Sat, 04/30/2022 - 13:15

Epicenter going 'right way' heading into Kentucky Derby

Debra A. Roma
Epicenter gallops over the Churchill Downs main track on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seems like all you hear about Kentucky Derby-wise a week out from the race is Zandon this, Zandon that. Okay, fair enough. Zandon won the Blue Grass Stakes with aplomb and has since trained with verve, culminating in an excellent Friday workout, his final Derby breeze.

This might be a good time to page back through our information-buzzing brains and try to recall a colt named Epicenter. Remember him?

Sat, 04/30/2022 - 12:27

Kentucky Derby: Crown Pride takes it easy

Debra A. Roma
Crown Pride trains Saturday morning with a gallop at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Crown Pride, Japan’s hope for the Kentucky Derby, had, by his standards, a relatively sedate morning of training Saturday. Crown Pride did his usual assortment of figure-eights and circles in the Churchill Downs chute before venturing onto the main dirt oval, where he galloped about 1 1/2 miles, according to rider and assistant trainer Masa Matsuda.

Sat, 04/30/2022 - 09:45

Kentucky Derby: Un Ojo puts in sharp final half-mile drill

Debra A. Roma
Un Ojo works a half-mile on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in his final Kentucky Derby drill.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After firing off a brisk work last weekend, Un Ojo did so again Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in his final half-mile work in advance of the Kentucky Derby.

Un Ojo, working on his own during the training period reserved for Derby and Oaks horses following the first harrow break on the fast main track, went a half-mile in 47.60 seconds under Colby Hernandez, according to Churchill Downs clockers. It was the 13th-fastest of 121 works at the distance on a busy morning.

Sat, 04/30/2022 - 08:48

Kentucky Derby: Barber Road breezes easy solo half-mile

Debra A. Roma
Barber Road, with exercise rider Elexander Aguilar up, breezes a half-mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road turned in his final serious piece of work for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, breezing a half-mile in 48.80 seconds, according to track clockers.

“We’re not trying to do any speed drills here,” trainer John Ortiz said. “We know what he wants.”

Sat, 04/30/2022 - 08:16

Cyberknife, Zozos start busy morning of Kentucky Derby workouts

Debra A. Roma
Cyberknife (left) and stablemate Zozos breeze shortly after the Churchill Downs track opened for training on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cyberknife and Zozos, two of the three horses trainer Brad Cox plans to run in the Kentucky Derby one week hence, were the first two Derby runners to drill Saturday morning here at Churchill Downs, beginning a parade of works that will pick up after the break at 7:30 a.m.

Fri, 04/29/2022 - 14:46

Mike Repole buys interest in Kentucky Derby-bound Mo Donegal

Barbara D. Livingston
Early Voting (right), finishing second in the Wood Memorial, could possibly be held out of Derby consideration in favor of running two weeks later in the Preakness.

A minority interest in Wood Memorial winner Mo Donegal has been sold to Mike Repole in advance of the colt's run in next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, majority owner Donegal Racing announced Friday.

Repole, whose racing silks feature the blue and orange colors of his beloved New York Mets, campaigned Mo Donegal's sire, 2010 Eclipse Award champion juvenile Uncle Mo. That Coolmore stallion has already sired a Kentucky Derby winner in Nyquist. Uncle Mo was trained by Todd Pletcher, who also handles Mo Donegal.

Fri, 04/29/2022 - 13:36

Kentucky Derby clocker: Zandon eager to run in final work

Barbara D. Livingston
Shahama (right) outworks stablemate Goddess of Fire on Friday at Churchill Downs. Both are pointing for the Oaks.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.- – It was Ladies Day at Churchill Downs on Friday morning, although with a little wrinkle thrown in during the special Derby-Oaks training session, which takes place from 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. daily. Six likely Oaks starters and a seventh hoping to draw into the race here next Friday turned in their final works, although all were overshadowed somewhat by the appearance of potential Derby favorite Zandon, who made his way onto the work tab 24 hours earlier than expected.

Fri, 04/29/2022 - 12:56

Brereton C. Jones, Airdrie Stud get two shots at elusive Kentucky Derby win

Barbara D. Livingston
Zandon, by Upstart and out of Memories Prevail, was bred and foaled at Airdrie Stud.

MIDWAY, Ky. – Less than a day old, the dark gray filly tottered beside her mother on stilt-like legs, a near carbon copy of her half-brother Zandon at that age in these paddocks at Airdrie Stud. Looking at Memories Prevail and her newest foal on an April morning less than three weeks before Zandon’s Kentucky Derby run, Airdrie vice president Bret Jones couldn’t help reminiscing.

Fri, 04/29/2022 - 12:30

Kentucky Derby: Messier reloads, then fires off impressive work

Benoit Photo
Messier wins the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita by 15 lengths on Sunday. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Notwithstanding drama that preceded the workout and the noise he made during the work, Messier posted a visually impressive drill on an eventful Friday morning at Santa Anita.

Runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby and among the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby, Messier was about to commence his six-furlong workout following the 6:30 a.m. track renovation when another horse lost its rider and ran loose into the far turn.

Fri, 04/29/2022 - 11:56

2022 Kentucky Derby: Like a smooth-running machine, Zandon puts in final work

Barbara D. Livingston
With rain possible for Saturday, Zandon works five furlongs at Churchill Downs on Friday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The weather forecast for Saturday was improving by the time trainer Chad Brown arrived at Churchill Downs early Friday morning. But he decided it was better to go with what was in front of him than risk chancing a different track Saturday morning, so out went the highly regarded Zandon for his final workout for the May 7 Kentucky Derby, highlighting a morning of activity here that otherwise focused on fillies in the May 6 Kentucky Oaks.