CHURCHILL DOWNS Weather: Showers Temp. 68 Track: Sloppy LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Although the weather should be clear and the track fast on Kentucky Derby Day, such was not the case just 48 hours in advance of the main event, with rain showers and a sloppy racetrack greeting the 20 Derby contenders when they came out to train Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. The wet conditions seemingly altered the original training plans for more than a few of this year’s Derby participants, with some trainers opting to take a little more cautious approach in light of the inclement weather, which was expected to last here throughout the day. One trainer who stuck to his original Thursday morning itinerary was Brad Cox, who sent Derby favorite Essential Quality and stablemate Mandaloun to school in the starting gate at 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Essential Quality got a bit antsy in the blocks before being backed out and reloaded, then settling down. Mandaloun, on the other hand, stood like a perfect gentleman throughout his schooling session. Essential Quality went to the gate wearing blinkers, but had them removed before turning in a fairly energetic gallop over the sloppy footing. Mandaloun, as always, was a little more high-energy than his stablemate and made another favorable impression, neck slightly bowed the entire way around. While the Cox pair were at the gate, California invaders Hot Rod Charlie, Rock Your World, and Medina Spirit were all out on the track, with the trio turning in relatively routine gallops. Medina Spirit was taken right down to the rail and looked a bit sharper than the previous couple of mornings Hot Rod Charlie, training with blinkers, looked full of run for a second consecutive morning, with his stable pony, Lava Man, rushing over to pull him up before he did too much leaving the half-mile pole. The Todd squad, trainer Todd Pletcher’s Derby quartet of Known Agenda, Dynamic One, Sainthood, and Bourbonic, all came out earlier than usual and turned in routine gallops under the lights. Known Agenda and Dynamic One were the first to go at 5:30 a.m., with their stablemates following suit about a half-hour later. Dry or wet conditions, it doesn’t seem to faze King Fury, who was certainly the most energetic and arguably most impressive of all the Derby starters to train this morning. He even blew out an impromptu (or so it seemed) quarter-mile from the wire around the clubhouse turn in a lively 27 and change. Highly Motivated, who has not appeared at his best the last few mornings, did little more than jog over the sloppy footing alongside the pony, as did Brooklyn Strong and Like the King, who came out on a deserted track following the second renovation break at 9 a.m. just as a light rain began to fall once again. The following are some thoughts regarding several of the key contenders in the Kentucky Derby field from impressions made during training hours over the past 10 days. A full report on all starters is available in the DRF Kentucky Derby Clocker Report, available for purchase here. Essential Quality: He is a deserving favorite, although his final two pre-Derby works were not quite as highly rated as some of his competition’s. Has looked good during routine gallops the past couple of mornings. :: Get DRF Clocker Reports for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks cards to access exclusive insights from morning training Known Agenda: Another who has worked well, albeit not as well as some of the others. But historically he has not been an exceptional work horse. Another who has looked very good on a regular basis since his arrival two weeks ago. Rock Your World: Had his final serious Derby preparations over his home base at Santa Anita. Those works looked very good on tape, and he has sustained a nice energy level since shipping here earlier this week. Hot Rod Charlie: Another California invader who had all his major preps back home. He is looking ready for a big effort on the strength of what he’s shown during routine gallops the last two mornings. Mandaloun: Turned in a clunker in his final Derby prep race, but is training as well as anybody in the field here the past two weeks. Midnight Bourbon: Louisiana Derby runner-up has looked terrific coming out of the race and seems to be peaking at the right time. – additonal reporting by David Grening :: Access DRF Past Performances for Saturday's Kentucky Derby card at Churchill Downs