LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Pioneer of Medina made the news here Friday when forced to miss a scheduled workout due to an issue with some blood work. Pioneer of Medina, the Louisiana Derby third-place finisher, was in the spotlight again on Monday as the only potential Derby starter to work during the special 15-minute training session reserved for Derby and Oaks candidates each morning at 7:30 a.m. at Churchill Downs. The weather was again unseasonably warm here Monday, but that is subject to change in the days ahead with temperatures expected to dip into the low 40s by the time the track reopens for training on Tuesday morning. Pioneer of Medina wasted little time getting out to the track and beginning his work for Todd Pletcher, which came in company with stablemate Macallan, a 3-year-old maiden special weight winner earlier this season at Tampa Bay Downs. Working nearest the rail, Pioneer of Medina posted early splits of 24.40 and 35.42 for the opening three-eighths, finishing up five furlongs in 59.75 on even terms with his mate while going easily throughout. He was then set down to continue another full quarter-mile around the turn, maintaining a narrow advantage after seven-eighths in 1:25.58 before finally easing up a mile in 1:40.47. There was nothing here to suggest the slight hiccup in his schedule over the weekend should be any cause for concern. Ethereal Road will still need some help to crack the Derby lineup, as he sits in 23rd position on the qualifying points list. But trainer D. Wayne Lukas is proceeding as if he will get in, sending the graded stakes-placed son of Quality Road out to work five furlongs in 1:02.23 here well before dawn. Working solo, Ethereal Road posted a 36.66 opening three-eighths split and was going easily enough but without any real serious energy coming to the wire or after being prodded to complete six furlongs on the gallop-out in a modest 1:16.09. :: Get Derby Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the DRF Clocker Team to access exclusive insights from the morning workouts Among the potential Derby runners to train during the special session were the Pletcher duo of Mo Donegal and Charge It, who went back to the track for the first time since a sharp work here on Friday. They were joined by the Ken McPeek pair of Tiz the Bomb and Smile Happy, Zozos, Summer Is Tomorrow and Crown Pride, the Japanese invader returning to training just 24 hours after putting in a solid half-mile work here Sunday. Zozos made a particularly favorable impression today while coming down the stretch with his head cocked outward in much the same manner as during his strong work on Friday. Smile Happy got very warm in the coat, just as he had when breezing in company with Tiz the Bomb 48 hours earlier. Zandon, who is expected to vie for favoritism with Epicenter in the Derby, shipped to Churchill Downs on Sunday and waited until 9:30 before coming out for a leisurely jog once around the mile oval, two days after an eye-catching work Saturday at Keeneland. :: Get Kentucky Derby Betting Strategies for exclusive wager recommendations, contender profiles, pedigree analysis, and more About a half hour before he sent out Ethereal Road, Lukas had Secret Oath work six furlongs almost immediately after the track opened for business at 5:15 a.m. Breaking off at the 5 1/2-furlong pole, Secret Oath, among the leading candidates for the Oaks, completed the distance in 1:13.19, tiring during the latter stages while completing her drill a sixteenth of a mile past the finish line before easing up seven-eighths in 1:28.71.