2023 Kentucky Derby Clocker Report: Rocket Can, Confidence Game looking stellar

Churchill Downs
Wednesday, May 3
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 46
Track: Fast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The gangs all here, the heavy lifting is over, the hardest part for everybody now is the wait until the horses are saddled up and sent away from the gate in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks and Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Eighteen of the 20 confirmed Derby starters, at least to this point, trained Wednesday at Churchill Downs, with Sun Thunder and Derma Sotogake, both of whom worked half-miles the previous morning, given the day off. The majority of those 18 went to the track during the special Derby-Oaks session from 7:30-7:45 a.m., with Reincarnate and Disarm training well before dawn and Skinner once again the final Derby contender on the track, as usual, at 9 a.m. over a freshly harrowed and nearly deserted track immediately after the second renovation break.

The two Derby runners really catching the eye Wednesday were Rocket Can and Confidence Game. Rocket Can, who has made a great physical appearance the past 10 days, had arguably his best morning yet, galloping smoothly and with tons of energy before paying a brief visit to the starting gate. Rocket Can will race with blinkers on for the first time in the Derby.

:: Get the full DRF Kentucky Derby Clocker Report by Mike Welsch and the DRF Clocker Team

Confidence Game has stayed in the barn two of the last five mornings, but when he’s been out he’s looked terrific, starting with a very strong five-furlong work on Saturday followed by enthusiastic gallops Monday and again this morning. All of this after being conspicuous by his absence when missing several days of training the previous weekend.

Trainer Brad Cox sent all four of his Derby starters to school at the gate this morning before they turned in routine 1 1/2-mile gallops. It also was just another day at the office for the Todd Pletcher trio of Derby runners, Forte, Tapit Trice, and Kingsbarns, all of whom continue to look good on a regular basis.

Mage galloped nearly two miles Wednesday and is scheduled for his third and final schooling session at the gate on Thursday.

Practical Move is the one horse who has raised some questions the last few mornings due to his relative inactivity since arriving over the weekend. Wednesday was another easy one for the Santa Anita Derby winner, who merely jogged a mile the wrong way on the outside rail, the second time he has done that over the past four mornings with some uncertainty regarding his level of activity on Monday and Tuesday as well.

Continuar, whose lone local work was a poor one and who has not been the prettiest of movers on a regular basis of late, spent about an hour training Wednesday morning, which is par for the course, but confined all his activity to the one-mile chute and never galloped over the main track.

:: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more.

Southlawn, Gambling Girl, and Affirmative Lady looked particularly good Wednesday just a little more than 48 hours removed from squaring off with 11 others in the Oaks.

Southlawn galloped with and then actually ran away from Derby favorite Forte down the backstretch at the tail end of her session. Gambling Girl continues to impress on a regular basis, while Affirmative Lady was giving her rider all he could handle in just her second day over the local strip since shipping here from Keeneland.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.