Mohaymen gets mojo back

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mohaymen, the forgotten horse on the trail to the 142nd Kentucky Derby, gave a reminder that he’s still in the running for the May 7 race when he breezed a half-mile Wednesday at Churchill Downs in a snappy 46.80 seconds.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who was on hand for the work, told Churchill publicity that Mohaymen accomplished just what was needed in his first breeze since a disappointing fourth-place finish in the April 2 Florida Derby. Mohaymen arrived Sunday from his winter base in Florida.

“It was a great work,” said McLaughlin. “He hasn’t worked since he ran, and he was feeling really good, so we thought he was going to work well.”

Working over a fast strip following the regular harrow break, Mohaymen was the last of three Derby horses to work Wednesday at Churchill. Mo Tom went early, breezing a half-mile in 47 seconds, and Lani barely got out of a two-minute lick when getting five furlongs in 1:06 just before the harrow break.

Mohaymen had been a consensus favorite for the Derby after sweeping his first five races, but the gray Shadwell Stable colt was soundly defeated by Nyquist in a battle of unbeatens in the Florida Derby. His Wednesday breeze was done easily enough, with the colt switching leads on cue while not asked for his best. Churchill clocker John Nichols caught him going out five furlongs in 59.60 and six furlongs in 1:12.80.

“He’s a special colt,” said McLaughlin. “We’re going to draw a line through” the Florida Derby.

Mohaymen will have one more serious work before the Kentucky Derby, said McLaughlin.

Mo Tom went before dawn and under the lights and was caught by Nichols galloping out an extra half-mile, with “out” splits of 59.80, 1:12.40, 1:26.20, and 1:42.

“Coming to the wire, he was full force,” said Tom Amoss, who still has yet to name a Derby rider on behalf of owners Tom and Gayle Benson. “He did like he always does, galloped out very strongly, which is his [modus operandi].”

Lani, the Japanese colt who has become notoriously studdish during his morning appearances since arriving here April 3, was not asked for a high turn of speed during what amounted to a brisk gallop of more than a mile.

“We don’t do super-fast works around this time, so everything is what I have planned,” said Kieta Tanaka, agent for owner Yoko Maeda.

Meanwhile, at Keeneland in Lexington, trainer Doug O’Neill and his staff have been monitoring weather conditions as they look ahead to a planned breeze for Nyquist on Friday. After more than a week of dry weather, forecasters were calling for a 60 percent chance of rain Thursday but a diminishing chance for Friday.

O’Neill was scheduled to return to Keeneland from California on Wednesday. This will be the second work at Keeneland for Nyquist since the colt was shipped directly from Gulfstream shortly after the Florida Derby. He breezed five furlongs last Friday in 1:02.60.

– additional reporting by Nicole Russo