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Derby Future Pool 6 Late TC Nominations Jeff Ruby Steaks day Dubai World Cup Kentucky Derby Points |
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 Because of the early spring, the roses are already in bloom around the Aristides statue |
Tuesday morning overcast and a bit hazy at Churchill Downs, but the track was still fast despite rain overnight. Quite a few of the Derby and Oaks horses came out at their special private workout session at 8:30 after the break. Also this morning, trainer Larry Jones took Mark Valeski out of the Derby, saying he was not ready for it, which lets in Optimizer. Below are photos for 15 Derby horses and 8 Oaks fillies from this morning on the track or this afternoon schooling in the paddock with comments. Full barn notes for today are available here.
 Alpha galloped 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Rob Massey. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said, "He shipped in well and all systems are go. He looked like he liked the track a little better today than on Breeders' Cup day, so I was happy about that. We've schooled him often and he hasn't done anything wrong in the gate in the morning or the afternoon. He's matured some, but he's still kind of a light-framed horse. He's great mentally. Great pedigree. Wants the 1 1/4 miles. We walked him 7 instead of 5 days, but he's been right on his schedule. We two-minute-licked him a mile on Sunday (April 22), instead of working him a half on Saturday and he was feeling great. I don't think we're behind. Then we came back with that great /8 work Saturday on the Belmont training track." | |
  Bodemeister getting a bath after galloping 1 1/2 miles around the track under exercise rider George Alvarez. Trainer Bob Baffert said, "I happened to be at the barn at Del Mar with Bode and his friends and (Zayat) told me he needed some papers and was going to change the name of that horse. I told him, ‘I'll just call him Bodemeister until the name comes out.' I didn't think twice about it. A month and a half later, I saw the papers on the desk and my bookkeeper said, ‘Look at this name, Bodemeister.' I said, ‘What did he do that for?' Usually it's a jinx if you name one for your kid. I said, ‘Well, forget that horse.' | |
 Creative Cause schooling in the paddock during the first race this afternoon. Trainer Mike Harrington said, "I gave him 30 days off after the Breeders' Cup. He just walked during that time and he hasn't missed a beat in the time back from that. This isn't my first rodeo. I've had good horses before. This is my best one, but probably my favorite is still Swiss Yodeler, who got me my first Grade 1." | |
 Daddy Nose Best schooling in the paddock. Trainer Steve Asmussen said of his entrants (Sabercat and Daddy Nose Best), "I think with both of their styles you would definitely want them toward the outside. I think how much dirt in their faces you eliminate going into the first turn will help their position a bit. It's a deep field from an ability standpoint and it'll be very competitive to the first turn. The really fast horses away from the gate are going to be where they're going to be regardless of which post they get. How fast they go early, how much the race sorts out, and how far back you get, post is going to have a lot to do with that." | |
 Done Talking galloped 1 3/4 miles under exercise rider James "Bobo" Brigmom. Trainer Hamilton Smith said, "This is the first horse I've had that warranted coming to the Derby. It's awfully expensive to take the risk unless you have a deserving horse, and I haven't had the kind of owners where money doesn't matter. This colt showed us last fall he was a serious horse, but we almost didn't get to find out. I still thought I had him tight enough to do more than he did (in the Gotham). He didn't run a step. Before and after the Gotham he was fine. I guess I just had to rush him a little bit to make the Gotham and that's why he ran so poorly." | |
 Dullahan galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Faustino Aguilar. Owner Jerry Crawford said, "He's perfect. I couldn't be any happier. I love how he's peaking for the race and I love the pace set-up. And the rumor is not true that we paid for Trinniberg's entrance fee. We have a higher level of confidence and expectation with this horse. He's more tactical and doesn't have to be from out of the clouds, though I expect he'll be back in the field, but not 20th, but in the back half early on. The great thing about having a Hall of Fame rider and three-time Derby winner like Kent Desormeaux on your team is that I don't have to worry about that. I have tremendous confidence in him once the race starts." | |
 I'll Have Another galloped 1 1/2 miles on Tuesday. Dennis O'Neill, assistant to his younger brother Doug said, "I used to grab Doug out of school and take him to the track with me. I told Paul (Reddam) when I bought the horse, I thought he would be a good horse in $40,000 races. Paul would have none of that, and look where we are. Besides, what's so big about a horse that can run an eighth of a mile under 10 seconds?" | |
 Liaison schooling in the paddock. He walked the shedrow the morning after his five-furlong work in 1:00.80. Trainer Bob Baffert said the colt came out of the work well. | |
 Prospective galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Juan Bernardini and then schooled in the paddock. Trainer Mark Casse said, "He went really well again today. He had a handful and he keeps doing well. Now we just hold our breath for a few more days until Saturday. I like where we're at." | |
