Dream Maker impresses in latest work

Dream Maker did nothing to quash his connections’ dream of making the Kentucky Derby during a half-mile timed workout Saturday morning at Fair Grounds.

Breezing for the first time since his impressive 3-year-old debut Feb. 9, Dream Maker, working in the company of another horse, was timed in 47.80 seconds, fastest of 111 Fair Grounds drills at the distance that day.

“I loved the way he galloped out,” said David Carroll, Fair Grounds-based assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “He trains like a good horse – gets over the dirt really nice. He hasn’t taken one step backward.”

Dream Maker returns to stakes competition March 9 in the Tampa Bay Derby. Carroll said Sunday that plans call for one more workout at Fair Grounds before Dream Maker is shipped directly to Tampa several days before his intended start. He’ll have that race and likely one more in April to try and earn a slot in the Derby.

:: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with comments from Jay Privman and Mike Watchmaker

Dream Maker, bred and owned by John Oxley, always was highly regarded by his caretakers, but after a debut win last June at Churchill the rest of his 2-year-old campaign mixed nagging physical issues with poor racing luck. All wasn’t totally right with the colt when he was fifth in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, and much was being asked of him to go from that race to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, a start in which he had a terrible trip in any case.

Casse took Dream Maker back to his farm in Florida, got him turned the right direction, and in early January sent him back to Carroll, who had overseen his training part of last season. Dream Maker galloped to a first-level, two-turn dirt allowance win by more than eight lengths, earning an 89 Beyer Speed Figure that feels conservative given his fast raw time relative to conditions.

Dream Maker, even in Casse’s Fair Grounds shed row, rates a distant second in 2019 accomplishments to War of Will, who already has won the Lecomte Stakes and the Risen Star and will try for a sweep of the Kentucky Derby preps at Fair Grounds in the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 23. War of Will “had a very easy week, just jogging” following the Feb. 16 Risen Star, according to Carroll, who said the colt “looks terrific.” War of Will returns to steady galloping this week and is penciled in for two works before the Louisiana Derby.