LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Both the race shape and the pre-race preparation conspired against Candy Boy in his last start, the Santa Anita Derby, but both look to be far more in his favor for the next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, the race for which Candy Boy had his final workout on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Candy Boy turned in a solid five-furlong workout with his Derby jockey, Gary Stevens, that Daily Racing Form timed in 1:00.64. His trainer, John Sadler, was rightly encouraged by the work, and also believes the longer distance of the Derby, and a pace expected to be more suitable to Candy Boy’s late-running style, give him a chance to bounce back from his third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby. “We felt like we had to change his style that day. We didn’t want to, but you had to lay close,” Sadler said Saturday morning in the Churchill Downs stable area. “I don’t think that’s ideally the way he wants to run. It definitely looks like a different race here.” [ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays] Candy Boy came into the Santa Anita Derby off a designed two-month layoff following a victory in the Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 8. Sadler said before the Santa Anita Derby that he skipped the San Felipe Stakes in March because he thought waiting for the Santa Anita Derby gave Candy Boy his best chance to succeed at his ultimate goal, the Kentucky Derby. Having seen the way Candy Boy has trained since that race, Sadler is satisfied the proper course of action was taken.  “I wanted to have a fresh horse for this race. And I honestly think he might have been a little short for the Santa Anita Derby,” Sadler said. “We did have to change one work because of the weather.” Saturday’s work, Sadler said, left him “really happy.”  “He was smooth,” Sadler said. “I wanted him to get a nice work over this track. It’s a different track. You want a horse to get over it without being forced. He did that. He’s got a good base under him. He went a mile in his second start. It’s not like he needed two or three sprints before he went a route.”  Candy Boy has raced seven times. He took four starts to finally beat maidens, but then jumped forward with a strong, second-place finish behind champion Shared Belief in the Cash Call Futurity to complete his 2-year-old campaign. Stevens rode him for the first time in the CashCall Futurity. Candy Boy was one of five likely Derby starters to work at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Vicar’s in Trouble, the Louisiana Derby winner, worked five furlongs in company in 1:03.39, according to Daily Racing Form. His regular jockey, Rosie Napravnik, was aboard for trainer Mike Maker. Medal Count, the Blue Grass runner-up, was caught by Daily Racing Form going five furlongs in 1:00.41 for trainer Dale Romans. Harry’s Holiday, another Maker runner, was given an official time by track clockers of 1:02.60 for his solo work with jockey Corey Lanerie, who was named as his Derby rider on Saturday. Commanding Curve, currently ranked 21st on the points list – one away from making the 20-horse field – was timed by Daily Racing Form going five furlongs in 1:02.45 while in company, with a poor gallop out of 1:18.42. Commanding Curve, a troubled third last time out in the Louisiana Derby, is trained by Dallas Stewart. There were no defections from the top 20 on Saturday. On Saturday night, Bayern – currently ranked 23rd on the points list – was to run in the Derby Trial, and though that race offers no points, the earnings could propel Bayern up the points list owing to the tie-breaker, earnings in non-restricted stakes. A victory would put Bayern above Harry’s Holiday, who also has 20 points, in 20th place. Bayern’s trainer, Bob Baffert, has not officially ruled out a start in the Derby, but it would be against Baffert’s style to run a horse back in a week and for the third time in three weeks. Bayern made his last start in the Arkansas Derby two weeks ago, finishing third. If Bayern runs well in the Derby Trial, and skips the Derby, he is expected to go for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, on May 17. - additional reporting by Byron King and Mike Welsch