LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Steve Asmussen provided the early show Monday morning at Churchill Downs, sending out his two Derby hopefuls Sabercat and Daddy Nose Best for easy half-mile works.
Sabercat breezed first, shortly after the track opened at 5:45 a.m., going a half-mile in 48.02 seconds, completing his final quarter in 23.92 before galloping out five-eighths in 1:01.04 and pulling up six furlongs in 1:15.45.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was a business-as-usual Sunday for Larry Jones at Churchill Downs.
Jones-trained horses are known for posting brilliant works before the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, and that’s exactly what Believe You Can did, working a bullet five furlongs just after the morning renovation break.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Maybe next year, trainer Todd Pletcher will send his horses to Southern California to train for the Kentucky Derby.
Hoping to avoid the wet weather that plagued him in Kentucky last year, Pletcher opted this spring to keep his Kentucky Derby hopefuls Gemologist and El Padrino in south Florida for as long as possible. Given the beautiful weather here all winter it seemed like a good idea.
In reality, not so much.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One day after Union Rags turned in a sharp workout at Churchill Downs, the other potential favorite for the 138th Kentucky Derby next Saturday, Bodemeister, threw down the gauntlet with a brilliant piece of work over a muddy surface.
Churchill Downs: Cloudy Temp. 53 Track Muddy
LOUISVILLE , Ky. - On Saturday, Union Rags set an extremely high standard for Kentucky Derby workouts. Sunday morning, Bodemeister did his best to emulate if not exceed that standard in his second and final Derby work since arriving in Louisville less than two weeks ago.
Alpha, the Wood Memorial runner-up, passed a significant hurdle Saturday in his bid to make the Kentucky Derby by working a sharp five furlongs at Belmont Park and, more importantly, coming out of it in good shape.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – The electronic sign on the Florida Turnpike read "Severe Weather Ahead. Reduce Speed." It was both ominous and accurate.
Thunderstorms with heavy rain and lightning hit the south Florida area earlier than anticipated Saturday, slowing down most of the equine traffic at the saturated Palm Meadows training center, where a few horses pointing to next week’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks still reside.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Why mess with success? Graham Motion and Michael Matz both have won the Kentucky Derby, Motion last year, Matz in 2006, and they are back this year at Churchill Downs with runners whose final works on Saturday were almost carbon copies of what the trainers did with their Derby winners.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After a relatively quiet week, activity picked up to a frenetic pace at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning with four Kentucky Derby hopefuls working within a five-minute span immediately after the renovation break. Overall, seven of the prospective 20-horse Derby field breezed around the country on Saturday, including Hansen at the nearby Trackside training center, Alpha at Belmont Park, and Done Talking at Laurel Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A desire to avoid the unpredictable spring weather in Kentucky has kept a fair share of Derby horses away from Churchill Downs so far this year, and this weekend, plus the results next week, might tell the tale over who made the better choice.
A significant rainstorm was forecast for the weekend here at Churchill Downs, most notably Saturday, when Union Rags headed the list of Derby horses scheduled to work. His trainer, Michael Matz, said Friday morning he was willing to wait a day until Sunday, but he was hoping to go full speed ahead Saturday morning.
