Derby Clocker: Asmussen trio ready to roll

CHURCHILL DOWNS Weather: Cloudy

Track: Sloppy/good

Temp.: 57

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Steve Asmussen was a busy man Monday morning at Churchill Downs, where all his hard work was rewarded by spot-on breezes from his three Kentucky Derby contenders, highlighted by a razor-sharp half-mile drill by Hence during the Oaks-Derby training session.

Heavy rain fell here not long before the racetrack opened, leaving the strip sealed and sloppy for the early training session at 5:45 a.m. The harrows came out during the break, with the track officially upgraded to “good” and noticeably livelier for the remainder of the morning.

Asmussen, aboard the stable pony, led all three of his confirmed Derby starters – Untrapped, Lookin At Lee, and Hence – onto the track and for a brief tour of the paddock prior to their works. He also put Local Hero through a similar regimen Monday, although that horse still needs a couple of defections to crack the Derby lineup and is more likely to compete in Saturday’s Pat Day Mile.

Untrapped was the first of the triumvirate to breeze, going an easy four furlongs in 25.55 and 50.54 seconds before galloping out willingly in 1:04.07. He has been training without the blinkers he wore for the only time in his career in the Arkansas Derby.

Lookin At Lee, on the other hand, breezed with blinkers that have stayed on since his fourth-place finish last fall in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. His work was pretty much a carbon copy of Untrapped’s – four furlongs going easily in 25.30, 50.39, out five-eighths in 1:03.89.

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Local Hero followed shortly with more of the same, a half-mile in 25.10, 50.53, although he eased up much quicker on the gallop-out than the others, going five furlongs in 1:06.22.

Hence has continued to flourish since his victory in the Sunland Derby. He was striding out beautifully to the wire, completing his four-furlong maintenance work in a relatively swift 48.71, followed by a smart-looking gallop-out, five-eighths in 1:02.21, up three-quarters in 1:16.71. His work put a punctuation mark on a nearly perfect morning for the Asmussen barn.

The surprise of the Oaks-Derby session came from the maiden Sonneteer, who hinted that he just might outrun his odds on Derby Day by zipping four furlongs in 47.03 under jockey Corey Lanerie, a late substitute for the colt’s regular rider, Kent Desormeaux.

Sonneteer came away running, completing his opening quarter in 23.47, then responded to late encouragement from Lanerie to finish up equally strong before continuing with enthusiasm into and around the clubhouse turn. He galloped out five-eighths in 1:00.08 and eased up six furlongs in 1:14.03. Lanerie has the mount on Looking At Lee in the Derby, with Desormeaux to be aboard Sonneteer.

The day’s most notable Derby development came almost immediately after the track opened, when Always Dreaming galloped 1 1/4 miles with a new exercise rider, Nick Bush, and some new equipment, a set of draw reins. Both changes were implemented by trainer Todd Pletcher to prevent Always Dreaming from running off in the manner he had in all of his previous local gallops.

And while Always Dreaming still gave every indication that his energy level is high and his engine is running hot, he was much more subdued Monday after briefly testing Bush by bronco-bucking several times in a vain attempt to free himself from the restraint of the draw reins. Once resigned to his fate, Always Dreaming completed his morning’s exercise under control and without further incident.

Battle of Midway galloped for the first time since arriving here over the weekend, and while he isn’t the prettiest mover in the field, he seemed to handle his new surroundings well. Meanwhile, fellow West Coaster Irap looked terrific for a second consecutive morning since vanning over from Keeneland and may be sitting on another big effort for two-time Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill.

Classic Empire swapped leads a couple of times coming down the stretch during his routine gallop but otherwise continues to make a favorable impression coming out of his easy half-mile work last Friday for trainer Mark Casse.