 Rousing Sermon worked 5/8 in 1:00.40 under jockey Jose Lezcano, with furlong fractions of 12.60, 25.00, 36.60, and 48.40. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said, "I am very happy with the work. I told Jose to give me something between a minute and 1:01 and he went 1 minute and two-fifths. He rode him perfectly, did a great job rating him. (Rousing Sermon) goes straight and true every day. He has stayed sound. He's always very relaxed and laid back." | |
 Sabercat schooling in the paddock. Corey Nakatani, a two-time Kentucky Oaks winner and nine-time Breeders' Cup winner, will be aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen. "The complexion from five days out to when they leave the gate, the pace scenario can change so much. We were witness to that last year, with how much speed Uncle Mo had and then he doesn't run. It just changed the complexion of the race so much. When they leave the gate that'll be when it matters." | |
 Trinniberg jogged 1 mile then galloped 1 mile under exercise rider Sebastian Garcia. Owner Shivananda Parbhoo said, "It's crazy," the native of Trinidad and Tobago said. "This is unbelievable. This is the best race in the world. Every country has its best race, but I think the Kentucky Derby is the best race in the world. The first Derby I watched was Lil E. Tee and I bet $500 on him. I just liked Pat Day, who rode him. I just played him." | |
 Union Rags jogged 1 mile and galloped 1 mile under exercise rider Peter Brette at 6am but came out briefly later in the morning to pose. Trainer Michael Matz said, "I've had one great horse in Barbaro and I think I might have a second one. It's a great opportunity. It's a great feeling. It's been six years since I came back where I think I have a chance, and that's what we work for. (Barbaro) captured a lot of people's hearts. He was an undefeated horse. Every time we ran him, he won, except the time he got hurt. In the racing community, I think he brought a lot of people together. I even think when he did get hurt, he brought even more people together." | |
 Went the Day Well looked very good during his 1 1/8 mile gallop under exercise rider Zeke Castro. Bradley Weisbord, COO of owner Team Valor said, "It's hard to believe that a year later we're back, not only with a horse but a horse that has a chance to win the race, the right horse. We're not just bringing any horse just to be in the race. We think we're bringing the right horse. He shouldn't have any problem with the distance; he likes the surface; he's bred to run all day. It's exciting. It's almost impossible to think you could win this race twice in your life, let along twice in two years. Our whole team is very excited." | |
 And Why Not drew post position 10 for the Oaks. She schooled in the starting gate, jogged 1 mile and galloped 1 mile. Trainer Michael Matz said, "It's terrific. No, (owner Helen Groves, his mother-in-law) is a horsewoman. She understands things. She couldn't be any better. I'd love for this horse to do well here. She wanted the horse to run here and we got in. We're taking our best hold." | |
 Believe You Can galloped under trainer Larry Jones this morning. She drew post 9 for the Oaks. On Monday she worked a bullet 5/8 in 58.40. Jones said, "Just great. Hers was a ‘wow' work. She acts like she went in a minute and three-fifths. If we win the Oaks we're going to have a good weekend anyway." | |
 Eden's Moon drew post position 4 for the Oaks. She galloped 1 1/2 miles Tuesday morning. Martin Garcia will ride the Florida-bred, who is 12-1 on the morning line. | |
 Jemima's Pearl getting a bath after her 1 1/2 mile gallop. She drew post position 8 for the Oaks. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Distorted Humor, who was third in the Fantasy (G2), will be ridden by Joe Talamo. | |
 Karlovy Vary schooling in the paddock after galloping 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Marty Metcalf. She drew post position 11 for the Oaks. James Graham, who gets the call on Friday, said, "The Ashland was the first time I was on her. She's a lovely filly. She got a little warm in the post parade like Rusty said she would but when she left the gate, that's all she wrote. Her sire is Dynaformer and they can run on broken glass and bottle tops. People look at the pedigree and think grass and Polytrack. I'll tell you, the Keeneland Poly this spring was not a grass course. I am going to ride her with confidence." | |
 Oaks Lily has the perfect name for the Oaks but someone will have to drop out for her to get a chance to run, as she is the lone also-eligible for the Oaks. She galloped 1 3/4 miles on Tuesday. Co-owner Dante Zanelli said, "We let her roll the last quarter-mile to the wire and she did it in :26. We were happy. She wasn't even blowing." | |
 Sacristy drew post position 7 for the Oaks. She galloped 2 miles and schooled in the starting gate. Trainer Wayne Catalano said, "She can get a little excited, but not too bad. We're going to school her today and tomorrow to get used to the paddock a little bit. They all will be in question at a mile and an eighth," he said. "We'll see which fillies can get it. It's a great race, the Oaks, one you always want to win as a trainer. Maybe history will repeat itself. Mr. Fort (Peachtree Stables) won it last year (with Plum Pretty) after all." | |
 Summer Applause schooling in the paddock during race three this afternoon after gallioping 1 1/2 miles in the morning. She drew post position 3 for the Oaks. Trainer Bret Calhoun said, "I think everything's on go.She doesn't need anything but to get to the race now. I think she's trained even better over this surface than she did in New Orleans." | |
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