ARCADIA, Calif. – Friday was a pivotal morning for Bolo and jockey Rafael Bejarano at Santa Anita.
A little more than a week before Bolo’s scheduled start in the $2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2, Bejarano had a chance to exercise his mount for the first time. What he discovered was a colt with sharp acceleration who can be patient.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With rain in the forecast for early Saturday morning here at Churchill Downs, trainer Todd Pletcher worked four of his five prospects for the Kentucky Derby on Friday morning, and the performances in those workouts convinced Pletcher that Madefromlucky should indeed bypass the race, opening a spot for Keen Ice.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was another quiet morning Thursday at Churchill Downs for the dozen potential Kentucky Derby starters stabled on the grounds, including several who still need a little help to get into the field.
There was a time when it seemed almost sacrilegious to forgo working at Churchill Downs prior to running in the Kentucky Derby.
But just as the trend with Derby prospects in recent years has been toward fewer starts spaced farther apart, so too has there been an adjustment regarding where trainers choose to work their horses prior to the Derby.
The Kentucky Derby is a much easier betting race for me when I have settled on the winner – Barbaro (2006), Big Brown (2008), and California Chrome (2014). I cashed nicely in two of those years because the bets are much less complicated when the top spot is set, and I am willing to take many more risks when I have great confidence.
If I’m wrong when I have a strong opinion on the winner – Afleet Alex (2005), Lookin At Lucky (2010) – no amount of confidence or risk taking is relevant. I am going to lose.
Far from the slowly swelling hubbub at Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby hopeful Mubtaahij worked three furlongs Tuesday morning at Arlington in a reported 36.20 seconds.
That published time is 1.60 seconds faster than what was initially reported by the skeleton clocking crew stationed at Arlington. The regular official Chicago clocking team remains at Hawthorne until that meet ends Sunday.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Bob Baffert, conspicuous by his absence considering that his Derby favorite American Pharoah has been on the grounds at Churchill Downs for more than a week, made a cameo appearance here Tuesday morning. He stayed just long enough to watch American Pharoah gallop and one of his two possible Oaks contenders, Maybellene, breeze during the 15-minute Derby-Oaks training session, which began at 8:30 a.m.
John Velazquez will ride Carpe Diem and Javier Castellano will ride Materiality in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher announced late Monday afternoon.
Velazquez has been riding both Carpe Diem and Materiality, both trained by Pletcher. They are considered among the top candidates for the May 2 Derby. Carpe Diem has won 4 of 5 starts, most recently the Blue Grass Stakes. Materiality is unbeaten in three starts, and comes off a victory in the Florida Derby.
