Derby works: Intense Holiday stands out Sunday morning

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Seven prospective Kentucky Derby starters had a chance to strut their stuff during the special Oaks/Derby training session after the renovation break Sunday morning at Churchill Downs. One, Intense Holiday, flaunted his talents considerably more than the others during an impressive half-mile work in company with stablemate We Miss Artie.

Weather: Cloudy Track: Fast Temperature. 60

Intense Holiday and We Miss Artie were one of two teams of Derby contenders from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher to work Sunday, along with Danza and Vinceremos. Other Derby hopefuls to work during the exclusive 15-minute training window provided by Churchill Downs during the two weeks leading up to the big event included Chitu, Ride On Curlin ,and Wildcat Red. Untapable, who will likely be the odds-on favorite to win the Oaks, also breezed Sunday, but did so at her regular training time shortly after 6 a.m.[bc_video_id:322570:]

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

The racetrack continued to be on the loose and cuppy side while seeming deepest near the rail once again, and many horses, both Derby and otherwise, appeared to struggle coming down the stretch and especially during the gallop-outs. The weather was perfect, with a light cloud cover and the temperature hovering around 60 throughout training hours.[:slideshow-right:]

Work of the day

Intense Holiday (four furlongs in 48.65 seconds): Broke off outside We Miss Artie, with whom he turned in a nice five-eighths work at Palm Meadows training center two weeks ago. With jockey Johnny Velazquez aboard, Intense Holiday was full of himself just getting to the pole, but relaxed nicely and cruised through an easy opening quarter in 25.04, fanned out four or five paths wide into the stretch, and then readily ran away from his struggling mate from the sixteenth pole to the wire and galloping out into the turn. The Risen Star winner, who has looked good during routine gallops since his arrival from south Florida, completed his final quarter in 23.61 while covering a lot of ground with a long, powerful stride and was the only Derby worker today, and one of only two the past two mornings (Medal Count being the other), to shade 13 seconds on the gallop-out, completing five-eighths in 1:01.31 before pulling up in 1:15.39. Better yet, Intense Holiday changed leads perfectly and kept a straight course to the wire, something he did not do in the Louisiana Derby.

We Miss Artie (four furlongs in 49.45): After a couple of decent works coming out of south Florida, including a sharp five-furlong drill when holding his own and galloping out strongly in company with Grade 1 winner Capo Bastone last Sunday at Palm Meadows, he was certainly a disappointment today when having little left from the sixteenth pole to the wire. He galloped out well behind Intense Holiday while working down near the rail through the stretch.

Danza (four furlongs in 49.07): One of the most impressive members of the Derby field from a physical standpoint, the surprise winner of the Arkansas Derby has had a good week and, while not as eye- catching this morning as Intense Holiday, he looked good finishing about a length better than Vinceremos (final quarter in 23.86) while under less pressure to the wire and galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.26. Continues to give the impression he has not regressed any and may perhaps be continuing to move forward off his huge, breakthrough performance just two weeks earlier at Oaklawn.

Vinceremos (four furlongs in 49.27): Could not match strides with Danza to the wire, but did manage to hold his own working in what was arguably the deeper going near the fence, and liked the way he came on again during the gallop-out, eventually pulling even with his mate near the 6 1/2-furlong marker after finishing a length back at both the wire and seven-eighths pole.

Chitu (six furlongs from the gate in 1:13.11): Bobbled briefly leaving the gate outside workmate Party Time, then remained on even terms with that rival through splits of 24.30, 36.11 and 48.12 for the opening half-mile; seemed to be under more pressure at the end of the work before being fully extended to continue an additional eighth of a mile solo in a very average 14. seconds Chitu, who lost his specially made right front shoe an eighth of a mile into the work, is not the prettiest mover in the mornings and gives the impression 1 ¼ miles might be a bit beyond his scope.

Ride On Curlin (seven furlongs in 1:28.98): He has had a very good week and expected to see just a little stronger work this morning although he went willingly enough through a stamina-enhancing, seven-furlong drill over the cuppy track that began at the six-furlong pole and ended on the clubhouse turn. Completed his final three- eighths in 37.13 after being reserved through a 51.85 opening half-mile, was under some vigorous encouragement for the final three- sixteenths of a mile while laboring a bit to gallop out a mile in 1:43.63.

Wildcat Red (five furlongs in 1:04.39): After galloping a mile alongside a pony, as is customary before all his works, the Florida Derby runner-up broke off at the five-eighths pole under jockey Luis Saez, but never really got into the breeze. He should have had more left after a slow 38.89 opening three-eighths when roused some through the final furlong, but had little response galloping out into the turn. To his credit he did grab the bit and wanted to go again when passed by an Oaks galloper while pulling up midway down the backstretch. Likely not handling the cuppier Churchill Downs surface as well as his much quicker home course at Gulfstream Park.

Oaks fillies

Untapable (four furlongs in 48.74): The Oaks favorite was very aggressive and rank turning into the backstretch about a quarter mile from the beginning of her work and was a handful for her rider to get to the pole, but quickly settled into a comfortable stride once leaving the four-furlong marker breezing an easy, maintenance half-mile and looking good doing so with her long, effortless stride. She has looked as good as any horse, Oaks or Derby, here all week and should take some serious beating on Friday.

Kiss Moon (five furlongs in 1:01.20): She has been a little ball of energy all week and showed that again in her work, was a little rank during the early stages going the opening three-eighths in 36 before tiring late while lugging in some to the wire, had little left galloping out into the turn over the loose track.