Domestic Product leads parade of Derby, Oaks workers

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Florida Derby winner Fierceness is certainly the most high-profile South Florida-based 3-year-old training up to this year’s Kentucky Derby. But he’s not the only one.

Both Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product and Florida Derby runner-up Catalytic are assured of being in the starting lineup for the Kentucky Derby, while Grand Mo the First is just one spot away from joining when entries are drawn a week from Saturday. All three horses turned in their penultimate Derby works around the local area over the weekend, Domestic Product at Payson Park, and both Catalytic and Grand Mo the First at Gulfstream Park.

Domestic Product is currently considered second best of trainer Chad Brown’s two Derby hopefuls behind Sierra Leone, who will likely vie for favoritism in the race with Fierceness. Brown, who opted to train Domestic Product up to the Derby following his victory on March 9 at Tampa, couldn’t be happier with the way the son of Practical Joke is coming up to the big event.

Domestic Product has turned in four half-mile breezes at Payson since the Tampa Bay Derby, including a bullet 48.40-second clocking on Saturday while best of a team along with Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Tuscan Gold. Domestic Product galloped out a full six furlongs in a strong 1:15.11.

“The horse is training super, better than ever, and I’m happy I chose to train him into the race,” Brown said. “I don’t think the layoff will bother him. He worked with a good horse the other morning, an unlucky loser in the Louisiana Derby.”

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Brown plans to work Domestic Product next Saturday at Payson before shipping to Churchill Downs where he’ll have his final Derby prep the following week.

Catalytic breezed an easy half-mile in 49.20 at Gulfstream on Friday, his first work since finishing a distant second behind Fierceness in the Florida Derby.

“Just a maintenance half, by himself,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. noted. “He’ll come back with a more serious work next Friday, in company, probably five-eighths. Right now, it makes more sense to ship him after that and have his last work at Churchill.

“If Fierceness runs back to his last race nobody beats him. Sierra Leone is obviously second best and after that it’s wide open. I think my horse has a lot of room to improve. The Derby is the kind of race first you get there, and then you hope for the best.”

Grand Mo the First, a distant third in the Florida Derby, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:03.95 over a track that had become a bit on the deep side by the time he went out to work at 8:05 a.m. on Sunday with regular rider Emisael Jaramillo aboard. Jaramillo kept Grand Mo the First several paths off the rail from the outset, the son of Uncle Mo posting an opening three-eighths split in a pedestrian 39.37 before picking up his pace down the lane and galloping out six furlongs in 1:18.05 while remaining wide into the clubhouse turn.

“Right now, we’re 21 on the list, which I think is a good position,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “I think it gives us a very good chance to get into the race.”

Although Grand Mo the First’s work on Sunday was anything but eye-catching, it was exactly what Barboza was expecting and looking for coming out of the Florida Derby on March 30.

“He’s never a very flashy work horse but he looked very happy and relaxed this morning, and I liked the way he finished strong and galloped out after the wire,” Barboza commented. “And having Emisael aboard was important. He did a very good job.”

Barboza has mapped out a schedule for Grand Mo the First moving forward with the expectation of being in the starting lineup on Derby Day. He will have his final work for the race locally a week from Tuesday before shipping to Churchill Downs the following day.

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A pair of Kentucky Oaks hopefuls, Power Squeeze and Ways and Means, who finished first and second, respectively, in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 30, worked locally on Saturday.

Power Squeeze breezed five furlongs in 1:01.16 before galloping out a strong six panels in 1:14.42 at Gulfstream Park. Ways and Means went an easy half in 49.20 at Payson Park.

“Her work was beyond expectations,” trainer Jorge Delgado said of Power Squeeze. “It was her first breeze after the Oaks, and she did it so easy. By herself. That was the plan, to not ask her for much, and she came back not breathing hard at all. She’s very fit.”

Brown said Ways and Means is doing excellent exiting her extremely unlucky second-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the Gulfstream Oaks.

“She’s doing outstanding, she had a troubled trip but took the race very well,” Brown observed. “She had a nice maintenance breeze Saturday and came out of it terrific.”

Plesa wins No. 2,500

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. achieved another career milestone Saturday when saddling his 2,500th winner, Racing Fury, who rallied to an easy victory in the afternoon’s sixth race.

“I feel very fortunate, I’ve been very blessed in this game,” said Plesa, who learned the trade from his father, Eddie Plesa Sr. “I’ve been blessed with great owners and with great support, especially from my wife and family.”

Plesa’s wife, Laurie, owns Racing Fury in partnership with longtime client Donald Mensh.

“Who would have ever thought I’d have won 2,500 races,” said Plesa, whose most notable runners over the years include Grade 1 winners Itsmyluckyday and Three Ring.

Bonus Move back off romp

Racing resumes Thursday with an eight-race card highlighted by a $61,000 allowance and optional claimer carded at five furlongs on the turf for 3-year-olds. The race drew a field of eight, topped by the speedy Bonus Move along with the Christophe Clement-trained duo of the stakes-tested Apollo Ten and Split Strike.

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Trained by Mark Hennig, Bonus Move is coming off a sensational turf debut March 3, a gate-to-wire 6 1/2-length victory for which he received a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Apollo Ten and Split Strike have been idle since finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, in the grassy Altantic Beach Stakes on Nov. 4 at Aqueduct. Both will race on Lasix for the first time. Split Strike also has been gelded since his 2-year-old finale.

Roi Soleil also comes off an extended layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher and will be making his first start since capturing his career debut at Monmouth Park in come-from-behind fashion over the turf on Aug. 20.

Lightning Clouds is the lone three-time winner in the field but makes his turf debut in this spot. Rocket Dragon is the only other multiple winner in the lineup. He also will be trying grass for the first time.

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