Outwork drills four furlongs for Derby
ELMONT, N.Y. – Wood Memorial winner Outwork went to school Friday morning at Belmont Park, and by all accounts, he was a model student.
Working behind two horses, Outwork breezed four furlongs in 48.61 seconds over the training track in preparation for the May 7 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
In his first four races, Outwork was either on the lead or pressing the pace outside in the clear. That included the Wood Memorial, where he pressed Matt King Coal from the outside and then held off Trojan Nation to win by a head.
In the likely event that Outwork finds himself behind horses in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher had him work behind a pair of stablemates Friday.
Outwork, with regular jockey John Velazquez up, began his work four lengths behind Awesome Gent and Spooked Out. Outwork stayed behind his mates through an opening eighth in 12.61 seconds and a quarter in 24.21.
Straightening away in the stretch, Velazquez tipped Outwork three wide, and with only mild urging, Outwork collared his workmates inside the eighth pole and finished about two lengths in front through a final quarter in 24.40. Outwork galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.79 and six furlongs in 1:14.93.
“Very well-executed breeze,” Pletcher said. “We learned that he doesn’t mind some kickback, and he actually settled nicely behind horses, so we can check that off things you don’t have to worry about.”
The work was markedly different from Outwork’s final move prior to the Wood Memorial at Palm Beach Downs, where the horse was very eager while working in company with Decorated Soldier, who won last weekend’s Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn Park. That day, Outwork dragged Velazquez around the track, pulling away from Decorated Soldier by several lengths.
“Much better today,” Velazquez said. “Today, we had him behind horses. He was much more settled behind horses, and he handled the dirt really well. I kind of liked him better the way he worked today, to tell you the truth.”
Among those who watched Outwork breeze was owner and breeder Mike Repole. Repole said the work was similar to what Pletcher had Uncle Mo – the sire of Outwork – do in his last work before the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Regarding Outwork’s breeze, Repole said Pletcher told him, “It seemed like Outwork settled better than when he’s side-by-side of a horse. Johnny took him to the outside, and he went by Awesome Gent and Spooked Out like they were $10,000 claimers, and those are two stakes horses. It was fun to watch. It brought back some cool memories.”
Outwork is scheduled to leave Belmont by van Sunday and arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday. If all goes well, Outwork will have his final Derby workout next Friday at Churchill.
Meanwhile, Pletcher was scheduled to fly to south Florida on Friday to oversee Tampa Bay Derby winner Destin’s work at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday. Destin will be flown to Churchill on Monday.
About 90 minutes before Outwork breezed, Mo d’Amour worked a sharp half-mile in 47.58 seconds in company with Lost Raven. Mo d’Amour galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.86 and six furlongs in 1:13.56.
Mo d’Amour, who won the Busher Stakes before running third in the Gazelle Stakes, will van to Churchill on Sunday as well. She will get a chance to breeze over the Churchill surface before her status for the Kentucky Oaks is determined.