Despite rain, Pletcher gets in Derby workouts for Cutting Humor and Spinoff

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – On May 4, trainer Todd Pletcher will have to beat 18 other 3-year-olds with Cutting Humor and Spinoff to win the Kentucky Derby. On Friday morning, he only needed them to beat Mother Nature, a feat the two Derby contenders narrowly pulled off when getting in important five-furlong works just as moderate to heavy rain began to fall over the Palm Beach Downs training center shortly before dawn.

Pletcher had contemplated moving Cutting Humor and Spinoff’s penultimate Derby works up to Thursday because of the forecast for rain Friday. But after tracking the weather reports, and with jockey Manny Franco scheduled to fly in Thursday night specifically to work Spinoff the following morning, Pletcher opted to take his chances and stick to his original schedule.

“I started to move the works up to Thursday,” said Pletcher. “But I’d already made plans for Manny to fly down and I wanted to give him the opportunity to breeze Spinoff and I kept watching the forecast in the morning and I thought we’d be okay. Typical South Florida, however, the forecast kind of changed during the day, and by dinner time last night I started getting a little nervous.

“Fortunately, it all worked out and we were able to get the works in on a good, safe track. The track was nice and tight, I think it does well with a little extra moisture in it. They had a bit of a tailwind on a tight track so the times seem a bit faster, but I thought they both breezed very, very strong.”

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Spinoff was up first and with light rain falling breezed five furlongs in semi-darkness in 24.46, 36.47, and 59.81 inside the older Wooderson, holding a slight advantage while going easily to the wire. Pletcher then told Franco, via walkie-talkie, to let him go out strong, Spinoff responded by completing seven furlongs around the bend in 1:27.83.

The rain was coming down even harder when Cutting Humor, coming off a solid half-mile breeze the previous week, worked inside Last Judgment, covering the same distance in 24.41, 36.38, and 59.41 while losing a head bob to his mate at the wire. They too were asked to continue out another full quarter-mile, covering seven-eighths in a solid 1:26.51.

“We wanted a good gallop-out today, go out seven-eighths and pull up the mile, and I thought both horses did that, finishing up with good energy,” said Pletcher. “Manny said he was very pleased, he thought [Spinoff] did it in hand. These two horses have kind of different personalities. Cutting Humor is a more enthusiastic work horse while Spinoff always seems like he’s saving a little something. When he puts his head in front, you can see his ears come up a little bit.”

Franco will replace John Velazquez aboard Louisiana Derby runner-up Spinoff in the Derby. Velazquez has opted to keep his regular seat on Code of Honor in the Derby. Pletcher has yet to commit to a Derby rider for Sunland Park Derby winner Cutting Humor.

As of now, both Cutting Humor and Spinoff are scheduled to have their final Derby work next Friday at Palm Beach Downs before shipping to Louisville on April 30.

Pletcher also sent out Prince Lucky, easy winner of both the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in his last two starts, to breeze four furlongs in 47.66, with his final quarter in an eye-catching but easy 22.18 with rain still falling shortly after dawn. Prince Lucky, who galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.13, will make his next start in the Grade 3 Westchester going one mile at Belmont Park on May 4.