Mott says Hofburg continues to improve

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Bill Mott found himself in an unusual position Sunday morning on the backside of Churchill Downs. He was the center of attention in a media scrum, talking about his participation in Saturday’s 144th Kentucky Derby after the 3-year-old Hofburg worked a half-mile in 48.03 seconds over the main track.

“It’s nice to be here, we’re glad to be here and we’re glad to be here with a good horse,” Mott, who hasn’t run a horse in the Derby since Hold Me Back in 2009, told the assembled media outside barn 19, where he has kept a string at Churchill Downs since 1980.

In two starts this year - after racing once at age 2 - Hofburg has proven to be a nice horse. On March 3, off a six-month layoff, Hofburg won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Gulfstream from post 11 with a wide trip. He came back four weeks later to finished a clear second behind Audible in the $1 million Florida Derby to earn his spot in the Derby.

Mott, who has raced seven horses in five Kentucky Derbies, said he has seen improvement in the colt in the four weeks since the Florida Derby.

“He hasn’t backed up, he’s moved forward, the races seemed to have made him better,” said Mott, who trains Hofburg for Juddmonte Farms.

“Some horses take their races hard, they try hard and it kind of wears them out. He seems like he’s gotten stronger and better and smoother. Whether that’s good enough for Derby Day we’ll all see on Derby Day.”

Hofburg seems to have passed one test, that being the ability to handle the Churchill surface. He has looked good in his morning gallops since arriving here from Payson Park in Florida on Monday.

In Sunday’s work, Hofburg began 1 1/2 lengths behind stablemate Villamay, a 3-year-old filly who won her debut at Tampa Bay Downs. Hofburg, under Penny Gardiner, got to his company about an eighth of a mile into the move, ran outside his partner until about the eighth pole before edging clear under minimal encouragement while finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front at the wire.

Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch caught Hofburg in splits of 13.14 seconds for the first eighth, 24.43 for the quarter, with the last quarter in 23.60 seconds. Hofburg galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.98 and six furlongs in 1:14.81.

“He looked smooth as silk coming by me,” said Mott, who watched the work atop a stable pony in midstretch. “When he passed the eighth pole and approached the wire he looked really good, switched leads, went into the turn and galloped out good around the turn. I’m very pleased with the work, the rider was pleased with the work. Visually, he looked as good as he could look.”

Gardiner backed up Mott’s claim that Hofburg seems to be improving.

“He’s a lot more focused and aggressive since the Florida Derby,” Gardiner said. “I feel like he’s one of those horses that’s taken a step forward.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Hofburg in the Kentucky Derby.

In Southern California on Sunday, Solomini, third in the Arkansas Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:14.60 while Instilled Regard, fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, went five furlongs in 1:00.80. Both horses had company for their drills.

John Malone of Santa Anita's clocking crew took Solomini breaking off at the five-furlong pole and out to the seven-furlong pole. He had Solomini in fractions of 25 flat, 49.80, and 1:01.80, and galloping out seven furlongs in 1:28.20.

Martin Garcia was up for the work. Flavien Prat has the mount in the Derby.

"He went well. He was interested," trainer Bob Baffert said by phone from California. "I wasn't looking for anything fast. We let him gallop out. It was a strong move."

Baffert said Solomini changed leads on cue, and said he has found that if Solomini is rushed, he doesn't perform as well.

"If you get in a hurry, he doesn't change leads," Baffert said.

Baffert said his strategy in the Derby with Solomini is "break and grab him, sit and let him finish."

Instilled Regard, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 under Drayden Van Dyke, his Derby rider.

"He went really well. It was an outstanding work," Hollendorfer said.

Instilled Regard and Solomini are expected to join fellow California-based Derby runners Justify and Bolt d’Oro on a Monday flight from Southern California to Kentucky. Justify, the presumptive Derby favorite, jogged on Sunday at Santa Anita, two days after he worked seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

Mendelssohn, the impressive UAE Derby winner, is also expected to arrive Monday from Ireland. Enticed and Firenze Fire were scheduled to arrive Monday following separate van rides from Florida and New York, respectively, that left on Sunday.

Entries for the Kentucky Derby will be taken on Tuesday at 11 a.m. and more than the maximum 20 horses are expected to be entered.

In points order, the field will include Magnum Moon, Good Magic, Audible, Noble Indy, Vino Rosso, Bolt d’Oro, Enticed, Mendelssohn, Justify, Flameaway, Solomini, Bravazo, My Boy Jack, Promises Fulfilled, Free Drop Billy, Lone Sailor, Hofburg, Firenze Fire, Combatant, and Instilled Regard.

Among those also expected to enter, but relegated to the also-eligible list, will be Blended Citizen and Givemeaminit. Up to four horses can be placed on the also-eligible list.

Sporting Chance, who would be ahead of Givemeaminit on the points list, will be entered in Saturday’s Pat Day Mile, his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, said Sunday.

Givemeaminit, trained by Dallas Stewart, finished fourth in the Louisiana Derby in his most recent start.

A horse on the also-eligible list would need a defection by 9 a.m. Friday in order to make it into the Derby field.

- additional reporting by Jay Privman and Mike Welsch.