Photo courtesy Churchill Downs/Coady Media
Notes from Churchill Downs for Thursday, April 24
Kentucky Derby hopefuls Owen Almighty and Built turned in five-furlongs works Thursday morning over a fast track at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI).
Working during the 7:15-7:30 (all times Eastern) training window reserved for Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks horses, Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 in company with Antonio Orellana aboard for trainer Brian Lynch.
Working during the same period, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built covered the distance in a morning-best :59.40 under jockey Ben Curtis for trainer Wayne Catalano.
Friday’s work schedule at Churchill Downs is unsettled, much like the weather forecast for Louisville the next two days with off and on rain expected. Possible Oaks workers include likely favorite Good Cheer, Ballerina d’Oro, Tenma, Take Charge Milady, Simply Joking, Drexel Hill and Fondly.
Scheduled to work Friday morning at Turfway Park is Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold for trainer Ethan West. South of Turfway Park at Keeneland, Repole Stable’s Grande, trained by Todd Pletcher is scheduled to work at 7:30 or 9. Also scheduled to work at Keeneland for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) is Shortleaf Stable’s Quietside for trainer John Ortiz. Scheduled to work at Palm Beach Downs for the Oaks is Gatsas Stables’ Five G, trained by George Weaver.
ADMIRE DAYTONA – Junko Kondo’s UAE Derby winner schooled in the Kentucky Derby starting gate then galloped.
He’s scheduled to school in the paddock on Wednesday.
AMERICAN PROMISE – BC Stables’ Virginia Derby winner American Promise visited the paddock and then galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Tayja Smith for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
BUILT – Eclipse Thoroguhbred Partners’ Built breezed five furlongs in :59.40 Thursday morning under jockey Ben Curtis.
He began his move with a :24 quarter mile and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
Trainer Wayne Catalano said he’d talk to the ownership group and make a decision to enter Kentucky Derby 151 or the $600,000 Pat Day Mile presented by SAP (GII).
BURNHAM SQUARE – Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square visited the starting gate and then galloped a mile under Mark Cutler for trainer Ian Wilkes.
Cutler has been down the Derby road before with Wilkes. In 2007 when Wilkes was an assistant to Carl Nafzger, Cutler was the exercise rider for Street Sense.
For Cutler, there is one main difference in the morning routines of Street Sense and Burnham Square.
“Street Sense liked to take his time,” Cutler said. “We’d get to Barn 30 and he would stop and wanted to look at everything. It was like he owned the place.”
In a way, Street Sense did. He won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) here in the fall of 2006 and six months later won the Derby to give Nafzger a second victory in the race.
For Burnham Square, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most recent start, it is straight to the track for his morning training.
“He tests you a little bit,” Cutler said with a grin. “He wants to do a little more than you want.”
CHUNK OF GOLD – Terry Stephens’ Louisiana Derby (GII) runner-up Chunk of Gold continued his normal training pattern at Turfway Park.
He’s scheduled to work Friday morning, then van to Churchill Downs that afternoon.
CITIZEN BULL / RODRIGUEZ – Wood Memorial (GII) winner Rodriguez galloped at 7:15 a.m.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Citizen Bull is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Thursday afternoon.
COAL BATTLE – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle returned to the track to jog a mile under Bethany Taylor after having a walk day Wednesday.
“We just wanted to stretch his legs a little bit,” Taylor said of the Lonnie Briley trainee.
EAST AVENUE – Godolphin’s East Avenue galloped at 7:15 a.m. under exercise rider Stephen Dolan.
East Avenue cemented his spot in the Derby by finishing second in the Blue Grass (GI) after a puzzling 10th-place finish in the Risen Star (GII).
“I think we learned more about the horse in the Risen Star than ever before,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “We had to knuckle down on him and get tougher on him. He didn’t learn an awful lot last year because he was just so talented at that stage. We didn’t realize it at the time that we might have been too easy on him, but the Risen Star we had to fix that.”
East Avenue is scheduled to breeze Saturday.
FINAL GAMBIT/TAPPAN STREET – Trainer Brad Cox’s duo of Final Gambit and Tappan Street both galloped Thursday morning.
