Kentucky Oaks: Princess of Sylmar must pass inspection in final workout

Todd Pletcher has several fillies slated for next Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, headed by Dreaming of Julia and Unlimited Budget, but said that Princess of Sylmar’s status was hinging on her performance in her final workout this weekend, likely Saturday.

Pletcher said Princess of Sylmar “was fighting the track” in her previous work at Churchill Downs, and he wanted to make sure she was comfortable over this surface.

“Her last work wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what we’re used to seeing from her,” Pletcher said.

Abreu recovering from heel surgery

Reynaldo Abreu has had a ringside seat to prior Kentucky Derbies as an assistant to Nick Zito, and now he’s working for John Terranova, but Abreu is playing hurt this week, hobbling around with his left foot in a protective boot, owing to recent surgery for a torn Achilles heel, which happened in a freak stable-area accident.

“I needed 50 stitches,” Abreu said.

That has interfered with his mobility, but not the respect in which he’s held. Terranova was not scheduled to arrive here until Friday night, and was planning on working Falling Sky on Saturday, but because of an increasingly gloomy weather report, he and Abreu decided to move the work up to Friday.

Napravnik, O’Neill featured on TV
Jockey Rosie Napravnik and trainer Doug O’Neill will be featured on nationally televised programs in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby.

Napravnik will be the subject of a featured segment hosted by correspondent Bob Simon on “60 Minutes.” The show airs at 7 p.m. Eastern on Sunday on CBS. The promo for the piece, entitled “Rosie’s Run for the Roses” says: “No other jockey has won more races this year than Rosie Napravnik, the only female riding in the upcoming Kentucky Derby and one of only a handful of successful female jockeys in the sport’s history.”

On Wednesday, the new program “60 Minutes Sports” will run a profile of 2012 Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill, to be hosted by correspondent Armen Keteyian. The program airs at 9 p.m. Eastern on Showtime.

◗ Strathnaver, the 18-1 winner of the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes on Thursday at Keeneland, probably will make her next start in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay on May 25 at Belmont Park, said trainer Graham Motion.