mile in :48.20), Ava’s Grace (half-mile in :49.20) and Competitive Speed (five furlongs in 1:02.40).
Working at 5:30 at Keeneland was Hidden Stash, who covered five furlongs in 1:00.60.
Scheduled to work at Churchill Downs Saturday morning for the Derby are Essential Quality, Mandaloun, Highly Motivated, Super Stock and King Fury. Scheduled to work for the Oaks are Crazy Beautiful and Millefeuille.
Other works involving Kentucky Derby hopefuls are scheduled on three fronts Saturday. Slated to work at Santa Anita are Rock Your World and Hot Rod Charlie; at San Luis Rey will be Get Her Number, and, at Keeneland, Like the King.
Maracuja is scheduled for her final Oaks work at Belmont Park.
BOURBONIC, DYNAMIC ONE, KNOWN AGENDA, SAINTHOOD – Trainer Todd Pletcher, seeking his third Kentucky Derby victory, put the final touches on his quartet of Derby 147 hopefuls with works Friday morning.
At 7:30, Pletcher worked St. Elias Stable’s Known Agenda and WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.’s Sainthood in company through five furlongs in 1:01 while Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Dynamic One worked a half-mile in :47.80 in company with the graded stakes-placed Prime Factor.
Florida Derby (GI) winner Known Agenda, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, worked inside of Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) runner-up Sainthood and Amelia Green through fractions of :12.60, :24.40, :36.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20. The five-eighths time was the 17th fastest of 50 at the distance.
“Known Agenda is not the most aggressive work horse,” Pletcher said. “He is not an Always Dreaming (the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner) that will work in :59. He has had two good works here (1:00.40 last Friday) and I liked the way Sainthood worked with him.”
Dynamic One, with jockey Jose Ortiz in the boot, posted fractions of :24.40 and :36.20 en route to a :47.80 half-mile that was the second fastest of 108 at the distance. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60 and six furlongs in 1:13.20.
“He finished full of energy with his ears pricked,” Pletcher said.
The final Pletcher runner to work was Calumet Farm’s Bourbonic who covered a half-mile on his own in :49.60 under exercise rider Hector Ramos.
Fractions on the work were :12.80, :24.40 and out five furlongs in 1:02.40. The work was the 71st fastest of 108 at the distance.
“He has been pretty aggressive in his gallops so we worked him by himself today,” Pletcher said. “It was a good steady work with a strong gallop out.
“It was a very good morning with excellent breezes going the way we hoped they would. That was the final piece of major work and now they will have routine gallops with some gate and paddock schooling.”
CADDO RIVER, ESSENTIAL QUALITY, MANDALOUN – Shortleaf Stable’s Caddo River completed his major preparation prior to the Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong drill in 1:00.60.
With Florent Geroux in the saddle, Caddo River worked in company with Warrant. Caddo River started two lengths behind his stablemate and clipped through fractions of :12.20, :23.80 and :47.60. Caddo River galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
“He’s a really solid horse and we saw that with a good effort in the Arkansas Derby,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He has a lot of speed as we’ve seen in his previous races.”
Cox’s other two Derby contenders, Mandaloun and likely favorite Essential Quality, are scheduled to work at 5:15 a.m. Saturday.
Geroux will work Mandaloun, who he will ride in the Derby, while Essential Quality’s regular exercise rider Edvin Vargas will likely be up for the work. Luis Saez has the call for the Derby.
DREAM SHAKE – Exline-Border Racing, SAF Racing and Richard Hausman’s Dream Shake will bypass the Kentucky Derby in favor of the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII), per trainer Peter Eurton.
GET HER NUMBER – Gary Barber’s Get Her Number is scheduled to work for trainer Peter Miller at San Luis Rey Saturday morning.
HELIUM, SOUP AND SANDWICH – D J Stable’s Helium and Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Soup and Sandwich completed their final Derby preparations Friday morning for trainer Mark Casse. Helium, a son of Ironicus, hit the track at 5:25 under Julien Leparoux and went four furlongs in company with fellow 3-year-old Laker Mamba in :49.80, while galloping out five furlongs in 1:03. Soup and Sandwich, under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, was on the track at 7:30 during the designated 15-minute training period for Derby and Oaks horses and worked four furlongs in company with 4-year-old graded stakes winner Peace Achieved in :50, while galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:03.60.
