Kentucky Derby: Angel of Empire, Jace's Road work together

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Brad Cox, who trains one-fifth of the expected Kentucky Derby field, sent that strong hand out Saturday morning for their final breezes toward the race, now one week off, at Churchill Downs.

The most prominent of Cox’s four expected Derby entrants, Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire, worked in company with Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Jace’s Road during the training window reserved for Derby and Oaks hopefuls at 7:30 a.m., following the first morning renovation break.

Angel of Empire, with Flavien Prat in the irons and equipped with blinkers that he wears to work but not to race, started off behind Jace’s Road and Florent Geroux. Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch timed the colts in 1:01.31 for five furlongs. Angel of Empire galloped out ahead down the backstretch.

“Good move, pretty happy with the way they were moving and galloped out,” Cox said.

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Earlier in the morning, as the track opened, Cox sent out Wood Memorial runner-up Hit Show and Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Verifying for separate in-company works.

Hit Show, who Cox said “ran a winning race” when narrowly beaten in the Wood, worked outside of Tapit’s Conquest, going five furlongs in 59.91.

Verifying, with Derby jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard, went in 59.48 in company with Ever So Mischievous.

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“He’s excited,” Cox said of Gaffalione after the work. “So am I.”

Hit Show and Verifying worked together last week, but Cox wanted to put both outside horses this week, so he split them up.

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