Churchill Downs

Track: Fast

Weather: Clear

Temp.: 55

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After McCraken suffered his first defeat in five career starts when he finished third as the 8-5 favorite in the Blue Grass Stakes earlier this month, trainer Ian Wilkes was looking for a sign here Monday that McCraken was indeed moving in the right direction in the second and most serious of his three works leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Hence, winner of the Sunland Derby in his last start, will be ridden by Florent Geroux in the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday.

Hence is son of Street Boss who has won twice in six starts. He is owned by the Calumet Farm of Brad Kelley.

Hence worked five furlongs in 1:00 on Monday morning at Churchill Downs, his third work since the Sunland Derby. He is scheduled for one more work prior to the Kentucky Derby.

Geroux has never ridden Hence in a race before. Sunland-based Alfredo Juarez Jr. rode Hence in the Sunland Derby.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Robby Albarado fractured his left ankle when thrown from his mount several strides out of the starting gate during the eighth race Sunday at Keeneland and will be forced to miss his upcoming ride in the Kentucky Derby with J Boys Echo.

Albarado was injured when his mount, Chiltern Street, broke awkwardly from the inside post in the 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance. Albarado fell off to the right side of his mount, landing feet first. No other horses or jockeys were involved.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Without a guaranteed berth for the Kentucky Derby on May 6, there is no certainty Royal Mo will be sent to Churchill Downs next weekend. That has not kept trainer John Shirreffs from preparing the colt in the event a spot develops in coming days.

Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss already have a starter with Gormley, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby on April 8. Royal Mo was third in that race, beaten a length.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Battalion Runner and Cloud Computing, the second- and third-place finishers behind Irish War Cry in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 8, both put in workouts Saturday over the training track at Belmont Park in preparation for different Triple Crown races.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gormley and Battle of Midway, the first two finishers in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, worked independently at Santa Anita on Saturday in advance of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6.

Gormley, trained by John Shirreffs, worked six furlongs in 1:15.80 in company with stablemate Oregon.

Battle of Midway, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, also worked in company and was timed in 1:00.60 for five furlongs.

Bode Miller, an Olympic gold medalist in alpine skiing, is like all those who participate in that sport: a risk taker. Now, Miller is participating in another high-risk endeavor, horse racing, buying a small interest in Spiral Stakes winner Fast and Accurate ahead of the May 6 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Irap and Practical Joke, the one-two finishers in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 8, both turned in their first works since then on Friday at Keeneland, as a flurry of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks hopefuls worked to beat the rain that was expected that evening and through the weekend.

Battle of Midway, second in the Santa Anita Derby in his last start, has been sold to a partnership of WinStar Farm and Don Alberto Stable and will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by jockey Flavien Prat, Elliott Walden, the president and chief executive of WinStar Farm, said Friday morning.

Battle of Midway was purchased outright by the partnership from Rick Porter.

Jerry Hollendorfer will continue as his trainer.

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

STICKNEY, Ill. – The race disappeared from the schedule last year, but Todd Pletcher didn’t forget about the Illinois Derby.

Pletcher, always looking for spots to run his annual legion of talented early-season 3-year-olds, has been a steady participant in the Illinois Derby and has won it four times since 2001 with Distilled, Pollard’s Vision, Cowtown Cat, and Joe Vann.

For lack of purse money, the race was scrapped in 2016, but it is back on the calendar Saturday at Hawthorne – and so is Pletcher.