Derby training report card: Wicked Strong, Intense Holiday impress

[bc_video_id:323235:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There were two horses on the radar when the racetrack opened for training Thursday morning at Churchill Downs: the Derby favorite, California Chrome, and second choice, Hoppertunity. Ultimately, only one of the pair showed up, with Hoppertunity scratched from the Derby shortly after the Oaks/Derby training session concluded at 8:45.

California Chrome went to the track at his usual time, 6:50 a.m., and looked a little stiff jogging around for a visit in the paddock. After schooling briefly at the starting gate, he galloped 1 1/2 miles, still not moving smoothly at first before improving noticeably the second time around the track.[:slideshow-right:]

Thursday at Churchill Downs
49 degrees, sunny, fast

Wicked Strong put in the morning’s only official workout among Derby contenders, blowing out three furlongs from the quarter pole in 36.78 and looking good doing it.

Kentucky Derby report card

Here are my observations on how each of the Kentucky Derby entrants has been training, with an assist from DRF clocker Mike Vesce in New York.

Vicar’s in Trouble: I have not been especially impressed with the Louisiana Derby winner, whose April 26 work alongside General Jack was average at best. Of course, his final drill at Gulfstream Park prior to the Louisiana Derby was not impressive, either. He also did not look comfortable galloping Thursday following a surprising walk day the previous morning.

Harry’s Holiday: Completed his April 26 work with a little interest off a slow opening three-eighths but overall has not made a great impression over the past 10 days. He has improved some the past several mornings, but it’s still hard to consider him a contender at this level, especially on dirt.

Uncle Sigh: Shipped locally off two sharp moves at Belmont with blinkers, which he will wear for the first time in a race Saturday. In his April 18 work there, he broke five lengths behind Thug Daddy, drew well clear while going five-eighths in 1:00.19, and galloped out with excellent energy. He looked good again going solo over the Belmont training track the following week. He visited the starting gate several times for schooling after arriving in Kentucky, and if he breaks better than he did in the Wood Memorial, he figures to be a pace presence with the equipment change.

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Danza: Has displayed a high energy level while looking as good as anybody training here over the past two weeks, giving the impression that he is not likely to regress off his huge effort in the Arkansas Derby despite returning on only three weeks’ rest. He got the best of Derby rival Vinceremos in a smart half-mile breeze here Sunday, surging clear of his workmate approaching the wire while going more easily of the pair and continuing to gallop out willingly around the turn.

California Chrome: The Santa Anita Derby winner did all his major preparations for his role as Kentucky Derby favorite at Los Alamitos. I caught his last work on video, an easy half-mile with a willing gallop-out, which came without the blinkers he competes in on race day. He did not look comfortable at all galloping over a wet track here Wednesday and was stiff when first coming out over a fast strip the following morning, before warming out of it and looking much better the second time around the track. It’s difficult to make an accurate assessment off just two sessions with no frame of reference, having never seen him train before. I obviously have to respect him off his recent series of one-sided victories, but he’s not giving off nearly the same kind of positive vibes training up to the race at Churchill Downs as last year’s favorite and ultimate winner, Orb.

Samraat: His April 18 work at Belmont was good for a horse who doesn’t usually work particularly well. The April 26 one-mile drill at Aqueduct was an even stamina move, similar to his work before his big effort in the Wood. The extremely consistent New York-bred has made a favorable impression since shipping locally this week and is another who appears to be holding his form well.

We Miss Artie: After a couple of very positive works at Palm Meadows prior to shipping north, including a nice drill when holding his own to the wire and galloping out strongly with Grade 1 winner Capo Bastone, We Miss Artie was disappointing when he was easily outworked by Intense Holiday at Churchill on Sunday. The Spiral Stakes winner, he faded to the wire under pressure before dropping well back on the gallop-out, not a positive sign less than a week out from the race.

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General a Rod: I’m getting mixed signals from the Fountain of Youth runner-up, whose first local drill, a slow five-eighths April 23, was very disappointing, especially considering the way he had worked all winter in Florida. He has done better since putting blinkers on coming out of that drill but still is giving the impression that he might not be quite as sharp now as he was earlier.

