LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the final days leading up to the Kentucky Derby began to tick down, trainer Steve Asmussen said that next week will be the time to tighten the screws on his Louisiana Derby winner Gun Runner.

On Monday, Gun Runner worked an easy five furlongs in 1:00, earning the day’s bullet move for the distance at Churchill Downs. Gun Runner, with Florent Geroux aboard, broke off about a length behind workmate Gold Hawk and ticked off splits of 12.80 seconds, 24.40, 36.40, and 48. He hit the wire two lengths in front and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20.

Cupid, who finished 10^th in Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park as the 4-5 favorite, will be sent from Arkansas to Kentucky in coming days while trainer Bob Baffert contemplates the colt’s next race.

Baffert, who watched the race from his home in Southern California, said on Sunday that he not decided whether Cupid will start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7.

“He’s waiting to go to Kentucky,” he said. “We’re on a wait-and-see basis. We’ll give him a week to chill.

“He just didn’t run. He didn’t fire.”

What do the Arkansas Derby, Wood Memorial, Blue Grass, and Santa Anita Derby have in common this year aside from being Grade 1, $1 million events, and the last four major point preps for the Kentucky Derby?

They were all fast early, slow late races.

The Santa Anita Derby, Wood, and Blue Grass were run and discussed in this space last week. The Arkansas Derby was the big race of the day Saturday, and it was eerie – or perhaps fitting, if you think about it – how much it was like the trio of stakes for 3-year-olds run seven days earlier.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Creator, Suddenbreakingnews, and Whitmore, the first three finishers in the Arkansas Derby here at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, all emerged from the race in good order and, with sufficient points for all safely tucked away, will take up three of the 20 spots in the Kentucky Derby field at Churchill Downs on May 7.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Less than two months ago, about to make the sixth start of his career, Creator was still winless. But over the past seven weeks, the talent at which he had hinted, that caused him to be favored in four of his first six races, finally started coming to the fore.

His progress coincided with his arrival here at Oaklawn Park, and on Saturday, Creator showed just how far he had come in that time by winning the meet’s biggest race, the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby, earning a berth in the May 7 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tampa Bay Derby winner Destin, who will go into the Kentucky Derby without a race in eight weeks, continues to progress nicely toward that goal after working five furlongs in 1:00.89 over a "good" racetrack at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday.

As more Kentucky Derby and Oaks hopefuls continue to arrive at Churchill Downs in Louisville, track officials have announced that the training time reserved exclusively for those horses will become effective next Saturday, April 23.

The period typically starts at around 8:30 a.m., after the track is freshly harrowed, and lasts about 20 minutes. Trainers are requested to use the yellow (Derby) and pink (Oaks) saddle towels that make their horses more easily identifiable to the public.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Danzing Candy, fourth in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9, will start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7 and will be trained through April at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County.

Trainer Cliff Sise Jr. said on Thursday that he would prefer to train Danzing Candy at San Luis Rey Downs, which he said has a track with similarities to the surface at Churchill Downs.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nyquist, the unbeaten champion and Kentucky Derby favorite, kicked off his serious preparation for the spring classic on Friday at Keeneland, breezing for the first time since winning the Florida Derby on April 2.

Keeneland clockers credited the colt and regular exercise rider Jonny Garcia with five furlongs in 1:02.60, with splits of 12.60 seconds, 24.80, and 37.20.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mike Maker, the trainer of the winner of Turfway Park’s major Kentucky Derby prep, has been handed a 40-day suspension by Kentucky stewards for a drug positive after a race at Turfway in January, a penalty that Maker said he plans to appeal.