Led by Todd Pletcher’s two Kentucky Derby candidates, a total of 10 horses with designs on the May 7 Derby turned in workouts Friday morning at Churchill Downs, with several of those works moved ahead from Saturday to avoid the wet weather predicted for the weekend.
Adventist, who still remains on the outside looking in as far as the Kentucky Derby is concerned, worked five furlongs in 1:02.37 Thursday morning over the Belmont Park training track.
The fillies took center stage Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, with the majority of the locally based Kentucky Derby hopefuls scheduled to turn in their final works on Friday. Likely Derby favorite Nyquist is at Keeneland, where he is scheduled to work before the first race on Friday.
The traffic Mo Tom managed to find in the Louisiana Derby infuriated trainer Tom Amoss to such a degree that he gave jockey Corey Lanerie a severe tongue-lashing upon returning to be unsaddled. “I called Corey in the jocks' room to apologize 20 minutes after it all blew up,” Amoss said. “Now it's totally behind us. Corey and I have been friends for 20 years and we're looking forward to a great showing in the Kentucky Derby.”
Trojan Nation, a surprise second at 81-1 in the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita on Thursday in preparation for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7.
As if there aren't enough variables in the equation to get a horse ready to be at his best on Kentucky Derby Day, you can now add weather to the mix. Overnight rains hit here on Tuesday, and with more in the forecast as the week progresses, it is likely to have a major effect on training and workout schedules.
With Churchill Downs making the races closest to the Derby worth the most points and eliminating the previous system – one based on earnings in graded stakes races – the field has become far more predicated on current form.
Curlin, who is coming off a career-best season by his racing progeny in 2015, is a rising star in the North American sire ranks. The stallion will look to really break through with a Kentucky Derby winner in Exaggerator, romping winner of the Santa Anita Derby.
There were no changes to the Derby Watch top 20 from last week to this week, not in terms of the lineup or the future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form's national handicapper, who has Nyquist as the 7-2 favorite 10 days out from the May 7 Kentucky Derby.
The blood runs hot in the Thoroughbred, and few are hotter right now – on a number of levels – than those by Tapit.