“Very happy with both of them,” Casse’s assistant David Carroll said. “I thought Helium’s work was good; he’s a very smooth-moving horse. He’s the better work horse of the two and he went absolutely beautiful; in hand the whole way, just waiting for Julien to ask him. He just stretched his legs but that’s all we were looking for.
“Soup and Sandwich was a little rank going to the pole but he’s a horse that likes to train. We only jogged him two miles the other day so he was a little fresh. He was anxious to get going but once he broke off he was very smooth the whole way, switched leads, galloped out nicely, and came home great; you couldn’t ask for anything better.
“These were the works we wanted for the final pieces of works. Both horses are in great shape so hopefully we have a good week and we have a good draw.”
HIDDEN STASH – BBN Racing’s Hidden Stash worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.80 over a fast track shortly after the track opened at Keeneland Friday morning.
“We decided to work this morning and beat the rain that is forecast and he worked great,” trainer Vicki Oliver said.
With exercise rider Darragh Sweeney aboard, Hidden Stash started three lengths in back of Esperer (FR), a 3-year-old maiden, and finished four lengths in front.
“He is going to jog and stand in the gate tomorrow and walk Sunday,” said Oliver, who was aboard Hidden Stash’s workmate. “He will gallop Monday and Tuesday and ship to Churchill after he trains Tuesday morning.”
HIGHLY MOTIVATED – Klaravich Stables’ Highly Motivated came out onto the track under Peter Roman at 6:07 and galloped about 1 ½ miles. The son of Into Mischief was second, beaten a neck, by champion Essentially Quality in the Blue Grass (GII) at Keeneland in what was his two-turn debut for trainer Chad Brown.
“I’m probably going to work him five-eighths tomorrow,” Brown said. “He’s a horse that carries a lot of conditioning on him. He’s a big, strong heavy guy that can handle a pretty solid work tomorrow. I was proud of him in the Blue Grass and I think it’s a race he can build off of.”
HOT ROD CHARLIE – Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and Strauss Bros Racing’s Hot Rod Charlie is scheduled to work Saturday morning at Santa Anita and ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday for trainer Doug O’Neill.
HOZIER, MEDINA SPIRIT – Rebel Stakes (GII) runner-up Hozier worked six furlongs in 1:16 under jockey Rafael Bejarano.
Working on his own after 9 o’clock, the Bob Baffert trainee produced fractions of :12.80, :25.20, :37.80, 1:03.20 and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:29.
Stablemate Medina Spirit, owned by Zedan Racing Stables, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 Thursday morning at Santa Anita and arrived at Churchill Downs Friday afternoon.
LIKE THE KING – M Racing Group’s Like the King is scheduled to work at Keeneland at 7:30 Saturday morning for trainer Wesley Ward.
KEEPMEINMIND – Spendthrift Farm, Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith’s Keepmeinmind blitzed a half-mile in :46.20, the fastest of 108 at the distance over a fast track Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
With jockey David Cohen aboard, Keepmeinmind posted fractions of :22.80, :34.40 and galloped out five furlongs in :59.20 while working in company with Shasta Star.
“I am very happy with both of them,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro whose Ava’s Grace worked for the Kentucky Oaks just prior to Keepmeinmind’s breeze. “He worked really good today and he loves the track here, too.”
While Diodoro was watching the work from the backstretch, connections at Spendthrift were watching the work on Twitter.
“I just got a text from them, ‘very sharp’,” Diodoro said.
Keepmeinmind, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) here last fall, is No. 22 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and would need two defections to make the field of 20.
“It is a tough spot,” Diodoro said. “If we don’t get in, we will train here for the Preakness.”
KING FURY – Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm’s King Fury galloped 1 ½ miles with exercise rider Lalo Jose Quiroz during the time reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses, trainer Kenny McPeek said. “He fully galloped, we shortened (Kentucky Oaks probable Crazy Beautiful’s) gallop a little.”
The colt, winner of the Lexington at Keeneland in his most recent start, is expected to complete his final workout on Saturday. The possibility of rain in the weather forecast for Saturday doesn’t concern McPeek.
“Rain shouldn’t bother him,” McPeek said. “They (King Fury and Crazy Beautiful) both like the mud, so I think they’ll be fine. We can push it back to Sunday, if we need to. Now we just need to get in.”
King Fury is at No. 21 on the Derby points leaderboard, and will need a shakeup of the top 20 to make the field when drawn Tuesday.
