Rock Your World works five furlongs in Kentucky Derby prep

Rock Your World, the undefeated winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3, worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday in advance of a start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1.

Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.80, according to Santa Anita clockers.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m., Rock Your World worked in company with Tripoli, a 4-year-old colt trained by Sadler who was third in an allowance race on turf on March 6. Ridden in the workout by Cerapio Figueroa, Rock Your World started behind Tripoli and easily caught his stablemate, who was timed in 1:00.20.

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“It was very good,” Sadler said of Rock Your World’s workout.

“The nice thing about working with a turf horse is they’re not going to go super-super fast. (Rock Your World) didn’t really need company.”

Sadler said Tripoli gave Rock Your World an intended target.

“Everything’s like an insurance policy, for him to have company,” he said.

By Candy Ride, Rock Your World has won all three of his starts for owners Pete and Kosta Hronis and Michael Talla. Rock Your World won his first two starts on turf, including the Pasadena Stakes at a mile in February. In the Santa Anita Derby, Rock Your World led throughout the race at 1 1/8 miles and pulled clear through the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

On Saturday, Hot Rod Charlie, winner of the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 20, worked six furlongs in 1:14.20 under jockey Flavien Prat, who will ride the colt in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Doug O’Neill said Hot Rod Charlie galloped out a mile in 1:41.40.

“He started off with a good comfortable gallop going into the work,” O’Neill said. “He had a good gallop out. Visually, it was very nice. Flavien was very happy.”

Later in the morning, Dream Shake, third in the Santa Anita Derby, worked five furlongs in a rapid 59.20 seconds. Trained by Peter Eurton, Dream Shake started a half-mile from the finish and worked a furlong past the wire.

“He did that very comfortable, well within himself,” Eurton said. “I was looking for about a minute. He did it very easily.”

Eurton said the partnership that owns Dream Shake will meet early this week to discuss whether to start the colt in the Kentucky Derby or the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile, a $500,000 race at Churchill Downs on May 1.

-additional reporting by Brad Free