The duo is scheduled to work Saturday.
JOURNALISM – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stables, Robert La Penta, Elayne Stables 5, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Journalism visited the starting gate and then galloped 1 3/8 miles under Marc Witkowski for trainer Michael McCarthy.
Winner of his past four starts, the likely Kentucky Derby favorite is scheduled to work this weekend for his final major Derby preparations.
“He’s an easy horse to train,” McCarthy said. “When he came to us last summer as a 2-year-old he sort of showed us he was more advanced than your average 2-year-old. He really proved that once we stretched him out in the second start and we knew he wasn’t an average 2-year-old.”
LUXOR CAFÉ – Koichi Nishikawa’s Luxor Café arrived at Churchill Downs Wednesday evening and jogged in the one-mile chute Thursday.
Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby liaison Kate Hunter said his connections were very pleased with how he shipped and will continue to do more in his training in the next several days.
OWEN ALMIGHTY – Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty took advantage of a glorious morning and a fast track to work five furlongs in 1:01.60 under Antonio Orellana for trainer Brian Lynch.
Working in company with the maiden 3-year-old filly Nosleeptilbrooklyn, Owen Almighty started two lengths behind his workmate and posted fractions of :26, :37.60, 1:01.60 and galloped out well in front with six furlongs in 1:14 and seven-eighths in 1:27.
“I didn’t want to take a chance on the weather,” Lynch said of working this morning as opposed to Friday as initially planned. “The work couldn’t have been any better.”
PUBLISHER/TIZTASTIC – Trainer Steve Asmussen’s duo of Publisher and Tiztastic schooled in the Churchill Downs starting gate prior to beginning their normal training sessions.
SANDMAN – D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman had a walk day following his five-furlong work in 1:02.60 of Wednesday morning.
“He walked early and he’s just chilling now,” trainer Mark Casse said.
SOVEREIGNTY – Godolphin’s Sovereignty visiting the starting gate and then galloped under exercise rider Guesler Cardona for trainer Bill Mott.
“We’re all good here,” Mott said. “He stood in the gate, backed out and then galloped well.”
A final work date for Sovereignty remains fluid given the uncertain weather pattern in Louisville for the next few days.
“I could go Sunday or Monday,” Mott said. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
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ALSO-ELIGIBLES – C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables and Stefania Farms’ Neoequos worked a half-mile in :48.43 at Gulfstream Park Thursday morning over a fast track.
SHAPING UP: THE $5 MILLION KENTUCY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE (GI) – Here is the top 20 preference list for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) in alphabetical order (with jockey and trainer): Admire Daytona (JPN) (Christophe Lemaire, Yukihiro Kato); American Promise (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas); Built (TBA, Wayne Catalano); Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes); Chunk of Gold (Jareth Loveberry, Ethan West); Citizen Bull (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert); Coal Battle (Juan Vargas, Lonnie Briley); East Avenue (Manny Franco, Brendan Walsh); Final Gambit (Luan Machado, Brad Cox); Flying Mohawk (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman); Grande (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Journalism (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy); Luxor Café (Joao Moriera, Noriyuki Hori); Owen Almighty (Javier Castellano, Brian Lynch); Publisher (Irad Ortiz Jr., Steve Asmussen); Rodriguez (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert); Sandman (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse); Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott); Tappan Street (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Tiztastic (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen). Also-Eligibles: Neoequos (TBA, Saffie Joseph Jr.); Render Judgment (TBA, Kenny McPeek); Baeza (Flavien Prat, John Shirreffs); California Burrito (Irving Moncada, Tom Drury Jr.).
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE – Friday’s work schedule at Churchill Downs is unsettled, much like the weather forecast for Louisville the next two days with off and on rain expected. Possible Oaks workers include likely favorite Good Cheer, Ballerina d’Oro, Tenma, Take Charge Milady, Simply Joking, Drexel Hill and Fondly.
Kentucky Oaks 150 winner Thorpedo Anna is also scheduled to breeze at 7:15 a.m., according to Kenny McPeek.
