Unbeaten McCraken goes through final Blue Grass work

Brian Hernandez Jr. was all smiles Sunday morning at Keeneland - and who could blame him?

After winning the Louisiana Derby aboard Girvin, who now tops the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, Saturday evening, Hernandez, his wife Jamie, and their two young children hopped in the car and drove 10 hours overnight. The reason for the hasty departure, instead of sticking around for more post-race celebrations? Hernandez needed to be in Lexington to breeze unbeaten Kentucky Derby hopeful McCraken. The colt went a half in :49.40 in his final work before next Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes.

“It's the spot every rider dreams of being in,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez has been aboard McCraken, trained by Ian Wilkes, and Girvin, trained by Joe Sharp, for all eight of their combined career starts – the only loss came when Girvin was beaten less than a length while trying turf in the Keith Gee Memorial.

“The great thing about it is it’s for guys we’re really good friends with on both teams,” Hernandez said. “We’re just kind of enjoying the whole situation. These two horses, they’re very similar, they’re very, very athletic. They both go out there and do their jobs very professionally and they put themselves in position to win. You’re talking, between the two of them, there’s only one loss, and [Girvin] still ran a winning race for not caring for the grass.”

McCraken, who worked solo Sunday morning after going in company for a foundation-building six-furlong move last week, ticked off splits of :12.60, :25, and :37 en route to his half. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20.

“He's right on cue,” Hernandez said. “He goes out and works and you never really feel him accelerate, but I look down [at my watch] and he’s going perfect 12s. We get to the wire, and he got faster. It’s amazing how good he’s doing.

“He’s a whole lot more mature,” Hernandez added of the colt’s development. “Last fall, we tried to work him before the [Kentucky Jockey Club], we worked him by himself, and he just kind of went around there messing around. But now the last couple times he's worked by himself, he's really focused on his job.”

Wilkes said he was "very pleased" with the move, especially after McCraken was bouncing and playing as the trainer walked him around the shedrow cooling-out.

“He feels good. He's laughing at me,” Wilkes said, cracking a smile himself. “Very pleased with the way he did it, the way he's coming off the ground. He's a very happy horse.”

McCraken’s most recent start came in the Sam F. Davis Stakes in February; he was forced to miss the Tampa Bay Derby with a minor injury. But judging by how McCraken is coming up to the Blue Grass, Wilkes is willing to write off that minor speed bump as perhaps a blessing in disguise.

“At the time maybe I didn't understand it, didn't like it,” Wilkes said. “But looking at the horse, I feel like he's gotten bigger and stronger, and maybe it was a blessing. Things happen for a reason, and we'll find out in the long run.”

McCraken leads seven probables for the Blue Grass, with those he is expected to face including Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapwrit, multiple Grade 1 winner Practical Joke, Gotham winner J Boys Echo, It’s Your Nickel, Irap, and Wild Shot.

It’s Your Nickel, winner of the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway, also worked Sunday morning at Keeneland, getting five furlongs in 1:01.60.