Kentucky Derby Clocker Report: Disarm impresses in easy half-mile drill

Churchill Downs

Monday, May 1

Weather: Showery

Temperature: 47°

Track: Fast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Light rain was falling and temperatures were unseasonably cold once again when the racetrack opened for business at 5:15 a.m. Monday at Churchill Downs, with the trainers of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Oaks starters now in the process of putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the two big events now just days away.

Disarm was the only prospective entrant from either race to turn in an official work over a track that remained fast despite the pre-dawn showers. The uncertainty of the weather prompted trainer Steve Asmussen to move up the breeze from its originally scheduled time immediately after the renovation break to just before 6 a.m.

With rain falling, Disarm broke off at the half-mile pole at a leisurely pace before picking up his cadence on the bend. Kept wide turning for home and cruising throughout, Disarm completed the distance in 49.24 seconds before easing up purposefully on the gallop-out. It was a typical Asmussen-type maintenance move just five days out from the race. Disarm has made a very favorable impression since exiting his third-place finish in the Lexington on April 15 at Keeneland, both in his morning gallops and with a sharp five-furlong drill in 59.90 here one week ago. He looks like a horse capable of outrunning his odds on Derby Day.

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Among the Derby horses to catch the eye during the special Derby-Oaks training session on Monday were Tapit Trice (again); Confidence Game, exiting a sharp five-furlong work of his own on Saturday; and Two Phil’s, who made a very favorable first local impression galloping in blinkers.

Two Phil’s was one of several who had their first local sighting Monday morning, along with Wood Memorial winner Lord Miles, who merely jogged one mile while getting a feel for his local surroundings after shipping in Sunday, and Skinner, who galloped an easy mile just 48 hours removed from a visually impressive final Derby breeze at his home base at Santa Anita.

Trainer Brad Cox sent out his Derby foursome, Angel of Empire, Verifying, Hit Show, and Jace’s Road, to merely jog a mile the wrong way on the outside fence shortly before 7 a.m., the second easy morning for the quartet since turning in serious works Saturday.

Continuar and Derma Sotogake returned to the track after taking a day off Sunday, with the pair joined by fellow Japanese invader Mandarin Hero, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up who is still hoping to work his way into the starting lineup from off the also-eligible list. Both Continuar and Derma Sotogake are scheduled to breeze Tuesday, as is Sun Thunder.

Among the Oaks fillies who impressed here Monday were Southlawn, eager to do more while kept well out in the track during her routine gallop; Defining Purpose, full of energy exiting a sharp work Saturday; and Gambling Girl who was on her toes for a second consecutive morning. The same can be said of Dorth Vader, who is clearly enjoying the cooler weather since shipping up from her South Florida base over the weekend.

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