Improbable leaves favorable impression in final Kentucky Derby work

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Improbable wasn’t beaten all that far by Omaha Beach in the Arkansas Derby in his last start, and he’s training as though he’s fully capable of closing the gap. On Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, Improbable turned in his second drill here, his last in preparation for the Kentucky Derby next Saturday, with a work that was officially five furlongs but included an eye-catching gallop-out.

It was a busy Sunday morning at Churchill Downs for Derby runners, with six working during the 15 minutes reserved for Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants after the first renovation break. But even that window, and the usual lack of traffic, didn’t prevent three of the six horses from working together, the unusual situation occurring when Win Win Win ended up alongside a planned team drill of Country House and Tacitus.

Code of Honor also worked, as did By My Standards, those two going solo, and both looking well, to bookend the session.

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Improbable was timed in 1:00.70 for five furlongs, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch, who had Improbable going out seven furlongs in 1:25.88.

It was the second drill for Improbable since the Arkansas Derby. His trainer, Bob Baffert, said that Improbable can get sharp, so he wanted to give him a pair of works, not just one, during this three-week interval.

By contrast, Omaha Beach is a more easygoing horse, and has had more racing, so his trainer, Richard Mandella, gave him just one work between starts, on Saturday. Different horses, different needs, different work patterns from two Hall of Fame trainers.

Florent Geroux was aboard Improbable, deputizing for Irad Ortiz Jr., who has the mount in the Derby. Geroux will be on Improbable’s stablemate, Roadster, in the Derby.

Improbable worked in company and was eager breaking off, but settled into a nice stride and powered home. He wore blinkers for the first time in the Arkansas Derby, but did not wear them for either of his subsequent works and will not wear them in the Kentucky Derby, Baffert said.

“Really happy with him,” Baffert said of Improbable. “Looked like he was a little fresh, a little anxious, but I like the way he leveled off. I love the way he galloped out.”

Bill Mott had planned a team drill for his pair of Country House and Tacitus, but they ended up being joined by Mike Trombetta-trained Win Win Win, who was drilling a half-mile in company under jockey Julian Pimental and jumped in after the Mott pair were already a furlong into their works. They were four abreast heading into the stretch, but all riders stayed in their lane and avoided any issues.

“When you first see them, you hope that they don’t drop over in front of you, because we had already started our work before the five-furlong pole,” Mott said. “But the other team did a very good job, they were very courteous, they stayed out and let us continue our work, and then they swung wide and the one horse joined up with us finishing up.

“It turned out great. It didn’t do any harm to us. I’ll commend Julian Pimentel – he worked Win Win Win, and he was courteous and did a great job. It worked out well for everybody, I think. It probably worked out just as well for them as it did for us.”

Welsch had Country House and Tacitus in 1:00.09 for five furlongs, and Win Win Win going 47.42 seconds for a half-mile. All three galloped out another quarter-mile.

Code of Honor was first on the track immediately after the break and worked a half-mile in 47.07 seconds under exercise rider Brian Duggan.

“I’m not surprised,” trainer Shug McGaughey said afterward. “He was looking to work good, he went to the pole like he was going to work good. I think the track was firm this morning.”

McGaughey said he advised Duggan that Code of Honor “knows where the wire is, so don’t stand up on him at the wire, let him go on a few jumps past it.”

By My Standards has turned in a series of strong works here since his arrival following his Louisiana Derby victory, and Sunday was more of the same. He went a half-mile in 48.40 seconds, but then impressed by galloping out another three furlongs in his final drill for the Derby for trainer Bret Calhoun. He was the last of the Derby runners to work Sunday.

– additional reporting by David Grening and Nicole Russo