Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Kentucky Derby Contenders Work at Churchill Downs Thursday
Posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Lane’s End Stakes (GII) winner Adriano galloped 2 miles under exercise rider Alice Clapham Thursday morning after visiting the starting gate and schooling in the paddock in preparation for a start in Saturday’s 2008 Kentucky Derby (GI).
Courtlandt Farms’ Adriano, who was scheduled to return to the paddock during Thursday afternoon’s racing program, will break in the first stall in the auxiliary starting gate from the No. 15 post position – inside speedsters Big Brown, Recapturetheglory and Gayego.
Hall of Fame jockey-elect Edgar Prado, who rode him to an impressive victory in the Lane’s End over Turfway Park’s Polytrack surface, will have the return mount aboard Adriano.
Anak Nakal & Cool Coal Man
Anak Nakal and Cool Coal Man man galloped 1 1/2 miles Thursday morning at Churchill Downs after schooling in the paddock to the satisfaction of trainer Nick Zito. Four Roses Thoroughbreds’ Anak Nakal was ridden by Heather Stark, while Megan Smillie galloped Cool Coal Man.
Horse trainer Nick Zito had no complaints about the post positions he selected Wednesday with the seventh and 18th picks, which resulted in the No. 3 (Anak Nakal) and No. 1 post (Cool Coal Man). Although the rail post position hasn’t produced a winner since 1986 (Ferdinand) and is generally avoided by trainers at the selection ceremony, Zito didn’t have much choice for his Fountain of Youth (GII) winner Cool Coal Man.
“I think we’re OK. For him, it’s certainly better than 20 or 19. That worked out as good as we could with what we had,” said Zito, who saddled Kentucky Derby winners Strike the Gold (1991) and Go for Gin (1994). “Anak Nakal got a good post, so that worked out too.”
Cool Coal Man will be ridden in the 2008 Kentucky Derby by Julien Leparoux, while Rafael Bejarano will be aboard Anak Nakal.
Big Brown
The last timed work for a horse entered in Kentucky Derby 134 was turned in Thursday by morning-line favorite Big Brown, who covered three furlongs in :35.40.
The unbeaten colt owned by IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr., went to the track at 8:30 a.m., just following the renovation break. The son of Boundary turned in fractional times for the eighth-of-a-mile segments of :12 and :23.80 under exercise rider Michelle Nevin.
Horse trainer Rick Dutrow said he didn’t know if people were making too much out of his horse’s post position. At the post position draw Wednesday, Dutrow passed on two deep inside positions, as well as 18 and 19 to select 20, the farthest outside spot. He said he and the owners were not concerned about the post.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux guided Big Brown to a decisive victory in the Florida Derby (GI) from the far outside post.
Big Truck & Tale of Ekati
Big Truck enjoyed an uneventful 1 1/2-mile gallop under exercise rider Kristen Troxell Thursday morning. Stablemate Tale of Ekati’s scheduled 1 1/2 -mile gallop did not proceed without incident.
“He had to be pulled up because of a loose horse on the track,” horse trainer Barclay Tagg said, “so he only galloped about a mile-and-a-quarter. But everything’s OK.”
Tale of Ekati, who captured the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct in his last start, is owned by geologist and diamond-mind explorer Charles Fipke who owns a large band of broodmares and the Darby Dan stallion Perfect Soul, as well as 30 horses in training.
Tale of Ekati is the first and only horse that he’s given Tagg to train.
Bob Black Jack
The Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up, Bob Black Jack, was out for a mile and one-half gallop with exercise rider Joe Deegan just prior to the mid-morning renovation break.
Bob Black Jack, a California-bred son of the Bertrando sire Stormy Jack who races for horse trainer James Kasparoff’s brother Tim and partner Jeff Harmon, will be ridden Saturday by veteran Richard Migliore.
They drew post No. 13 in the 20-horse lineup with the logical “speed” horses all positioned outside them.
Colonel John
Following the Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner’s trip to the track Thursday morning, trainer Eoin Harty delivered another upbeat review.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen since I got here and I have no reason to change my opinion,” Harty said.