MIDNIGHT BOURBON, SUPER STOCK – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Midnight Bourbon and Erv Woolsey’s and Keith Asmussen’s Super Stock had another leisurely morning for trainer Steve Asmussen, with the former looking visually impressive while galloping 1 ¼ miles, while the latter went 1 3/8 miles. Midnight Bourbon will have his final Derby work Monday, while Super Stock figures to beat any potential rain with an early move Saturday.
O BESOS – Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry L. Stephens’ O Besos walked trainer Greg Foley’s Barn 11 shedrow Friday morning
He’s expected to go back to the track early Saturday.
ROCK YOUR WORLD – Hronis Racing and David Talla’s Rock Your World is scheduled to work Saturday morning at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler and ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday.
STARRININMYDREAMS – Stewart Racing and WinStar Farm’s third-place Lexington Stakes (GIII) finisher Starrininmydreams worked a swift five furlongs in 1:00.40 through splits of :12.60, :24.80 with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:14.20.
He’s currently No. 23 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby preference list.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 1 in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat, Doug O’Neill); Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Rock Your World (Joel Rosario, John Sadler); Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert); Midnight Bourbon (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen); Mandaloun (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Caddo River (TBA, Brad Cox); Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano, Chad Brown); Helium (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse); Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse); Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Sainthood (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley); Get Her Number (TBA, Peter Miller).
Possible starters within the Top 20 on the preference list: Hozier (TBA, Bob Baffert).
Next up in order of preference: King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Starrininmydreams (TBA, Dallas Stewart).
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE – Headlining seven Kentucky Oaks workers were the Brad Cox-trained duo of Travel Column and Coach, both of whom covered five furlongs in 1:00.40.
Other Oaks workers were Search Results (five furlongs in 1:02.60), Malathaat (half-mile in :48.40), Will’s Secret (half-mile in :48.20), Ava’s Grace (half-mile in :49.20) and Competitive Speed (five furlongs in 1:02.40).
AVA’S GRACE – Cypress Creek Equine’s Ava’s Grace, with jockey David Cohen aboard, worked a half-mile in :49.20 at 5:30 Friday morning shortly after the track opened for training.
Ava’s Grace produced fractions of :24.60 and :49.20, galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.60. The half-mile move was the 51st fastest of 108 at the distance.
“I am very happy with the work and she has settled in well here,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro, who flew into town with Cohen for the work before heading back to Oaklawn Park for the Friday afternoon program.
Diodoro plans to return to Louisville on Monday with Cohen flying in Thursday night for the Oaks mount the following day.
CLAIRIERE, PAULINE’S PEARL – Stonestreet Stables’ homebreds Clairiere and Pauline’s Pearl both galloped 1 ¼ miles and will have their final Oaks works Sunday.
COACH, TRAVEL COLUMN – Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) winner Travel Column and Fantasy (GIII) third-place finisher Coach completed their major work prior to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) Friday morning breezing at 5:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., respectively.
Travel Column, with Florent Geroux aboard, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 outside of Australasia through opening fractions of :12.40, :24 and :48.20. The duo galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.
During the exclusive Derby and Oaks training window, Coach worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 outside of Adventuring through splits of :11.80, :23.20, :35.80 and :47.60. They completed six furlongs in 1:14.
“With it being both of their last works, we weren’t looking for anything major,” trainer Brad Cox said. “They both like the surface here at Churchill and got over it well. They’re two quality fillies that I think will run a top effort in the Oaks.”
Geroux has the call on Travel Column while Luis Saez will ride Coach.
COMPETITVE SPEED – John Minchello’s Competitive Speed worked five furlongs on her own in 1:02.40 shortly after 7:30.
With exercise rider Anthony Gallo aboard, Competitive Speed galloped once around and when the work traffic from other Derby and Oaks hopefuls subsided she posted fractions of :12.60, :25.40, :37.60, :50.20 and 1:02.40. The move was the 42nd fastest of 50 at the distance.
“I saw the last part of it (from the grandstand) and she finished strong and had a nice gallop out,” trainer Javier Gonzalez said of the Gulfstream Park-based filly. “The rider was very happy with her and says she feels stronger here.”
Gonzalez said the filly would have a walk day Saturday and return to the track Sunday. Gonzalez said via text that Chris Landeros would have the Oaks mount.
