Kentucky Derby: Epicenter work has Asmussen bubbling with excitement
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The rain had lifted, the air was fresh and the morning glorious around 8:30 on Sunday at Churchill Downs. A little earlier, trainer Steve Asmussen had sent out Epicenter, the Louisiana Derby winner, for his final workout in advance of Saturday’s 148th Kentucky Derby, a drill that was so impressive Asmussen could barely contain his excitement.
Asked how he was doing, Asmussen said, “I’ll let you know at 6 o’clock Saturday, but right now I’m feeling great.”
Epicenter polished off a splendid series of drills exiting the Louisiana Derby with a five-furlong move on Sunday that Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch caught in 1:01.21. But it was the way he did it that was far more impressive than the raw time, reflecting the old clocker’s adage that it’s not how fast you go, but how you go fast.
Showing controlled energy, seemingly begging exercise rider Wilson Fabian to let him do more, Epicenter went along well within himself, in company with the 4-year-old allowance-class Alejandro. He was keen early, was never asked for any effort whatsoever throughout the drill, and gave off every indication he’s sitting on go for the Derby.
“He’s so fast,” Asmussen said in admiration.
Epicenter worked at 7:30 a.m., right after the morning’s first of two renovation breaks. Owing to rain overnight, the track was listed as muddy at that point in the morning.
Asmussen typically gives his horses an easy half-mile in their final drill before a race, and that’s what he did with the unbeaten Eclipse Award winner Echo Zulu on Sunday morning in advance of her start in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. She was timed by Welsch in 50.84 seconds over a track that by then had been upgraded to good.
“That’s who they are and where they’re at, coming out of works last week, and what they needed,” Asmussen said. “He has taken a lot of training extremely easy. He took the Louisiana Derby well. That’s the way he’s worked since - faster, stronger than normal.”
Entries for the Derby were to be taken Monday morning, with posts drawn Monday afternoon. The field came into sharper focus on Sunday with the defections of Early Voting and In Due Time, both of whom will await the second leg of the Triple Crown, the May 21 Preakness at Pimlico, according to their trainers, Chad Brown and Kelly Breen, respectively.
Early Voting, the Wood Memorial runner-up in his last start, only the third of his career, had enough points to run in the Derby, but Brown all along had said he was unlikely to run unless there were significant changes to the prospective field.
Early Voting bowing out allowed Pioneer of Medina, the third-place finisher in the Louisiana Derby behind Epicenter, to get into the race. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, on Sunday said he had yet to confirm a rider for Pioneer of Medina.
In Due Time exiting the Derby thus moved Ethereal Road up to 21st on the points list, putting him one out of making the 20-horse field. Churchill Downs allows up to four also-eligibles at entry time, but D. Wayne Lukas, the trainer of Ethereal Road, on Sunday said “probably not” when asked if Ethereal Road would be entered as an also-eligible.
However, if there was an unexpected defection from the top 20 before entry time, Lukas said he’d consider the Derby. Lukas said his other options were to run in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard, or await the Preakness. Ethereal Road was fourth in the Lexington in his last start.
Next on the points list are Rich Strike and Rattle N Roll, both of whom were expected to be entered in the Derby, even if it meant they’d be the lone two also-eligibles. Those on the also-eligible list have until 9 a.m. Eastern on Friday, Oaks morning, to draw into the Derby.
Rich Strike was third in the Jeff Ruby in his last start.
Rattle N Roll, sixth in the Blue Grass last time out, will have James Graham named to ride, according to trainer Kenny McPeek, who has two certain starters in the Derby in Smile Happy and Tiz the Bomb.
- additional reporting by David Grening, Marty McGee, and Mike Welsch