Clocker: Nyquist stays busy – and happy

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Weather: Cloudy

Track: Fast

Temp.: 55

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cooler weather had just about everyone on their toes during Wednesday’s Kentucky Derby/Oaks training session, although the star of the show, the undefeated Nyquist, had long left the stage by the time the majority of his competition in Saturday’s Derby came out to train following the renovation break at 8:30 a.m.

Nyquist hit the track shortly after 7 a.m. and had a busy morning, jogging, visiting the paddock, and schooling in the starting gate under the watchful eye of trainer Doug O’Neill before heading back to his stall in Barn 41. The Derby favorite made another good appearance and seems to be a very sound and happy horse 72 hours ahead of the main event.

Mohaymen, who has been a handful on numerous occasions in the morning since his arrival nearly three weeks ago, led the others out onto the track an hour or so later after spending more than 20 minutes schooling in the paddock while the racetrack was being harrowed. Mohaymen’s overall demeanor was the best it’s been locally, save for a brief flare-up as he passed by the wire. But Mohaymen quickly came to hand, completing his gallop without further incident. The improvement was so apparent that trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will have him follow the same routine again Thursday.

Outwork garnered Star of the Day honors, having perhaps his best morning yet since last Friday’s impressive work. The Wood Memorial winner continues to make as good an appearance as any member of this year’s Derby field.

Mo Tom was full of run Wednesday, galloping his second mile, from the seven-eighths pole, in 1:49.18 before tossing in another 13.03-second furlong turning into the backstretch before finally pulling up, reversing direction, and jogging eagerly back to the barn.

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Exaggerator had a busy morning, galloping and schooling in the gate before galloping another six furlongs or so, ears pricked, and then leaving the track. Brody’s Cause also continued to make a very favorable impression coming out of his last work, as did Creator and Gun Runner, both trained by Steve Asmussen. Likely Derby pacesetter Danzing Candy was a handful to begin his session but quickly settled into a nice, relaxed stride and is another who made a favorable impression.

The following are thoughts on many of the key contenders in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks from observations made during training sessions both here and at Keeneland over the past two weeks.

LEWIS BAY – She’s trained as forwardly as anyone in this field since arriving from New York and looked as good as any of the Derby horses working within the same time frame here last Friday, finishing a maintenance-type breeze in hand before galloping out with terrific energy all the way back around beyond the five-furlong pole.

RACHEL’S VALENTINA – The likely favorite, she is exiting a big comeback effort in the Ashland. She caught the eye of the Keeneland clockers on April 21 before shipping locally to put in an impressive half-mile move a week later. Working in company, she shaded 23 seconds for her final quarter, going easily, before galloping out with excellent energy into and around the turn. Better yet, she exited her last work looking a picture of health, turning the heads of railbirds in all subsequent gallops.

CATHRYN SOPHIA – May have turned in the most impressive of all the Oaks and Derby works when absolutely cruising five furlongs under a statue-like Paco Lopez in 59.61 before galloping out six panels in 1:12.58 on April 23 at Keeneland. The key question is whether she can stay nine furlongs.

ROYAL OBSESSION – She’s looked good on a regular basis over the past 1 1/2 weeks, including in an extremely impressive five-furlong breeze April 25. She was slightly best of a team alongside the outstanding work horse and Grade 1 winner Nickname, completing the distance in 59.91 while hard held to finish before galloping out very willingly, pulling up seven-eighths around the bend in 1:27.92.

MOKAT – She did all her major training for this race at Santa Anita, but she’s really made a great appearance since her arrival here this week. She has turned in a series of high-energy gallops that indicate she could be sitting on her best effort yet coming out of a promising second-place finish behind division leader Songbird in the Santa Anita Oaks.

LAND OVER SEA – Breezed in similar fashion to stablemate Nyquist on April 23 at Keeneland, galloping a strong three-eighths before working an okay five furlongs in a stamina-enhancing move. She has come out of her recent works well and made a favorable appearance since shipping over to Churchill Downs.

MO D’AMOUR – Lost in the shadow of her stablemate Rachel’s Valentina, she could prove a real sleeper in this field with the way she’s looked since her arrival from New York. She sandwiched some energetic morning gallops around a very sharp half-mile drill April 28, powering home her final quarter-mile in 23.13 before widening on her workmate with a huge gallop-out, five-eighths in 1:00.90, up six furlongs in 1:13.70.

GO MAGGIE GO – Lightly raced and undefeated filly has made a nice appearance on a regular basis during her routine daily gallops. She was strictly in maintenance mode in her final work here last Friday when under a hold while being passed along the way by Derby contender Shagaf.