LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Like the King, who punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Turfway's Tapeta, began his serious preparations for the Derby with an in-company work on the turf Saturday morning at trainer Wesley Ward's Keeneland base.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Hot Rod Charlie, the Louisiana Derby winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Saturday morning at Santa Anita as he moves on toward the Kentucky Derby on May 1, but it was the person on his back, as much as the quality of the work, that was noteworthy.
Flavien Prat was up for trainer Doug O’Neill, who said Prat would have the mount pending the decision of the colt’s regular rider, Joel Rosario.
Rosario is also the regular rider of Concert Tour, who was set for his final Derby prep later Saturday in the Arkansas Derby for trainer Bob Baffert.
Rock Your World galloped 1 1/2 miles on Friday at Santa Anita, six days after his win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his main-track debut.
Unbeaten in three starts, Rock Your World is scheduled to have workouts on April 17 and April 24 at Santa Anita in advance of the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.
:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The initial thought when Known Agenda stepped out on the racetrack Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs to work for the first time since his victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby was the fact he was not equipped with the blinkers that have seemed to take him to the next level in his last two starts. The second impression, after watching Known Agenda breeze a very easy half-mile in 50.37, is that he’s probably not the type of horse who is going to wow anybody, blinkers or not, in the morning.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Kentucky Derby favorite could be decided at Oaklawn Park on Saturday when Concert Tour attempts to remain unbeaten in four starts in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Juvenile champion Essential Quality, undefeated in five starts, is the early favorite for the May 1 classic at Churchill Downs.
But Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is not concerned with such details three weeks out from the Derby, a race he has won six times. He’s simply focused on the moment at hand with Concert Tour, who will be a heavy favorite Saturday.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Next stop, Louisville. The road to the Kentucky Derby makes its way through a couple of final checkpoints Saturday, with the closest to Churchill Downs being the one just up Interstate 64 at Keeneland in the rival town of Lexington.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bourbonic and Dynamic One, the one-two finishers in last Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, will ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday to prepare for the May 1 Kentucky Derby, Todd Pletcher, who trains both 3-year-olds, said Wednesday.
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Roman Centurian, a late scratch from the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, was not entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park after trainer Simon Callaghan said he was unsatisfied with the colt’s progress earlier this week.
:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report
Callaghan expressed similar thoughts prior to the Santa Anita Derby.