Colonel John went to the track shortly after training resumed at 8:30 a.m. following the renovation break. Harty had the WinStar Farm homebred and second choice in the Kentucky Derby morning line visit the gate for a while before galloping about 1 1/2 miles.
Colonel John is Harty’s first Kentucky Derby starter as a head trainer. The 45-year-old native of Dublin, Ireland, is no Kentucky Derby rookie, though. He was Bob Baffert’s assistant when Baffert finished second in 1996 with Cavonnier and won the Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998.
Horse trainer Eoin Harty said that experience in the 1990s has told him that Colonel John is ready for America’s biggest race, the 2008 Kentucky Derby.
Harty had an early selection in the post position draw and placed Colonel John in post 10 in the field of 20. Jockey Corey Nakatani rides Colonel John in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby 134.
Court Vision & Z Humor
Trips to the paddock and gallops of 1 1/2 miles were on the morning menu around the stable of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Both Wood Memorial (GI) third-place finisher Court Vision and Illinois Derby (GII) third-place finisher Z Humor were reported to be in excellent shape two days out from Derby 134.
Court Vision will race with blinkers on for the first time on Saturday. He has been outfitted with blinkers in two spirited Kentucky Derby workouts at Churchill Downs.
IEAH Stable and WinStar Farm’s Court Vision will try to give the nation’s top stakes-winning jockey, Garrett Gomez, his first Triple Crown race victory. Court Vision starts in post No. 4 and is 20-1 on the morning line.
Meanwhile, Z Humor continues to look sharp in his morning gallops while under the radar of his higher-profile stablemate.
Zayat Stables’ Z Humor will break from post 11 in Saturday’s main event with Rene Douglas in the saddle. Douglas never has won the Derby, but did win the 1996 Belmont Stakes aboard Editor’s Note. Z Humor opens at 30-1 in the morning line.
Cowboy Cal & Monba
The Todd Pletcher-trained duo, Cowboy Cal and Monba, got their first leg-stretchers at Churchill Downs this year Thursday morning with exercise rider Patti Krotenko aboard both for mile-and-a-quarter gallops.
Monba, who races under the banner of Starlight Stable, Lucarelli and Saylor and will break from post No. 14 in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field, was out first at 6 a.m. Cowboy Cal, the Stonerside Stable runner who will come from post No. 17 Saturday, followed at about 6:30.
In Kentucky Derby 134, Monba will be handled by Ramon Dominguez, while Cowboy Cal has the saddle services of John Velazquez.
Denis of Cork
Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s Denis of Cork visited the starting gate and then galloped a mile and a half with trainer David Carroll up after the renovation break Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.
Horse trainer David Carroll, who never has had a Kentucky Derby starter, said Denis of Cork may school at the gate again in the morning.
Denis of Cork will break from post position 16 under jockey Calvin Borel, who rode last year’s Kentuck Derby winner Street Sense to victory.
Eight Belles
Trainer Larry Jones was aboard Fox Hill Farm’s Eight Belles on Thursday morning, taking her to the paddock prior to a half-mile jog and a half-mile gallop.
Horse trainer Larry Jones and Fox Hill’s Rick Porter selected post position five for Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby, in part to give her more time in the starting gate.
Jones campaigned Fox Hill Farm’s Hard Spun last year through the Triple Crown, so he’s no stranger to the excitement of Kentucky Derby week and all that ensues.
Wayne Lukas was the last trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with a filly, Winning Colors in 1988. Horse trainer Leroy Jolley sent out filly Genuine Risk to win the 1980 Run for the Roses.
Jones feels fortunate to get the feedback from those two trainers, but hasn’t been able to channel James Rowe Sr., trainer of Regret the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 1915.
Jones is in the enviable position of attempting an Kentucky Oaks / Kentucky Derby double, as he also sends out Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. Two trainers in history have pulled off the feat, including the legendary Ben Jones in 1949 and 1952.
There is no relation between Ben Jones and Larry Jones (nor Brereton Jones, for that matter).
Gayego
The Arkansas Derby (Gr. II) winner, Gayego, who races in the silks of Cubanacan Stables, had a day off Thursday and only walked the shed at Barn 33. Trainer Paulo Lobo, the Brazilian whose methods may be a bit different – but have proven very effective – felt that was the right way to go with his energetic son of Gilded Time.
