Good Magic ready for 'best race,' Brown says

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The third start was the charm for Good Magic as a 2-year-old, and the way he trained Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, it looks as though the third start as a 3-year-old for last year’s champion juvenile male will be his best this year.

It better be, because in one week Good Magic will be facing the greatest test of his career in the Kentucky Derby. But he peaked last year in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which brought him an Eclipse Award, and his five-furlong work Saturday morning – which Daily Racing Form timed in 1:00.94 - was indicative of a colt heading in the right direction.

Good Magic was one of six Derby horses who worked here Saturday morning, along with Bravazo, Flameaway, Free Drop Billy, My Boy Jack, and Promises Fulfilled. Bolt d’Oro prepped at Santa Anita, and Firenze Fire worked at Belmont Park. It was the final Derby work for all eight.

Good Magic worked alone with regular exercise rider Walter Melazquez aboard, and the way he galloped out, and subsequently cooled out at the barn, had trainer Chad Brown smiling.

“The horse worked great, galloped out really well. He cooled out in 10 minutes, not even blowing,” Brown said. “That’s as good as he’s ever worked. He went into the Breeders’ Cup off a good work and ran well.

“It took all winter to get him to this point. The plan was for this to be his best race.”

But Brown realizes Good Magic is facing an outstanding field.

“I’ve really been impressed with the prep races leading up to this,” he said. “This is a really, really good group.”

Good Magic was one of five Derby horses who worked after the first renovation break. Only Bravazo went early, when it was still dark. He was timed in 1:01.71 under exercise rider Danielle Rosier.

After the work, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Luis Contreras would have the mount in the Derby. All 20 expected starters in the Derby now have confirmed riding assignments, with Noble Indy (Florent Geroux) and Instilled Regard (Drayden Van Dyke) being wrapped up in the past 72 hours.

Lukas conceded that coming into the Derby with Bravazo off a six-week break is not ideal.

“It’s a long time. You’ve got to do a little more work in the morning,” Lukas said. “He finished strong today, that’s the main thing. He puts a lot into his morning gallops. He’s got to improve. But he’s a tough horse. He’s a type you could take through the whole Triple Crown series.”

My Boy Jack went an easy five furlongs by himself in 1:03.26 under jockey Brian Hernandez.

“He looked fine to me. Time wasn't that important, then again I didn't want him to go down there in 1:05," said his trainer, Keith Desormeaux. "I wanted to get an opinion from Brian if he liked the track and it looked like he did."

Desormeaux’s brother, Kent, has the mount in the Derby

Desormeaux said that My Boy Jack has regained the weight he lost after his win in the Lexington two weeks ago. He weighs 1,105 pounds. After the Lexington, he weighed 1,075 pounds.

Trainer Dale Romans’s duo of Free Drop Billy (49.12 seconds) and Promises Fulfilled (48) both worked by themselves. Promises Fulfilled swapped leads nearing the wire.

Flameaway worked in company for trainer Mark Casse, and went a half-mile in 47.86 seconds.

At Santa Anita, Bolt d’Oro worked an effortless half-mile in 48.20 seconds under his Derby jockey, Victor Espinoza. Bolt d’Oro, owned and trained by Mick Ruis, had his major Derby drill last Sunday. This was strictly maintenance. He is scheduled to fly to Kentucky on Monday.

“I’m on Cloud 9,” Ruis said.

And at Belmont Park, Firenze Fire worked a half-mile in 50 seconds over the training track and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02, according to track clockers. Firenze Fire, trained by Jason Servis, is scheduled to leave Belmont by van on Sunday and arrive at Churchill Downs early Monday morning.

--additional reporting by David Grening and Mike Welsch