Pletcher sends three through Derby works

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With one Kentucky Derby win already in his pocket, Vinnie Viola will be playing with house money when he returns to Churchill Downs in two weeks as the owner, with Mike Repole, of Vino Rosso, one of three leading Derby contenders trainer Todd Pletcher worked at the Palm Beach Downs training center Friday morning.

And Viola, who won the Derby a year ago with Always Dreaming, was all smiles after watching Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso match strides with the older stakes winner Outplay going an easy four furlongs in 49.77. Vino Rosso then drew away from his company and galloped out a full six furlongs in 1:16.77.

“Being in this position again is probably more than any one participant deserves,” Viola said. “It’s just an amazing feeling. It’s very humbling. It’s a real blessing just to be able to come out to a place like this to watch my horses work. We have Army Mule here as well, getting ready for the Met Mile. This, to me, is almost like Shangri-La. Even just listening to the sound of the horses on the track, it’s almost perfect. And then to watch Vino Rosso breeze as well as he did. You almost have to pinch yourself. I’m very, very happy.”

Vino Rosso was the second of Pletcher’s trio of Derby prospects to breeze beginning just after dawn. He worked immediately after Florida Derby winner Audible had gotten the better of Patch, the 14th-place finisher in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, going five-eighths. Audible went in 24.68, 37.08, 1:01.58 before galloping out well clear after six furlongs in 1:15.80.

Pletcher then went a little out of character to kick off his second set, sending Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy out to work six furlongs in 1:15.16 while much the best in company with Road to Damascus. Noble Indy, equipped with blinkers, dominated his outclassed partner down the stretch before proceeding to gallop-out seven-eighths in 1:29.44 and pull up a mile in 1:44.63.

Pletcher said afterward he couldn’t remember the last time he worked a horse six furlongs, before explaining his reasoning.

“He’s got six weeks between races and he’s a pretty smart horse,” Pletcher said. “He knows where the finish line is and doesn’t always gallop out as strongly as some of our other horses will, so I just felt like getting a good, solid work was important. I was very pleased the way he did it and then galloped-out pretty well. His company kind of fell off a little earlier than I was hoping and he kind of did what he does, got to waiting a little bit. But when I asked the rider to have him pick it up he responded willingly, and the end result is what we were looking for.”

Pletcher said he has still not committed to a rider for Noble Indy in the Derby.

Audible, not always the most enthusiastic of workers, had Pletcher smiling for a second straight week.

“I thought it was another very good work from him,” Pletcher said. “That’s two works in a row he did exactly what we asked him to do. He seemed into the bridle the whole way, gave us a good, solid five-eighths with a nice gallop-out. He’s always been a very laid-back horse, and that’s part of what makes him good. He’s easy on himself and so relaxed about everything.”

Pletcher was also extremely happy with Vino Rosso on Friday.

“It was exactly what we’ve been seeing from him all winter,” Pletcher said. “A good work, great gallop-out. It just seems like the farther he goes the better and stronger he gets. That was an older horse coming off a big allowance win going to a graded stakes he worked with this morning, and for him to work in company with him and gallop out well in front like that, it’s very exciting, especially knowing he seems to want more distance and he’s going to have that opportunity.”

Bravazo in serious work

Bravazo, one of the Kentucky Derby longshots, was out for serious work early Friday at Churchill Downs, going six furlongs in 1:15.40 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Bravazo, winner of the Risen Star in February, saw his Derby stock fall when he finished eighth by 21 lengths in his last start, the March 24 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

“He did everything just like we wanted, and I think he’ll get a lot out of this work,” Lukas told Churchill publicity. “He didn’t want to pull up after he was finished.

“We know he’s better than what he showed last time. It’s tough coming into the Derby with a six-week break, but I think his breeze this morning showed us he’s doing well.”

Legit impresses

Pletcher has another top 3-year-old prospect on his hands with Legit, a son of Curlin owned by Repole. Legit registered an extremely impressive 7 1/4-length victory going a mile in his career debut at Gulfstream Park on Friday.

“He’s a colt we’ve always been high on that got a little bit of a late start, and his debut was everything you could hope for and more –breaking from the rail going a one-turn mile, getting shuffled around a little bit like he did and getting some dirt in his face,” Pletcher said. “He then put in a long, sustained run and came to the wire with his ears pricked. It was very impressive, I thought.”

◗ A field of eight Florida-breds will be in the spotlight in Sunday’s $40,000 feature at six furlongs as the 10th event on an 11-race program. Two 3-year-olds, Tomater Gator, who brings a three-race winning streak into the headliner, and Vino, idle since finishing far back in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special eight months ago, will take on older horses including key contenders Tell Me a Story, Florida Cotton, and Starship Apollo.

– additional reporting by Marty McGee