CHURCHILL DOWNS Weather: Cloudy Track: Fast  Temp: 52 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Those trainers who decided to roll the dice and stick with the original plan to work their Kentucky Derby and Oaks prospects on Saturday at Churchill Downs, even in the wake of a gloomy forecast, were rewarded with a fast track throughout the morning as the inevitable showers did not arrive until a couple of hours after training ended. Among those sticking to the schedule was Brad Cox, who did push Caddo River’s work forward a day but held both Derby favorite Essential Quality and Mandaloun back to turn in their final serious preps immediately after the racetrack opened for business, as usual, at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday. Essential Quality was the first worker, Derby or otherwise, of the morning, going in company for a second straight week with the older, two-turn allowance winner Spa City. The pair broke at the half-mile pole with Essential Quality a length back, the duo hitting the wire on even terms after four furlongs in 24.90, 48.09, both finishing well without being asked for their best to that point.  But from there on, the Blue Grass winner was second-best, continuing out five-eighths a length back in 1:00.63 before again appearing lackluster on the gallop out, falling well behind his mate, easing up after three-quarters in 1:14.84.  Mandaloun, on the other hand, was impressive for a second straight week while working in company with Joe Frazier. The drill did not start on a high note, with Mandaloun, jockey Florent Geroux aboard, breaking about seven lengths behind at the half-mile pole, not likely the way it had been originally drawn up. But Mandaloun was still able to make up the ground to the wire after posting a 23.15, 47.73 half going easily throughout. He then continued out with excellent energy into and around the turn, completing five-eighths in 1:00.37 before going out six panels in 1:12.85 and up seven furlongs in 1:27.53. Perhaps not as eye-catching as the previous week, but solid enough nonetheless for a horse who has trained as well as anybody in the weeks leading up to this year’s Derby. Super Stock turned in an efficient five-furlong breeze in his lone drill since upsetting the Arkansas Derby just two weeks earlier, working on even terms with Max Player in 36.06 1:01.04, finishing a head back while widest of the team throughout. He remained slightly second-best on the gallop out in 1:14.54. The track seemed a bit tighter than it had been earlier in the morning during the special Derby-Oaks training session at 7:30 a.m., producing fast final clockings from Derby contenders Highly Motivated and King Fury. :: Get DRF Clocker Reports for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks cards to access exclusive insights from morning training Like Essential Quality, with whom he was involved in a torrid stretch duel before coming out second-best in the Blue Grass, Highly Motivated was very solid to the wire after all but walking away from the five-eighths pole. Full of run while accelerating noticeably once entering the turn, he dominated his over-matched and pressured workmate Southern District down the lane with a brisk 47.13 final half-mile while kept under wraps to finish. But like Essential Quality, he, too, seemed lackluster on the gallop out, completing six furlongs in 1:14.26 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:28.13.  The burning question remains whether the grueling Blue Grass battle may make it difficult for Essential Quality and/or Highly Motivated to bounce back to peak form with only a four-week turnaround to the Derby. The final Derby work of the day was by King Fury, and it was a good one. Going solo from the five-eighths pole with jockey Brian Hernandez aboard, King Fury breezed the distance in 36.40, 59.88, completing his final three-eighths in a lively 34.65 while never being asked for his best and hugging the inner rail throughout. He then showed high energy running out six furlongs in 112.46 up seven-eighths in 1:26.66 with Hernandez up in the irons almost immediately after passing the wire. Impressive stuff for a horse who also has questions to answer, having made only one start at 3, that coming just two weeks earlier in the Lexington. The lone Oaks workers of the morning were Millefeuille and Crazy Beautiful, the pair a contrast in styles but sharp nonetheless over the lively surface. Millefueille worked in company inside stablemate Obligatory, zipping five-eighths in 59.48, holding a slight edge while nudged perhaps a tad to finish. She went out in 1:13.02 looking happy with her ears pricked around the turn. Crazy Beautiful worked solo from the half and was full of run from the outset, posting a 24.02 opening quarter under a strong hold, angling out near the middle of the strip leaving the turn before being geared down to the wire in 49.34. She did pick up her pace running out into and around the clubhouse bend, looking sharp for a second straight week while completing five-eighths in 1:02.54 up 1:15.80. She is another who has made a favorable impression on a regular basis throughout the past week. :: DRF's Kenucky Derby Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, past performances, analysis, and more