Upstart puts in strong final work toward Derby

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Less than three weeks ago, it looked like Upstart’s Kentucky Derby status was in trouble when he developed a temperature and had some nasal discharge.

After watching his 3-year-old breeze a sharp five furlongs Saturday morning at Palm Meadows, trainer Rick Violette believes that “is not an issue.”

In his final work before next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, Upstart went five furlongs in 1:00.23, according to Daily Racing Form, over a fast surface at Palm Meadows. Working inside of a stablemate, Upstart went his first quarter in 24.46 seconds and his final three-eighths in 35.77 under exercise rider Vicki King. His official time will show up as 59.95.

“We’ve experimented a little bit over the winter, and he runs better when he goes a little fast the week before,” Violette said. “If he wasn’t that type of horse, I might have gone in 1:02. His best numbers have come after letting him rip a little bit. That’s what we’re paid to find out.”

Upstart was one of two Kentucky Derby hopefuls to work on a warm, sun-splashed morning in south Florida, where it was 75 degrees and a tad humid. Frosted, the Wood Memorial winner, went five furlongs by himself in 1:01.10 in what would be classified as a maintenance move.

Upstart won the Holy Bull in January, was disqualified from first in the Fountain of Youth in February, and finished second to Materiality in the Florida Derby in March, all at Gulfstream Park. The latter two races were run over a demanding Gulfstream surface that produced slow times but fast speed figures.

Though Violette had planned to work Upstart three times in between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, he missed a breeze April 11 due to a temperature and some nasal discharge. He missed three days of training, which Violette now calls inconsequential.

“Whether [he’s] caught up or he was so fit from his three races down here, missing the three days and missing the breeze didn’t mean a hoot, and he’s shown that,” Violette said. “Fitness-wise, he’s great.”

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays

Violette put Upstart inside his workmate, and after an opening eighth went in 12.67, Violette, via walkie-talkie, asked King to “pick it up,” and Upstart went his next eighth in 11.79. From the quarter pole to the wire, Upstart went in 23.55 – and was two lengths in front of the workmate – and from the wire to the next pole, he went in 12.22.

Violette had King slow Upstart down galloping out, yet she still had a hard time pulling him up.

Violette said he worked Upstart in company “just to get him on the bridle. Especially with not a lot of traffic out there, he’ll lope around there, so it just gets his game face on a little bit.”

Violette said if Upstart had gone a little slower, he “might have let him gallop out a little more.”

About 10 minutes before Upstart breezed, Frosted put in his final work. Daily Racing Form had him in splits of 12.85, 24.92, and 36.74 and caught him galloping out in 1:14.53.

With the exception of one workout between the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial when Frosted worked with two stablemates and went six furlongs in 1:11.60, this was a typical move from Frosted, whose coat looks terrific.

“That’s what he’s been doing,” trainer Kiaran McLaughling said. “We didn’t want to see any changes. Happy to keep seeing the same thing – working well within himself. Everything’s gone perfect.”

Upstart and Frosted will remain in south Florida until Tuesday, when a flight will take them from here to Kentucky.

** Also working Saturday at Palm Meadows was Wedding Toast, who went four furlongs in 47.54 in preparation for a possible start in the Grade 1, $300,000 La Troienne Stakes on May 1. Wedding Toast, who did get hot around her neck, is not definite to run, McLaughlin said.

** Pants on Fire, trained by Kelly Breen, went an easy four furlongs in 49.36 in preparation for a start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes, a seven-furlong race on the Derby undercard.