Kentucky Derby workouts: Hoppertunity likes track

[bc_video_id:322143:]LOUISVILLE, KY. – The temperature may have dropped overnight but the tempo picked up appreciably on Wednesday when it came to meaningful activity from the steadily growing contingent of horses on the grounds here at Churchill Downs preparing for next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Pre-dawn gallopers and workers were greeted by a bit of a surprise as only a bit more than half the track was illuminated when training opened at 5:45 a.m. Left pretty much in the dark for the opening hour of the session was the area stretching from the finish line to midway on the backstretch in the vicinity of the 4 1/2-furlong pole. The situation had little impact on Derby contenders as only Harry’s Holiday , Tapiture , and Candy Boy, who did little more than jog a mile the wrong way alongside a pony, trained during that period.[:slideshow-right:]

Wednesday at Churchill Downs
47 degrees, cloudy, fast

Two Derby hopefuls worked after the renovation break, General a Rod, as expected, and Hoppertunity, who was somewhat of a surprise addition to the tab with his trainer, Bob Baffert, in attendance.

Hoppertunity , runner-up behind California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby, was easily the most impressive of the pair. With Rosie Napravnik up, Hoppertunity broke off at the five-furlong pole alongside work mate Drill. Breezing over a somewhat loose and cuppy track, the pair completed their opening three-eighths on even terms in 35.69 seconds. But Drill was obviously struggling with the surface coming down the stretch and provided no real opposition for Hoppertunity as the two made their way through midstretch and to the finish line. In fact Napravnik turned around, looked back for her mate and even seemed to be yelling for Drill’s rider to keep up as she cruised to the finish line two lengths clear aboard Hoppertunity, who completed five-eighths in 1:00.25. Hoppertunity then further widened his advantage into the turn as Napravnik urged her mount to continue on solo, covering six furlongs in 1:13.27 before galloping out willingly, seven-eighths in 1:26.64.

Hoppertunity appeared to handle the Churchill Downs surface extremely well, much to Baffert’s delight.

“I wanted to get a strong work out of him and even though the workmate didn’t seem to handle the track at all, Hoppertunity went nice,” said Baffert. “He’s never been a great work horse, but on race day he just puts it together and I thought he handled this track better than he handles Santa Anita.

[KENTUCKY DERBY WORKOUTS: Video analysis, news, and times]

“He’s coming around right now, he’s moving forward and I know, turning for home, he’s going to be right there in the Derby.”

General a Rod , on the other hand, did not seem as focused or as comfortable. Breaking off just moments earlier from the five-furlong pole with exercise rider Joel Barrientos aboard, General a Rod dawdled through a 39-second opening three furlongs before picking up the pace some when sharply roused to finish, completing the distance in 1:03.32 before galloping out just an average six furlongs in 1:17.32. The work was a far cry from the very sharp manner in which he trained almost on a regular basis this winter at Gulfstream Park prior to his big efforts in both the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. Trainer Mike Maker said General a Rod may have been distracted early in his work by the new, giant video board on the Churchill Downs backstretch.

“The time was slow but the track was cuppy and when he broke off, he kind of had his eyes peeled on that big screen, so I’m glad we got him over here and got him over the track,” said Maker. “He finished up well and came back good.”

Maker said General a Rod would have one more work before the Derby.

Although he did not turn in an official workout, Ride On Curlin had a productive and visually appealing morning, galloping two miles, the second at better than a “two-minute clip”, which is a racetrack term for picking up the pace of a normal gallop and covering a mile in less than two minutes. Ride On Curlin completed his second mile in 1:57.46, the final half in 55.04, during which he got to stretch his legs down the stretch while covering his last quarter in 26.15.

The three recent arrivals from south Florida – Intense Holiday, We Miss Artie, and Wildcat Red – wasted little time getting acquainted with the track after shipping to Louisville the previous afternoon, all turning in routine gallops during the Oaks-Derby session. Maker’s other two Derby contenders, Harry’s Holiday and Vicar’s in Trouble , also galloped locally for the first time after vanning over along with General a Rod from the nearby Churchill Downs Training Center.

Baffert also sent out his Oaks candidate Ria Antonia to breeze five furlongs in 1:00.68 with Napravnik up. Equipped in blinkers, which she did not wear in her most recent start, Ria Antonia posted a 25.09 opening quarter split while working with her head cocked noticeably outward. She then covered her final three-eighths over the slower surface in 35.59 while given just some light encouragement by her rider nearing the wire.

“I put the blinkers back on this morning and that’s the way she works. That’s her,” said Baffert. “She had her head cocked a little early because I didn’t want Rosie to let her go too fast and come down the stretch with the wind hitting her in the face.”