Liaison was the only potential Kentucky Derby starter to work on Wednesday, going a stiff six furlongs in 1:12.92 at Churchill Downs with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.
It didn’t take trainer Bob Baffert long to make his presence felt around Churchill Downs in advance of this year’s Kentucky Derby. Less than 24 hours after arriving in Louisville, Baffert sent out the likely Derby favorite Bodemeister to work five furlongs in company with one of his three Kentucky Oaks hopefuls, Jemima’s Pearl.
With an almost perfect winter of training and racing under his belt, Creative Cause is about to leave his home at Hollywood Park as one of the elite contenders for the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5.
Creative Cause, narrowly beaten in the Santa Anita Derby in his last start, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 at Betfair Hollywood Park on Tuesday morning, his final local drill before leaving Saturday for the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
There was a time, not too long ago, when no trainer would dare start a horse in the Kentucky Derby without giving his 3-year-old plenty of opportunity to get acclimated to and at least one work over the Churchill Downs racetrack. But the times they are a changing, at least since Funny Cide shipped to Louisville from New York less than 72 hours prior to his victory in the 2003 Derby.
Ramon Dominguez will ride Hansen in the Kentucky Derby, his agent Steve Rushing confirmed Monday afternoon.
With the likely field for the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs starting to come into sharper focus, five horses with Derby aspirations worked Monday morning at Churchill Downs, and a surprise Derby starter worked at Calder in advance of his van trip to Kentucky later this week.
Potential Kentucky Derby starters Mark Valeski, Optimizer and Isn't He Clever worked after the renovation break at Churchill Downs on Monday, while a fourth, Trinniberg, breezed Monday at Calder.
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Trainer Steve Asmussen’s hopefuls Daddy Nose Best and Sabercat had their penultimate works for the Kentucky Derby early Monday morning at Churchill Downs.
Isn’t He Clever, the winner of the Borderland Derby at Sunland Park in February, has been transferred from trainer Henry Dominguez to Steve Asmussen at Churchlll Downs and is under consideration for the May 5 Kentucky Derby.
