Clocker: Girls work while the boys gallop

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Weather: Cloudy

Track: Good/fast

Temp.: 64

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fillies took center stage Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, with the majority of the locally based Kentucky Derby hopefuls scheduled to turn in their final works on Friday. Likely Derby favorite Nyquist is at Keeneland, where he was scheduled to work before the first race on Friday.

Three potential Kentucky Oaks starters, including Rachel’s Valentina and Mo d’Amour from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher, worked Thursday over a racetrack that for the second consecutive morning was labeled “good” when it opened at 5:45 a.m. before being upgraded to “fast” after the renovation break. Rain has fallen here over the past couple of days and could continue throughout the weekend.[bc_video_id:382196:]

Of the Derby horses to gallop on Thursday, MAJESTO, OUTWORK, MY MAN SAM, SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS, and SHAGAF all left very favorable impressions.

Majesto, the lone Derby contender to train outside of the special Derby/Oaks session, which runs from 8:30-8:45 a.m. daily, was allowed to really stretch his legs for a second consecutive day, flying through the second mile of his two-mile gallop at far better than a two-minute-per-mile clip. He covered the last five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:07 and change.

Outwork really looks a picture of health and is into his daily gallops. Originally scheduled to have his final Derby work on Saturday, Outwork’s breeze probably will be moved up a day by Pletcher because of weather issues. Stablemate DESTIN also probably will have his work Friday. Regular rider John Velazquez is expected to be aboard Outwork for the drill, with Javier Castellano lined up to work Tampa Bay Derby winner Destin.

MOHAYMEN is also on the docket to breeze Friday, and after coming out a bit later than the others, he appeared to be a lot more settled and relaxed than the previous morning. Still, he was a bundle of energy and moved at better than a two-minute clip himself coming through the wire the final time.

After being uncooperative with jockey Yutaka Take on Wednesday, resulting in his work being shortened from six furlongs to three furlongs, LANI went right back to the track Thursday and was like the Energizer Bunny – going round and round the one-mile oval and never seeming to stop. He made three or four passes at a fairly accelerated pace while handling his business quite willingly. Lani was among the first Derby or Oaks horses to hit the track during Wednesday’s special session and was far and away the last to exit about 25 minutes later.

MO TOM, who has had a very good week, did get a little warm during his training session Thursday and was not into the bit quite as much as in previous days. He, too, is scheduled to work Friday.

EXAGGERATOR did not go to the track. He merely walked after arriving from the West Coast the previous day, although he did school in the paddock shortly after 10 a.m., making a great appearance while playing and showing off to the handful of onlookers there.

MO D’AMOUR was the first of the two Pletcher Oaks trainees to breeze, turning in a sharp half-mile in 48.08 seconds in company with maiden stablemate Noble and True shortly after 6 a.m. Mo d’Amour got her final quarter in 23.17, going easily to the wire. Mo d’Amour then galloped out well clear of her partner in 1:00.90 for five furlongs before pulling up six furlongs in 1:13.70.

RACHEL’S VALENTINA, expected to go postward as the slight choice in the Oaks, worked after the break in company with Caribbean. Rachel’s Valentina broke off a length behind and outside her target with Velazquez up, pulled even after an opening quarter in 24.65, then really picked up the pace without much coaxing down the lane. She came home in 22.93 to complete a half-mile in 47.58, finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of her workmate, who was being urged near the rail in a futile attempt to keep pace through the final sixteenth. Rachel’s Valentina galloped out with good energy in 1:00.81 for five furlongs before pulling up six furlongs in 1:14.27.

PAOLA QUEEN, the runner-up in the Gulfstream Oaks, worked six furlongs in 1:13.48, with splits of 25.53, 37.60, and 48.97, finishing willingly under late encouragement. She galloped out extremely well, seven-eighths in 1:27.02, before pulling up a mile in 1:41.07.