Vinceremos: He could not match strides with Danza when the pair breezed a half-mile together last Sunday, although he did fight on bravely, coming back at his partner near the end of their gallop-out. He’s been training regularly in blinkers and has done well since coming out of the work but does seem to be a bit overmatched.

Wildcat Red: This game south Florida-based colt has run his heart out every time he’s competed at 3, but those races came at Gulfstream Park, and he gave some indication that he might not be handling the local surface as well as his home base with a lackluster five-furlong work here last weekend, during which he didn’t show his usual energy level at the wire. The Florida Derby runner-up, he did pick up the bit and try to rebreak when passed by another horse during the gallop-out. He still projects to be part of the early pace Saturday.

Dance With Fate: Like California Chrome, this impressive-looking colt did the majority of his preparations on the West Coast, where he looked very good on video while finishing his final work at Santa Anita on Saturday. This Polytrack specialist is a question mark on dirt but has made a very positive visual appearance since his arrival at Churchill Downs.

Chitu: His two local works have been average at best, including six furlongs from the gate Sunday, when having to be asked late to match strides with partner Party Time, then was hard used to continue on solo during the gallop-out. The Sunland Derby winner, he is another who figures to be a part of the early pace and gives the impression that 10 furlongs is a bit beyond his range.

Medal Count: He’s made terrific progress since leaving south Florida and has trained extremely well here over the past couple of weeks. He washed out badly and switched leads prematurely in his last several works at Gulfstream Park but showed no such inclination in his final Derby prep Saturday, finishing strongly over a dull track to the wire and around the clubhouse turn. He still must prove his mettle on dirt while making his third start in four weeks but is giving every indication that he’s sitting on another big effort.

Tapiture: He has done nothing really flashy since his disappointing effort in the Arkansas Derby. His two subsequent works were on the average side, although he should move up on a wet track, the way he skipped over the hard but sloppy surface in a final maintenance breeze here Monday. All in all, he’s giving the impression that he’s going to rebound from his last outing at Oaklawn with a better performance Saturday.

Intense Holiday: He has trained extremely well since the Louisiana Derby, both at Palm Meadows and especially since arriving locally. He got the better of We Miss Artie on April 13 in Florida and handled that Derby rival even more easily when paired again last weekend, cruising away from his struggling mate to the wire and during an impressive gallop-out with jockey John Velazquez aboard. More important, he kept straight as an arrow and did not have the lead-change issue that compromised his chances last time at Fair Grounds. He bounced out of the work looking as strong as when he went in, maybe better, with several impressive gallops this past week of the two-minute-lick variety.

Commanding Curve: He’s been okay during morning gallops but underachieved in his final Derby work last Saturday, when he tired to the wire and swapped leads late, working on the better footing outside with stablemate Perfect Title.

Candy Boy: He arrived earlier than some of his West Coast mates and has looked good in the morning during gallops and in his lone local work. He started well behind Monument and finished with good energy to readily clear off at the wire, galloping out willingly enough with Gary Stevens aboard. He seems to be coming up to the race in good form.

Ride On Curlin: He has been a bundle of energy in the mornings but was somewhat disappointing in his recent stamina-enhancing work, when he did not fire late under pressure off a slow opening three-eighths when sent seven furlongs. He looks like he can be a little rank, and it will be interesting to see if he shows a similar inclination and proves an early pace factor with Calvin Borel up Saturday.

Wicked Strong: He impressed with the way he trained in Florida going into the Wood Memorial and maybe more so coming out of the race, with two well-graded works over the Belmont training track prior to shipping to Kentucky. Those works included a half-mile in 49.20 last Friday, with the best to come after the wire, when he continued strongly under mild urging to complete seven furlongs in 1:26.99 and gallop out a mile in 1:40.20. This is a horse who keeps getting stronger the longer the distance, and he might be one of the few in this race who will appreciate 1 1/4 miles. Although he appeared a bit distracted when first arriving at Churchill Downs, he’s seemed to improve daily and looked great blowing out three-eighths down the stretch Thursday. This is a horse who is coming up to the race the right way but who must overcome a very tough post.

Pablo Del Monte: He has done all of his training at Keeneland, save for a high-energy gallop over the Churchill strip Thursday. Like Wicked Strong, he will have to somehow work out a trip from a difficult post.