CRAZY BEAUTIFUL – Phoenix Thoroughbred LTD’s Crazy Beautiful, galloped with exercise rider Danny Ramsey aboard during the 15-minute period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks hopefuls, as she put in a little less than her typical 1 ½ miles.
Trainer Kenny McPeek was pleased with her effort, and said he still plans to have her work Saturday morning. The filly is third on the Oaks leaderboard, after winning the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her most recent outing. A weather disruption on Saturday would push back her work to Sunday, McPeek said.
MALATHAAT – Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat, working in company with recent maiden winner Ghazaaly, worked a half-mile in :48.40 with jockey John Velazquez aboard during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses.
Working on the inside, Malathaat produced fractions of :12.60, :24.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80. The half-mile move was the 21st fastest of 108 at the distance.
“She’s a star,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the undefeated filly. “Johnny said she handled the track well.”
MILLEFEUILLE – Juddmonte Farms’ Millefeuille visited the paddock and then galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Ailsa Morrison.
Trainer Bill Mott said Millefeuille would work Saturday morning.
MORAZ – Don Alberto Stable’s Moraz worked a half-mile at Santa Anita Friday morning in :48.20 for trainer Michael McCarthy. She is scheduled to ship to Louisville on Sunday.
SEARCH RESULTS – Klaravich Stables’ Search Results, undefeated in three starts for trainer Chad Brown, including the April 3 Gazelle (GIII) at Aqueduct, had some classy company as she completed her last major work for the Oaks. The daughter of Flatter walked onto the track at 7:34 with her stablemate, the grade 1-winning millionaire Dunbar Road, who starts in Friday’s La Troienne (GI). The pair went five furlongs in a comfortable 1:02.60, which gave Brown plenty of reason for encouragement.
“I gave her an easy work by design,” Brown said. “She’s coming back in four weeks so she’s very, very fit. I liked the way she went and she really seemed to get over the ground. I just wanted to get her used to the track a bit and she came back bouncing around when we untacked her. I wanted to bring her in there sound and happy and I think we’re well on our way to doing that.
“She doesn’t normally work with Dunbar Road, they’ve been in different places, but I just go with the roster I have,” Brown said. “With both horses running two turns on the dirt next Friday, they were a real good match. They were right together and perfect, but in fairness, it was an easy work and anyone could have stayed with anyone. Dunbar Road has run here before and the other filly hasn’t been here very long, so with this particular horse, where she’s at in her development, I thought it was important.
“She’s got a nice solid mile and an eighth race into her in the Gazelle,” Brown said. “She ran quite fast at Aqueduct, faster than the boys in the Wood (GII) on the same card (1:54.14 to 1:54.49), so that’s a pretty good indicator of how fit she is and what she potentially got out of that race. So, I just wanted to get her over the track, and they galloped out really well. I got them galloping out in 1:15 (for six furlongs) and her ears were up and I was really happy with it.
“The dynamics of the Oaks figure a lot different than the Gazelle (Search Results was just a length off a half-mile in 50.09),” Brown said. “This filly, much like our Derby horse Highly Motivated, has good early tactical speed. They have shown they can be on the lead at any point, but are probably a touch better with a target. So, with speed signed up in the Oaks—there looks like there are some horses and I’ve seen some quick breezes here too—if somebody goes out there and she can lay in close proximity, that’s my ideal trip. Of course, whether you get your ideal trip in a horse race, is to be determined, but that’s what I’d like to see.”
WILL’S SECRET – Willis Horton’s Honeybee (GIII) winner Will’s Secret worked a half-mile in :48.20 in company with stablemate Take Charge Lorin.
The duo began the breeze through an opening quarter-mile fraction of :23 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, April 30 in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Search Results (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Crazy Beautiful (Jose Ortiz, Kenny McPeek); Pauline’s Pearl (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Malathaat (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Clairiere (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); Will’s Secret (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart); Millefeuille (Joel Rosario, Bill Mott); Moraz (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy); Ava’s Grace (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Pass the Champagne (Javier Castellano, George Weaver); Maracuja (Kendrick Carmouche, Rob Atras); Competitive Speed (Chris Landeros, Javier Gonzalez); Coach (Luis Saez, Brad Cox).
Next up in order of preference: Moon Swag (TBA, Brendan Walsh); Army Wife (TBA, Mike Maker); Spritz (TBA, Rodolphe Brisset); Oliviaofthedesert (TBA, Kenny McPeek).
.svg){kind=logo}
