Pletcher changes up reins, rider on Always Dreaming

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Always Dreaming, the Florida Derby winner and a leading contender for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, has made life challenging for trainer Todd Pletcher since his arrival at Churchill Downs.

Always Dreaming has been too aggressive in his morning gallops for Pletcher’s liking. On Monday, Pletcher made a change of equipment and a change of rider, with mixed results.

While Always Dreaming went at a slower pace in his 1 3/8-mile gallop over Churchill’s sloppy surface on Monday, he showed some resistance to the restraint of the draw reins used by exercise rider Nick Bush as he bronco-bucked several times during the gallop.

Still, Pletcher thought it was a positive step for the horse, who could vie for favoritism in the Derby.

“Nick had him the whole way,” Pletcher said. “A couple of times, he wanted to do a little more than Nick was going to allow him to do, so he jumped a couple of times. Then, I thought the last half of the gallop went really smoothly; he sort of accepted the draw reins. It was a controlled pace, which is what we were looking for. It was good. I think it will be better tomorrow.”

Draw reins are used to keep a horse’s head down and give the rider more control. Always Dreaming had been tossing his head about during his morning gallops here but had his head down for most of Monday’s training session.

Bush was on Always Dreaming for the first time on Monday. He replaced Adele Bellinger, who galloped Always Dreaming throughout the winter at the Palm Beach Downs training center, a much quieter setting than a racetrack.

“Adele did a great job galloping Always Dreaming all winter, but for whatever reason, he’s been more aggressive since he’s been here at Churchill,” Pletcher said. “I thought the gallop on Saturday was good. Yesterday’s gallop was too strong, so we had to make a change.”

Pletcher’s other two Derby contenders, Tapwrit and Patch, both galloped 1 3/8 miles Monday and appear to have come out of their Friday workouts in good shape.

Pletcher announced over the weekend that Malagacy and Battalion Runner will not be entered in the Derby. Malagacy, the Rebel Stakes winner, will point to the Preakness on May 20. Battalion Runner, the Wood Memorial runner-up, was sent to WinStar Farm in Lexington, Ky., for a freshening. He will be pointed to the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on July 8.