Kentucky Derby 2012: Went the Day Well antsy in gate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four of the major contenders for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby schooled in the starting gate Wednesday morning following the renovation break.

Bodemeister and Union Rags, who figure to vie for favoritism in the Derby, were well behaved as was Alpha, the Wood Memorial runner-up. Went the Day Well, who was wearing blinkers, was a bit antsy in the gate and had to be backed out and reloaded.

Bodemeister did go in, back out, and reload, but stood still during his session. Union Rags and Alpha also stood quietly.

Went the Day Well will race in blinkers for the first time in the Derby, and Wednesday was his first time in the gate with that equipment. Trainer Graham Motion said Went the Day Well was to visit the gate again Thursday.

“We needed to take him to the gate in order to get him a blinker card,” Motion said. “He was a little antsy. I’m going to take him back [Thursday]. If it was a normal race, I probably wouldn’t, but I don’t want to leave any stone unturned, so I think it would be good to take him back.”

Alpha acted up badly in the gate in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, in which he finished 11th. He reared up in the gate prior to the doors opening of the Count Fleet, a race he won by 2 1/2 lengths. In his last two races, Alpha has been good at the gate and was again Thursday.

“He was great, he continues to school very well, I just wanted this gate crew to see how well he’s behaving,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

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