Kentucky Derby: Raise Cain gets final work; jockey still to be determined

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Raise Cain turned in his final work for the Kentucky Derby on Thursday morning at Keeneland as trainer Ben Colebrook continues to weigh his jockey options for the colt.

Raise Cain, with Gerardo Corrales in the irons, worked in company with the unraced filly Merrily Rush, Luan Machado up, as they went a half-mile in 49 seconds on a fast main track.

Corrales is one of the riders who Colebrook said is "in the mix" among those who could pick up the mount on Raise Cain, who was left without a Derby rider on Monday when Javier Castellano, who had been scheduled to ride, elected to go with Mage.

Raise Cain won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in March at Aqueduct before finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, where he is based. He will van to Churchill Downs on Monday, which is the deadline for Derby and Kentucky Oaks candidates to be on the grounds.

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“He’s such a level-headed horse that I felt it was better to keep him here,” Colebrook said. “We can graze him a couple of hours a day, and he can be in his own stall. If he was nervous or he needed to get acclimated more to Churchill – he’ll have plenty of time over there. We’ll go over there Monday, last minute. He’ll have time to school in the paddock, stand in the gate. We just wanted to keep him home. He does great here.”

Also based at Keeneland for the time being is Oaks candidate Affirmative Lady, who breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 under exercise rider Kevin Lundie.

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“That’s about what she does," trainer Graham Motion said. “I think it’s about what she did last week."

Affirmative Lady, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, will van to Louisville on Sunday.

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