Kentucky Derby clocker: Code of Honor, Improbable in top form

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Cloudy
Temp.: 54
Track: Fast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sunday was by far the busiest morning yet on the Kentucky Derby workout front this week at Churchill Downs, with plenty of action and a little bit of craziness packed into the 15-minute window set aside for Derby and Oaks horses immediately after the first renovation break.

The weather was on the chilly side, with temperatures dropping throughout the morning. The racetrack was as fast or faster than it’s been all week, yielding quick times and some eye-catching performances from several of the six Derby hopefuls to work, none of whom gave any indication they were coming into the race in anything less than top form.

CODE OF HONOR was first up for trainer Shug McGaughey, looking anxious to get right down to business as he approached the half-mile marker. The Fountain of Youth winner showed surprising speed, zipping four furlongs in 23.29 seconds and 47.07, going easily throughout. Nudged just a tad at the wire, he responded by galloping out a very strong five furlongs in 59.64 before easing up three-quarters in 1:13.84. It was a solid move from a horse who appears to be moving forward nicely off a bit of a disappointing performance in the Florida Derby.

IMPROBABLE was next, and he too was eager to begin when breaking off at the five-furlong pole a couple of lengths behind stablemate Embolden while working without blinkers once again.

Although Improbable was very keen at first and had his head cocked outward, jockey Florent Geroux was able to settle him into a more comfortable stride around the turn, the Arkansas Derby runner-up posting splits of 24.03 and 35.91 while angled four to five paths wide entering the stretch.

He edged a length clear of his target, going easily to complete five panels in 1:00.70, before striding away very impressively on the gallop-out, getting six furlongs in 1:12.98 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:25.88. This looked like his best piece of morning work dating to the Rebel and suggested he could play a major part in the early pace scenario if breaking alertly on Derby Day.

Trainer Bill Mott’s two Derby contenders, COUNTRY HOUSE (on the rail) and TACITCUS (outside) left the five-furlong pole as a team but encountered some inadvertent company an eighth of a mile later when running up inside and joining the pair of WIN WIN WIN and SOUPER COURAGE, who were beginning their drill at the half-mile marker.

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Tacitus and Country House remained on even terms throughout, pushed along perhaps a bit more than intended by the Mike Trombetta duo, completing five-eighths in 35.09, 1:00.09. Country House, working in blinkers, stuck his head in front at the wire while under a bit more encouragement to finish than his mate. The team continued on with good energy into and around the turn, galloping out five furlongs in 1:13.02 and up seven-eighths in 1:25.84, with Win Win Win battling them throughout.

Win Win Win took the worst of it but made the most out of a potentially disastrous scenario. Jockey Julian Pimental, who handled himself very professionally under the circumstances, eased Win Win Win back off the Bill Mott duo while keeping him well wide around the turn and into the stretch. The Blue Grass runner-up then responded readily when roused by Pimental near the eighth pole, running by Tacitus and Country House out in the middle of the track to finish a length clear at the wire after four furlongs in 23.34, 47.42.

He then rebroke and reengaged the two Mott runners after losing ground and falling back again into the clubhouse turn, galloping out very eagerly himself in 1:00.51 up 1:13.49.

Trainer Bret Calhoun avoided any such potential chaos for his good-feeling BY MY STANDARDS by holding him out for last, the Louisiana Derby winner turning what was likely designed as a maintenance half-mile into a thing of beauty.

Relaxing through a 24.22, 48.40 half-mile under Gabriel Saez, By My Standards caught everybody’s attention with a sensational gallop-out, completing six furlongs around the clubhouse turn in 1:00.83 and 1:13.09. He was still dragging his rider down the backstretch when Saez reached down and took a little hold, the pair still easing up after seven-eighths in 1:27.05. It was a punctuation mark on a very big series of works heading into the Derby.

Lost amid all the attention paid to the Derby workers on Sunday were three Oaks drills. Champagne Anyone, who has trained very forwardly over the past couple of weeks, breezed a maintenance half-mile in 48.41, Lady Apple a somewhat similarly orchestrated four furlongs in 49, and Street Band five-eighths in 1:00.20.