LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Silent Tactic finished four lengths behind Renegade in the Arkansas Derby four weeks ago, but it felt like the gap between the two 3-year-olds was larger than that. Mark Casse, the trainer of Silent Tactic, understands his horse has to run better than he did that day to compete with Renegade but he believes his horse will run better. Casse said that he and his team were nursing Silent Tactic through a bruised foot in the four weeks between the Grade 2 Rebel – in which Silent Tactic was beaten a nose by Class President – and the Arkansas Derby. “I feel like maybe that wasn’t his best performance and there’s better there,” Casse said Thursday about the Arkansas Derby effort. “We dealt with a bruised foot for a period of time.” Casse believes that foot issue is behind Silent Tactic. On Thursday morning, at Churchill Downs, Silent Tactic put in his final workout in preparation for the May 2 Kentucky Derby, working a half-mile in 48.30 seconds, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, who had him galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.74. “That’s him. If I wanted him to go fast, I’d have to give him company,” Casse said. :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Silent Tactic was one of three potential Kentucky Derby starters to put in workouts Thursday morning. At Palm Beach Downs, Renegade went an easy half-mile in 50.94, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. At Churchill Downs, Litmus Test, who needs one defection before Saturday’s draw to make the body of the field, worked five furlongs from the gate in 59.36, per Welsch. Casse worked Silent Tactic at 7:30 a.m., during the period reserved for Oaks and Derby horses to train. Two hours earlier, Casse worked his two Kentucky Oaks fillies, Search Party and Counting Stars. Casse noted his fillies “had a little blow afterward.” For Silent Tactic, “it was like nothing,” Casse said. Silent Tactic, a son of Tacitus, won the Grade 3 Southwest and had three seconds in a trio of other Derby points-scoring races at Oaklawn Park this winter and early spring. In the Southwest, Cristian Torres had Silent Tactic in the rear of the field before making his run. In both the Rebel and Arkansas Derby, Silent Tactic was a little closer to the pace. “The last couple of races there hasn’t been a whole lot of pace,” Casse said. “I also think Cristian knowing there hasn’t been a lot of pace put him into the race at about the half-mile pole. I think Cristian knows if we’re going to win the Kentucky Derby that this horse has about a five-sixteenths of a mile run in him. So, we need some pace and I can see where Cristian is going to sit tight on him and come with that run.” Renegade has a similar running style. His two victories this year, including a win in the Sam F. Davis before the Arkansas Derby, came with strong late runs from off the pace. On Thursday at Palm Beach Downs in Florida, where he has been based all winter, Renegade breezed a half-mile outside the maiden Powershift. “We saw a very consistent breeze from Renegade, pretty much what we’re accustomed to seeing,” Pletcher said. “He was traveling well throughout, thought he galloped out nicely. It wasn’t a real fast work, but that’s not his style. But I thought he moved very well, thought he caught his air quickly afterwards. He’s a fit, happy horse.” Pletcher opted to do all of his serious training with Renegade, as well as Oaks hopefuls Zany and She Be Smooth, in South Florida in part because he was confident the weather would be more conducive to working whenever he wanted. As fate would have it, there is rain in the forecast in Louisville on Saturday, which is causing some horsemen based here to tinker with their work schedule. “First time I can remember not being awake at night worrying about if it was going to rain or not for workouts.” Pletcher said. Horses entering the Kentucky Derby and Oaks must be on the Churchill grounds by 11 a.m. Saturday. Pletcher said Renegade, Zany, and She Be Smooth were to leave Florida by van at 8 a.m. Friday and likely arrive in Kentucky around 3 a.m. Saturday. In other Derby news, trainer Michael McCarthy has informed Churchill officials that, as expected, Stark Contrast will enter the Grade 1 American Turf and not the Kentucky Derby. That news officially moves Intrepido into the body of the field. :: Get DRF Kentucky Oaks & Derby Clocker Reports by Mike Welsch and the DRF Clocker Team With a decision still to come from the connections of Chip Honcho, the horses currently on the outside looking in are Litmus Test, Great White, Occelli, and Robusta. Those four could be entered as also-eligibles on Saturday. On Thursday, Litmus Test, worked five furlongs out of the gate in 59.36 under jockey Martin Garcia. The Bob Baffert trainee was equipped with blinkers, equipment he had previously worn, though not in his most recent start, the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, where he finished seventh. Baffert, who said he would put blinkers back on the horse for the Kentucky Derby, really liked what he saw from the work. “If you would have asked me yesterday, do you think I’d run him in the race, I would have been on the fence,” Baffert said. “After today’s work I wouldn’t hesitate running that horse. He had to do something like that today to convince me and he did.” Baffert didn’t discount the idea of Garcia riding the horse in the Derby, adding, “We got to get in first.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.