Kentucky Derby: We Miss Artie, Intense Holiday put in final Florida works

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher completed his final piece of important business in south Florida for the season when sending out two of his four potential Kentucky Derby starters, We Miss Artie and Intense Holiday, to work at his winter home, the Palm Meadows training center, Sunday morning.

We Miss Artie was the first of the team to go shortly after sunrise at 6:45 a.m. Working in company with Capo Bastone, We Miss Artie went five furlongs in 1:01.19, completing his final quarter in 23.21 seconds before galloping out extremely well, six furlongs in 1:13.21 and pulling up seven-eighths in 1:26.80. Exercise rider Danny Wright was aboard. We Miss Artie is coming off a nose victory in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park but has not won in three starts on dirt.

“I thought he went very well, finished up good, galloped out strongly,” said Pletcher. “He needed a good, solid work since he hasn’t run since the Spiral, and I think he got that. You can tell why we’ve run him on the dirt a number of times, works like this where he’s competitive with a Grade 1 horse on the dirt. The real key is how he handles the Churchill surface. Sometimes the turf, Poly angles play towards Churchill. Does he have to improve and run the race of his life to be competitive? Absolutely, but he’s doing well.”

Pletcher said Javier Castellano would have the mount on We Miss Artie in the Kentucky Derby. It is part of a two-race commitment Pletcher and owner Ken Ramsey gave Castellano aboard the Canadian-bred We Miss Artie, the second being the Queen's Plate at Woodbine in June. Castellano came available after his original Derby mount, Constitution, was withdrawn from consideration for the race after sustaining a shin injury earlier this week. Like We Miss Artie, Constitution is trained by Pletcher.

Intense Holiday worked immediately after the renovation break in company with Micromanage, going a half-mile in 48.74 seconds, while surging about a half-length in front at the wire. The pair then galloped out as a team in 1:01.08 before pulling up six furlongs in 1:15.10.

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“I thought it was good,” said Pletcher. “The horse is doing well. I thought he had a strong breeze last week. I think he’s very fit. It’s just a matter of keeping him happy. We’re going to go with a similar work at Churchill next week. He hasn’t done a whole lot wrong in his last few starts and acts like a horse who’ll get the distance. He’s coming into [the Derby] well and could be kind of a sneaky horse on the day if he gets the right trip.”

Pletcher’s other two Derby contenders, the Arknasas Derby winner Danza, and Vinceramos, are already in Kentucky.

“We sent Vinceramos to WinStar for a little freshening,” said Pletcher. “He’ll come into Churchill on Wednesday, he’ll breeze Sunday, and he’s got to breeze well [to run in the Derby]. He’s earned his way in on point. Now, he’s got to prove to us he’s ready to run well.”

At Gulfstream, Wildcat Red worked a half-mile in 48.69 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.30 according to the track clockers, with jockey Luis Saez aboard Sunday. Saez rode Wildcat Red to victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. On Saturday, trainer Jose Garoffalo named Saez as Wildcat Red’s rider in the Derby, once learning his scheduled Derby mount, Cairo Prince, was sidelined due to an ankle injury.

“He went excellent. It was exactly what we needed,” said Garoffalo. “Luis rode him perfect this morning. He was very happy after the workout. He told me that the horse was different – more focused and more relaxed – than when he rode him before. The track was a little slower than usual, but it was perfect. I’m glad that I skipped the previous two days and waited to breeze him this morning.”

Wildcat Red will ship to Louisville on Tuesday along with We Miss Artie and Intense Holiday and have his final Derby work at Churchill next weekend.