Grande to have one pre-Derby work at Keeneland

ELMONT, N.Y. – Grande, the Wood Memorial runner-up, was scheduled to leave New York for Kentucky by van on Thursday afternoon. He will make a pit stop at Keeneland before shipping to Louisville for the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

At Belmont Park on Thursday, trainer Todd Pletcher said Grande will have one work before the Kentucky Derby. It will take place at Keeneland, not Churchill Downs.

“Statistically, there’s no advantage,” Pletcher, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, said about having a pre-Derby workout at Churchill. “They’re either going to handle it on race day or they’re not. Most of the time, it’s not the same track on race day that is leading up to it. I don’t think it’s a disadvantage breezing over it, but I don’t see it as an advantage.”

Pletcher indicated he would ship to Churchill as late as possible if not for the rule that mandates all Derby and Oaks horses be on the Churchill grounds by 11 a.m. on April 26. Pletcher said Grande would likely work on Friday the 25th at Keeneland and ship over later that day.

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“I just think that’s all he needs,” Pletcher said of working Grande once instead of twice before the Derby. “I was thinking about working here and shipping there. I just felt like I’d ship there and let him settle in for a few days. If I decided to call an audible and go to Churchill, I can do it.”

Pletcher said his two older horses, Locked and Mindframe, will make their final preparations for their Churchill stakes engagements at Palm Beach Downs and ship in a few days before their races. Locked, the March 1 winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, is targeting the Grade 2 Alysheba on May 2. Mindframe, the 2024 Belmont and Haskell runner-up, is pointing to the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 3.

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