Irap, Practical Joke drill for Kentucky Derby

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Irap and Practical Joke, the one-two finishers in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 8, both turned in their first works since then on Friday at Keeneland, as a flurry of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks hopefuls worked to beat the rain that was expected that evening and through the weekend.

Irap, who won for the first time in eight career starts while taking the Grade 2 Blue Grass, came onto the track with Julien Leparoux in the irons shortly after the midmorning harrow break. With trainer Doug O’Neill, who flew in from his California base to oversee the work, looking for “a good piece of exercise,” Irap worked a mile in 1:44.

Unhurried breaking off, the colt turned in opening splits of 15 seconds, 29, and 41.20 for three furlongs. He began to extend his stride around the turn and smoothly switched leads in upper stretch, after coming down the lane on the wrong lead in the Blue Grass.

Irap finished up Friday’s work with splits of 53 seconds, 1:06, and 1:30 for seven furlongs. The final five furlongs, which O’Neill designated as the key portion of the work, went in 1:02.80.

“It’s something we do a lot with our two-turn horses,” O’Neill said. “We had him two-minute lick for three furlongs and then a conventional five-eighths-of-a-mile workout. Julien nailed it right on. The splits were perfect, and he finished up good.”

O’Neill has scheduled Irap’s final pre-Derby work for next Friday at Keeneland before departing for Churchill Downs early during race week, following the same pattern the trainer used last year with Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, who was based at Keeneland for several weeks. Keeneland maintains a Polytrack training track that O’Neill uses in poor weather.

Leparoux rode Irap in the Blue Grass but is committed to juvenile male champion and Arkansas Derby victor Classic Empire for the Kentucky Derby. Mario Gutierrez, who rode I’ll Have Another and Nyquist to their classic victories for O’Neill, picks up the mount. O’Neill said Gutierrez will fly in for Irap’s final work.

Working shortly before Irap was Practical Joke, who narrowly got the better of Grade 3-winning stablemate Ticonderoga through a half-mile breeze in 49.80. Under exercise rider Fernando Rivera, the colt went in splits of 12.60, 24.80, and 37.40. He galloped out in 1:01.60.

“He’s full of himself, his energy level’s great,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I moved his work up a day because of weather. I was happy just to stretch his legs and see how he was moving, and I was happy with what I saw. It sets him up well for a more serious work over the Churchill surface.”

Practical Joke will depart for Churchill Downs early this coming week and will have his final Derby work next Friday.

Also working Friday was Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapwrit, who is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass. The colt, part of Todd Pletcher’s squad of Derby hopefuls, went five furlongs in 1:01.40 under jockey Jose Ortiz, unhurried while finishing ahead of the maiden Wissam as the latter was slapped on the shoulder a few times.

Tapwrit galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.80 and seven in 1:28.40 with mild encouragement.

Pletcher is expected to consolidate his Derby hopefuls at Churchill Downs early this coming week.

Two Kentucky Oaks hopefuls also worked Friday at Keeneland, with Ashland Stakes runner-up Daddys Lil Darling getting a half in 47.40 for Ken McPeek and Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up Tequilita working five furlongs in 1:02.40 for Michael Matz.

There is another major Kentucky Derby contender on the grounds, with Louisiana Derby winner Girvin calling Keeneland home for at least the next few days.

Girvin had been based at the Trackside Training Center in Louisville, Ky., since winning the Louisiana Derby on March 25 and was originally scheduled to have his penultimate Kentucky Derby work at either Trackside or nearby Churchill Downs on Saturday.

However, with rain moving into the area, trainer Joe Sharp opted to van Girvin the hour-plus to his Keeneland barn in order to have access to the synthetic training track, rather than risking missing days of training.

Girvin is now expected to work Sunday or Monday in Lexington after the rain clears the area before returning to Louisville for his final pre-Derby work.