On Wednesday, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables’ undefeated Virginia Oaks winner Fondly arrived at Churchill Downs from trainer Graham Motion’s main base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.
Thursday morning, with William Humphrey aboard, Fondly galloped a mile.
Tracy Farmer’s La Cara, jogged a mile on her first day back on track following a :46 half-mile work on Tuesday.
“She’s a little powerhouse,” trainer Mark Casse said of the Ashland (GI) winner. “She’s in a great spot right now. We’re gonna go and if anyone wants to go with her, let them try.”
Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ Quickick had a walk day at trainer Tom Amoss’ barn following her five-furlong work of 1:01.20 on Wednesday.
SHAPING UP: THE $1.5 MILLION LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS (GI) – Here is the expected field for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) (with jockey and trainer): Anna’s Promise (Junior Alvarado, Carlos David); Ballerina d’Oro (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown); Bless the Broken (John Velazquez, Will Walden); Drexel Hill (Ben Curtis, Whit Beckman); Early On (Javier Castellano, Saffie Joseph Jr.); Five G (Manny Franco, George Weaver); Fondly (Irad Ortiz Jr., Graham Motion); Good Cheer (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); La Cara (Dylan Davis, Mark Casse); Quietside (Jose Ortiz, John Ortiz); Quickick (Umberto Rispoli, Tom Amoss); Simply Joking (Florent Geroux, Whit Beckman); Take Charge Milady (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Tenma (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert).
KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS MORNING WORKOUTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
THURSDAY, APRIL 24 THROUGH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 – Starting Thursday and continuing through Wednesday, April 30, Churchill Downs will be open free-of-charge daily from 6:45-10 a.m. so guests can watch the nation’s top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds train toward their engagements in this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks during Dawn at the Downs.
Horses train on Churchill Downs’ main track daily from 5:15-10 a.m. There is an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:15-7:30 a.m. following the 6:45-7:15 a.m. renovation break. Those horses will be identified by special saddle towels that include their names: yellow saddle towels for Derby horses and pink saddle towels for Oaks contenders.
Guests can park for free in the Yellow Lot off Longfield Ave. (all vehicles must be removed by 10:30 a.m.) and enter Churchill Downs through the Clubhouse Gate. Guests will be directed to Sections 115-117 to watch the morning workouts.
Churchill Downs’ Paddock Grill will be open each morning with coffee and breakfast sandwich options. No outside food and beverages are allowed. Also, the Churchill Downs Store with Kentucky Derby 151 merchandise will be open each morning.
On Sunday and Monday, fans can enjoy a premium breakfast in Millionaires Row or the Stakes Room for Dawn at the Downs Dining. Tickets and more information can be found at KentuckyDerby.com/DawnDining.
A stream of the workouts is available at www.KentuckyDerby.com from 6:45-7:45 a.m. through May 1. The 151st runnings of the $1.5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) will be held Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, respectively. Opening Night of Derby Week and the 43-day Spring Meet is Saturday at 5 p.m.
KENTUCKY DERBY MORNING WORKS SHOW OFFERS BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS TO DERBY, OAKS TRAINING – The Kentucky Derby Morning Workouts Show presented by TwinSpires.com will air until Thursday, May 1 and offer fans an exclusive look at the final preparations of Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders.
Airing daily from 6:45-7:45 a.m, the one-hour program will be streamed live on the Kentucky Derby Facebook, X and YouTube accounts. The show will highlight the 15-minute exclusive training window from 7:15-7:30 a.m. for horses preparing for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) and the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).
Hosted by Churchill Downs’ expert handicappers Joe Kristufek, Kaitlin Free, Tony Calo and Kevin Kilroy, the show will include insight, commentary and exclusive interviews from notable figures such as former leading rider Rosie Napravnik, Churchill Downs track announcer Travis Stone, TwinSpires.com handicapper James Scully and Churchill Downs racing analyst Megan Burgess.
All Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders are required to be on-site by Saturday, April 26. The show will continue through Thursday, May 1, showcasing every contender’s final training sessions leading into Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks.
For more information, visit www.kentuckyderby.com