Derby Clocker: Pletcher shows off his squad

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Track: Fast

Weather: Sunny

Temperature: 49

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Following almost a week of relative inactivity, the action picked up appreciably Friday on the Kentucky Derby/Oaks watch at Churchill Downs. Eleven prospective starters – five for the Derby and six for the Oaks – worked on a clear, crisp morning, beginning shortly after the racetrack opened at 5:15 and continuing until after the second renovation break nearly four hours later.

Trainer Todd Pletcher worked all four of his Kentucky Derby contenders, three of them during the special 15-minute window reserved for Derby and Oaks starters at 7:30, with Noble Indy following about 90 minutes later.

Although the first three Pletcher works were officially listed as half-miles on the work tab, the riders of all three horses let them roll on through the wire and around the clubhouse turn. The same held true for Noble Indy, whose final Derby prep began at the five-furlong pole.

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MAGNUM MOON was the first of the Pletcher quartet to breeze, completing his half in 24.04 and 47.41 seconds before being urged on to a solid five-eighths clocking of 1:00.24 and out six furlongs in 1:13.68. Magnum Moon, who drifted badly through the final furlong of the Arkansas Derby, fanned out three to four paths wide leaving the quarter pole and appeared to want to get out some into the clubhouse turn inside of workmate Maraud.

All in all, it was a pretty good effort in his only move since winning the Arkansas Derby.

AUDIBLE, who was a bit lackluster, to say the least, while working up to his Florida Derby victory, broke off inside of Grade 3 Bay Shore winner National Flag and completed an easy half-mile a head back in 24.67 and 49.43 before continuing another huge quarter-mile past the wire. He responded to jockey Javier Castellano’s urging to complete five furlongs in 1:02.14 and six furlongs in 1:14.58 while striding out like any added ground would be to his liking.

You have to view Audible’s newfound eagerness in the morning as a positive sign.

Pletcher put blinkers on VINO ROSSO while matching him up for a second straight week with the older Grade 2 stakes-bound Outplay. The pair flashed their speed from the outset, getting the half in 23.37 and 47.06, with Vino Rosso holding a narrow advantage at the wire while working outside under jockey John Velazquez.

Vino Rosso was then squeezed on aggressively to get another quarter-mile around to the six-furlong pole in 1:00.20, 1:13.52 while edging away from his company by several lengths at the end.

Vino Rosso, who did not wear blinkers in his previous work, has given off all the right signs exiting his career-best performance winning the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

NOBLE INDY had a new rider, Florent Geroux, as well as blinkers on to go five furlongs in company with the overmatched 3-year-old maiden winner Regal Quality.

Working outside his partner, Noble Indy broke a length back, got even after splits of 25.64 and 37.46 to the top of the stretch, then was clearly best to the wire, steadily edging away effortlessly to complete the distance in 1:01.47. He was urged on at that point to complete six furlongs in 1:14.79 and was semi-up seven-eighths in 1:28.95. Noble Indy, the Louisiana Derby winner, has handled his extra workload nicely over the past couple of weeks.

Coming off a blistering 57-second-and-change move eight days prior, LONE SAILOR was a lot more subdued Friday during a predawn half-mile in 23.84, 47.90. Jockey James Graham resorted to some vigorous hand pressure when the Louisiana Derby runner-up appeared to be coasting just a bit through midstretch, coaxing a late burst of speed to the wire and a willing gallop-out of 1:00.94 into the turn.

Kentucky Oaks candidates COACH ROCKS and WONDER GADOT continued to make favorable impressions breezing minutes apart during the Derby/Oaks session. Coach Rocks, with regular exercise rider Tammy Fox up, covered four furlongs to the wire in 23.34 and 47.40 before going out five-eighths under some urging in 1:01.03.

Wonder Gadot, coming off a series of strong gallops, responded readily when asked for her finish, completing the final quarter of a 48.20 half-mile in 23.25 with her ears pricked and then proceeding to gallop out with excellent energy into and around the turn.

Other Oaks breezes on Friday were turned in by the Bret Calhoun pair of PATRONA MARGARITA (an easy half in 50.80) and CLASSY ACT (five furlongs in 1:00.99); CHOCOLATE MARTINI (five furlongs in 58.88); and HEAVENHASMYNIKKI (five furlongs in 1:00.98). Like her stablemate Lone Sailor one week earlier, Chocolate Martini was set down hard from the top of the stretch to the wire before easing up a bit quickly on the gallop-out.

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