Kentucky Derby: Highly Motivated works solid five furlongs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When it was mentioned to trainer Chad Brown that Highly Motivated was starting to get some buzz on the backstretch at Churchill Downs leading into next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer was all smiles.
“If you’re talking about a horse having a good chance, it’s a conversation I want to be in rather than someone talking about a horse that’s not training well,” Brown said.
Highly Motivated certainly trained well Saturday at Churchill Downs, working a solid five furlongs in 1:00.53, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch. He got his last three furlongs in 35.20 seconds under exercise rider Peter Roman.
It was Highly Motivated’s second work since he was beaten a neck by Essential Quality in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes on April 3 at Keeneland. The undefeated Essential Quality, last year’s 2-year-old champion, is expected to be the Derby favorite.
In his first two-turn race, Highly Motivated was on the lead in the Blue Grass. Brown doesn’t want nor expect Highly Motivated to be on the lead in the Derby.
“I’d like to see him with a target, not on the lead, I think that’s going to be better for him,” Brown said. “I think he’s going to prove he can actually go farther when he’s not on the lead.”
In Social District, a maiden, Brown gave Highly Motivated a target Saturday. But Highly Motivated was eager and a quarter-mile into the work was on even terms, if not a head in front, of his workmate.
“The rider, Peter Roman, did a really good job of reining him in without much of a fight, got him to settle and then finish,” Brown said. “You could see that early in the work how eager he is to pass a horse.”
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Brown hopes Highly Motivated is equally eager to pass horses next Saturday afternoon.
King Fury in solo breeze
King Fury, the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes winner, officially joined the Kentucky Derby field Friday when it was announced that Hozier would not run.
On Saturday, King Fury breezed a good-looking five furlongs in 1:00.31 over the Churchill main track, continuing out six furlongs in 1:12.78 and seven furlongs in 1:27.03.
Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard for the work and will be on him in the Derby.
“He just needed to click off some” 12-second eighths, “get a nice gallop out,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “He didn’t take a deep breath. I thought it was a pretty impressive breeze especially not in company. I went back and forth on whether to work him in company. He didn’t really need it.”