2023 Kentucky Derby Clocker Report: Confidence Game makes an appearance

Churchill Downs
Friday, April 28
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 54
Track: Sealed/Sloppy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hopefully, we’ll all be as accurate with our Derby selections as the weathermen were when predicting the heavy rainfall that passed through the Louisville area Thursday night into early Friday morning, allowing trainers to accurately adjust their workout schedules for those key final Derby preps, the majority of which will now take place here Saturday morning.

As a result of the weather and resulting track conditions – sealed and sloppy or muddy depending on the time of morning – activity on the local front was confined primarily to routine gallops. Nearly all of that activity came during the 7:30 a.m.-7:45 a.m. window reserved for Derby-Oaks contenders, save for Angel of Empire, who came out, as usual, immediately after the track opened to do little more than jog a mile the wrong way on the outside rail.

It was good to see Confidence Game back on the track this morning after being conspicuous by his absence during training hours for the better part of the past week. He look sharp turning in a lively gallop while pounding his way over the packed-down footing in preparation for a scheduled Saturday work – his first since April 14.

Tapit Trice always seems to catch the eye during his regular morning gallops, certainly more so than stablemate and Derby favorite Forte, who along with Kingsbarns and Major Dude were among the first to train once the racetrack reopened following the renovation break.

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Mage seems to have adjusted nicely to his new surroundings since arriving locally on Monday. He briefly visited the paddock Friday before turning in a more leisurely gallop than the previous morning when he actually two-minute licked it down the stretch and into the clubhouse turn.

It was an easy day, at least relatively speaking, for both Derma Sotogake and Continuar 48 hours removed from having worked in company Wednesday. The pair entered the track as usual at 6:50 a.m. and did their thing in the mile chute for nearly an hour before heading home without visiting the main track to gallop this morning.

All the works on Friday took place out of town, with Lord Miles working five furlongs in company at Gulfstream Park and both Practical Move and Reincarnate getting in their final Derby trials a couple of hours later at Santa Anita.

Lord Miles broke off a couple of lengths behind his regular workmate Apocalypso, took some dirt on the turn, got even while fanning wide into the stretch, and held a slight edge going easiest to the wire before looking just average on the gallop-out. I timed him off the XBTV feed in 25.97 seconds, 38.07, and 1:02.39, up in 1:15.58. He is scheduled to arrive here Sunday.

Practical Move made a very strong visual appearance while pretty much in maintenance mode, just cruising along while kept off the rail into the stretch and remaining calm and composed while readily running down an inadvertent target approaching the wire. He completed five furlongs in 59.40 per Daily Racing Form clocker Toby Turrell and looked good continuing out six panels in 1:11.60 before easing up seven-eighths in just an average 1:26.20.

Turrell said the work had the same look and feel as several others prior to his original comeback race and subsequent victory in the San Felipe. A son of Practical Joke, his ability to get that final quarter-mile is likely the key to his Derby success.

Reincarnate worked in company with maiden winner Mr Fisk (wearing a Baffert towel) and appeared a bit rank leaving the pole before settling down some along the way. I timed him off the video in 23.15 and 46.59 from the half, going easily to the wire and continuing out slightly best nearest the rail under some urging in 58.95, up six furlongs in 1:12.15. He figures to be a major pace presence in the Derby off this move.

Belmont Park

Promiseher America, the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 49.77 on Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track, her last piece of serious work before she runs in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

According to trainer Ray Handal, Promiseher America, under exercise rider Fernando Tapara, worked outside of the two-time winning New York-bred filly Ribot’s Valentine. She galloped out five furlongs in 1:02, six furlongs in 1:16.

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“I told him to go 12-and-3 and keep picking it up each eighth,” Handal said.

The work was the only one Promiseher America will have between the April 8 Gazelle, which she won by a half-length over Gambling Girl, and the Oaks.

“I feel really good, you never know how well they’re actually doing until you drop them down on the rail,” Handal said. “She’s doing better than ever. She really had a ton of energy. I’ve never seen her come home like that where she’s literally tearing the barn down, walking on her hind legs like a colt, rearing up, and striking the air.”

Handal said Promisher America is expected to leave Belmont Park on Sunday by van and arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday morning.

Jorge Vargas Jr., who rode Promiseher America to victory in the Gazelle, is expected to have the mount in the Kentucky Oaks.

– additional reporting by David Grening

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