Kentucky Derby clocker: Cutting Humor, Spinoff energetic in gallops

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Sunny
Temp.: 71
Track: Fast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wednesday literally may have been the calm before the storm at Churchill Downs, with another picture-perfect morning likely to be followed by several days of rain, according to local forecasts, with the worst of that weather expected on Derby Day.

All the players are here for this year’s Derby, with the final group arriving from South Florida on Tuesday. They all galloped Wednesday morning during the Oaks/Derby training window at 7:30. Trainer Todd Pletcher’s pair of CUTTING HUMOR and SPINOFF were first out, both turning in lively gallops while getting a little bit of home cooking in the form of the unseasonably warm temperatures that greeted them today.

Blue Grass winner VEKOMA was not far behind, and he too looked sharp in his first local appearance, with the awkward-looking, paddling action that is so obvious when he breezes and races not as evident at the slower pace of a routine gallop.

MAXIMUM SECURITY, who turned in one of those patented Jason Servis one-mile “breezes” just 48 hours earlier at Palm Meadows, also galloped Wednesday and was far from the prettiest mover out there – perhaps one of the reasons he was offered up under a mere $16,000 claiming tag in his debut.

GAME WINNER, who has been a bit conspicuous by his relative lack of activity since arriving here Saturday, got back to regular business Wednesday. After jogging Sunday and Monday and galloping an easy six furlongs following some gate schooling Tuesday, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner galloped 1 1/2 miles and looked just fine, changing leads on cue and moving along efficiently throughout.

After training early Tuesday, GRAY MAGICIAN made his first appearance during the Oaks-Derby session Wednesday and got very warm. He washed out pretty badly by the time he passed by the grandstand the second time around.

WAR OF WILL was aggressive, as usual, galloping Wednesday, and with the misfortune of having drawn the rail and his natural eagerness, it would be surprising not to see him on or near the early lead on Saturday.

There was one official Derby workout on Wednesday, Japanese invader MASTER FENCER blowing out while again equipped with his blinkered hood and earmuffs. Master Fencer began picking up the pace midway down the backstretch, with Daily Racing Form timing him from the three-eighths pole to the wire in 12.57 and 38.62, out a half-mile into the clubhouse turn in 52.81.

Morning-line favorite OMAHA BEACH had another good day, as did PLUS QUE PARFAIT, TAX, and TACITUS, who continues to pick up his pace to a two-minute lick during the final quarter-mile to three furlongs of his daily gallops.

Thoughts on Friday’s Oaks field

Among the Oaks contenders who have impressed the most over the past 10 days are CHAMPAGNE ANYONE, off a pair of very sharp works; CHOCOLATE KISSES, who bounced out of last Saturday’s breeze with some very strong and eye-catching daily gallops; LADY APPLE, who appears to be maintaining her excellent form; and STREET BAND, who was bounding along at a rapid pace Wednesday with her leggy exercise rider’s feet nearly scraping the ground as she went. DUNBAR ROAD has also looked terrific since arriving locally but still is in need of a late scratch to crack the lineup.

Oaks favorite BELLAFINA is certainly not a picture of fluidity during her routine gallops, and she looked even a little rougher on Wednesday than the previous morning, although West Coast observers assure that’s just par for the course for her. RESTLESS RIDER had a scheduled work postponed from Saturday until Monday and was a bit aggressive and not as impressive in that final prep as she’s been in previous workouts both here and in South Florida prior to her second-place finish off the layoff in the Ashland.