“He’s done enough and he’s plenty ready,” Lobo said. “He’s ready; very ready.”
Pyro & Z Fortune
Trainer Steve Asmussen broke from his normal, predawn pattern just a bit Thursday morning with his Kentucky Derby 134 contenders, Pyro and Z Fortune, taking them to the track around 7:15 a.m. for their morning regimen. Each schooled in the starting gate and galloped an easy mile while on the track in tandem.
Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro was feeling good, bouncing and prancing over the Churchill Downs surface. Zayat Stables’ Z Fortune was the more laid-back of the duo. Asmussen said both handled their gate lessons well and are slated to school in the paddock this afternoon along with the field for race seven.
Pyro was installed the 6-1 third choice in Mike Battaglia’s Kentucky Derby 134 morning line. He will break from post nine under Shaun Bridgmohan, who will be out to notch his first victory in a Triple Crown race.
Z Fortune will start from post position No. 6 in the Kentucky Derby and will have Robby Albarado in the irons seeking his first Kentucky Derby victory and second career score in a Triple Crown race. He piloted the Asmussen-trained Curlin to last year’s Preakness Stakes score. Z Fortune opens at 15-1 on the morning line.
Recapturetheglory
It looked like a backyard football game around the Louie Roussel III barn Thursday morning as the Illinois Derby (GII) winner’s trainer and jockey drew their Kentucky Derby 134 race strategies in the dirt. Roussel diagrammed the break with his car keys as he and his Derby rookie rider, E.T. Baird, discussed what might happen in the early stages of the race.
Afterward, Baird commented on what it’s like to be in his first Kentucky Derby and what the potential Derby pace scenario might look like.
“It’s a fantastic experience and time for me, especially since I’ve never been here before,” Baird said. “I’ve ridden races at Churchill Downs, but the Derby is a different game. But you have to remember as a rider that it’s just another horse race and ride your horse accordingly.”
“I can only ride my horse and feel the way he’s running,” jockey E.T. Baird continued. “With those other horses outside of me (Gayego and Big Brown, who also have good early speed), we’ll just have to see how things fall out of the gate. Louie and I just ran through different scenarios and you have to ready for anything.”
Recapturetheglory galloped two miles and is expected to school in the paddock Friday afternoon. He breaks from post No. 18 on Saturday and opens at 20-1 on the morning line.
Smooth Air
Mount Joy Stable’s homebred Smooth Air blew out three-eighths of a mile in an easy :38.20 Thursday morning under exercise rider Susie Milne.
Smooth Air never has been worse than third in seven starts and horse trainer Bennie Stutts Jr Stutts said, “He has honest form. He’s run over three different tracks. And from what I see here (at Churchill Downs), he’s running on top of the dirt, just floating over it. I want him to come out of this race the way he’s going into it. If he hits the board, I’ll be tickled to death.”
Commenting on Smooth Air’s second-place finish behind the popular Big Brown in the Florida Derby, Stutts described the event as if it were two races in one. “Big Brown won the ‘first’ Florida Derby; we won the ’second’ one by 7 1/2 lengths.”
Stutts, 70 and a third-generation horseman, was at Churchill Downs only one other time in his life. “In 1959, I watched the Kentucky Derby from the backstretch sitting on top of a car.”
Visionaire
After drawing the outside post in both the Gotham Stakes (GII) at Aqueduct and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland, Visionaire was picked as the first horse for which a post position would be selected for the Kentucky Derby. Wednesday’s good fortune has made horse trainer Michael Matz happy about Saturday’s race.
“You’re darn right (I’m happy),” Matz said. Visionaire will break from post eight, the same post that launched Barbaro’s 6 1/2-length victory for the trainer in 2006.
Now Matz is hoping for a clean trip for Visionaire, a son of Grand Slam who races for Team Valor International and Vision Racing LLC.
Visionaire, who jogged a mile and stood in the starting gate on Thursday, is 20-1 on the morning line. He again will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
Edited from www.kentuckyderby.com.
"Kentucky Derby Contenders Work at Churchill Downs Thursday" was posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 11:33 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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