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Year in Review Santa Anita opening day HK Cup Entries Hong Kong Cup works Hollywood Derby Day |
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 Rock Your World checks out the fans on Wednesday afternoon. |
Wednesday morning's training session at Churchill Downs was overcast but warmer than earlier in the week with temperatures in the mid 70's and the track fast.
Below are photos for 19 Derby horses and all 13 Oaks fillies (Ava's Grace was scratched this morning) from this morning on the track or in the paddock schooling with comments for each. You can watch video of today's training session here.
Kentucky Derby
 
Bourbonic galloped 1 1/4 miles and then schooled in the paddock under exercise rider Hector Ramos. Trainer Todd Pletcher said of the possible rain tomorrow, "The only way we won't train Thursday is if it's unsafe (lightning) outside."
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Dynamic One galloped 1 1/4 miles and then schooled in the paddock under exercise rider Carlos Perez Quevedo. Trainer Todd Pletcher said of the possible rain tomorrow, "The only way we won't train Thursday is if it's unsafe (lightning) outside."
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Essential Quality galloped 1 1/2 miles at 5:15am and then schooled in the paddock in the afternoon. Trainer Brad Cox said, "I'm not too nervous yet, just getting excited. This week is a lot of fun and I'm really excited to be a part of it in this role. It's really special running in these big races and sharing these moments with my sons"
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Helium galloped 1 1/2 miles in company with stablemate Soup and Sandwich.
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Hidden Stash galloped 1 1/2 miles at 7:30 with trainer Vicki Oliver in the irons in his first appearance since shipping from Keeneland, and schooled in the paddock at 10am. Oliver said, "I usually gallop seven or eight a morning at Keeneland. The 7:30 training window is perfect for us."
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Highly Motivated galloped 1 3/8 miles and then schooled in the paddock. Trainer Chad Brown said, "I like the way he's going, I thought he was moving a little better today. He had a strong work and now, the second day back galloping out of the breeze, he's loosening up again and looks super. I'm really happy with him. "He's also making his third start off the layoff, like both those horses were," Brown said. "But this horse is a little faster positionally than Normandy Invasion. He broke then split the field when he settled in and moved early. Highly Motivated, I can see getting a better spot than that, but both horses have a quick acceleration."
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Hot Rod Charlie galloped 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Jonny Garcia. Equine therapist and assistant to Doug O'Neill, Tyler Cerin said, . "Nothing special with him. I just make sure all's good with his general well being. He's a pretty straightforward horse."
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Keepmeinmind galloped 1 1/2 miles. Trainer Robertino Diodoro said, "He's been working really good," trainer Robertino
Diodoro said. "In his first race this year at Oaklawn (Rebel), it was a speed biased track. It wasn't (jockey) David's (Cohen) fault, but he got hung four or five wide and when it looked like he was about to make a move, he just hung. In the Blue Grass, we knew there wasn't much speed so we tried to put him closer to the front. We did, but he didn't do it on his own. David had to force him to lay closer and when it came time to run, he was empty. He's had excuses I think he'll show up to be the real horse on Saturday. It's hard to say I'm confident with a 50-1 shot, but I do think he'll show up. He'll come running."
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King Fury galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Lalo Jose Quiroz. Trainer Ken McPeek said, "It was a mile-and-a-half, uncomplicated."
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Known Agenda galloped 1 1/4 miles and then schooled in the paddock under exercise rider Hector Ramos. Trainer Todd Pletcher said of the possible rain tomorrow, "The only way we won't train Thursday is if it's unsafe (lightning) outside."
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Like the King galloped a bit more than a mile with exercise rider Jose Hernandez aboard for trainer Wesley Ward.
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Mandaloun galloped 1 1/2 miles at 5:15am and then schooled in the paddock in the afternoon. Trainer Brad Cox said, "I'm not too nervous yet, just getting excited. This week is a lot of fun and I'm really excited to be a part of it in this role. It's really special running in these big races and sharing
these moments with my sons."
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Medina Spirit galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Humberto Gomez. Trainer Bob Baffert said, "When I got beat with Cavonnier in 1996, I thought I'd never win a Kentucky Derby. Then, I won with Silver Charm and Real Quiet and started thinking this was easy, but then it got lean for a number of years. You just never know when these Derby wins are going to come. I'm just glad to be back here. "The thing about Medina Spirit is he's an overachiever. He's a real fighter and if there's a battle, he'll be right there. I wouldn't be surprised if he got a piece of it."
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Midnight Bourbon galloped 1 1/4 miles in company with stablemate Super Stock.
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O Besos galloped 1 mile and schooled in the paddock. Trainer Greg Foley said, "We're ready to roll!"
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Rock Your World galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Javier Meza. Trainer John Sadler said of the jockey change from Umberto Rispoli to Joel Rosario, "Make no mistake, Umberto Rispoli is a terrific rider. He's won Santa Anita's stakes the last two weekends for me and we've won a lot of races together. But the analytics with Joel are so strong I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I'm hoping, of course, it all works out."
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Sainthood galloped 1 1/4 miles and then schooled in the paddock under exercise rider Amelia Green. Trainer Todd Pletcher said of the possible rain tomorrow, "The only way we won't train Thursday is if it's unsafe (lightning) outside."
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Soup and Sandwich galloped 1 1/2 miles in company with stablemate Helium.
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Super Stock galloped 1 1/4 miles in company with stablemate Midnight Bourbon.
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Kentucky Oaks
 
Clairiere galloped 1 mile and schooled in the starting gate, according to assistant trainer Scott Blasi.
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Coach schooled in the starting gate then galloped 1 5/8 miles.
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Competitive Speed galloped 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Anthony Gallo. Owner John Minchello said, "I love it already. (She is 50-1 morning line) but she doesn't know that. Initially, I thought she was a regular horse, but when you put her next to another horse, she's very competitive."
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Crazy Beautiful galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Danny Ramsey in company with stablemate King Fury. Trainer Ken McPeek said, "They're both doing well, easy stuff."
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Malathaat galloped 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Amelia Green. Trainer Todd Pletcher said of the possible rain tomorrow, "The only way we won't train Thursday is if it's unsafe (lightning) outside."
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Maracuja galloped 1 3/8 miles and schooled in the paddock, supervised by Brittney Atras, wife and assistant to trainer Rob Atras. Rob Atras said, "Last May, when she came up from Florida, she was obviously only 2 but she got off the van and was like 'Great, OK, this is where I live now.' Her groom Mario Cordero rode with her here and said she really didn't do anything different. She handled it well and she likes the attention, so she's happy with it. I was happy Mario was able to come because if we go for a small race, it's just one of us, so she's happy there's a few of us with her."
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Millefeuille galloped 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Ailsa Morrison. Trainer Bill Mott said, "She had a good gallop this morning." Morrison added, "Her energy is up and so is mine. You can feel it. It is all good."
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Moraz galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Olha Krushevska. Trainer Mike McCarthy said, "She's already (afternoon) paddocked. But we plan to take her over there again at some point today. We'll still train her tomorrow morning. Some rain is not going to change our plans."
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Pass the Champagne galloped 1 1/2 miles under Cindy Hutter, wife of trainer George Weaver. Weaver said, "She had a good gallop. She's doing well. Everything is nice and smooth. She ran a big race in the Ashland. I'll talk it over with Javier (Castellano), but she's a real kind filly with tactical speed. We'll just play the break and go from there."
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Pauline's Pearl galloped 1 mile and schooled in the starting gate, according to assistant trainer Scott Blasi.
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Search Results galloped 1 3/8 miles for trainer Chad Brown.
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Travel Column schooled in the starting gate then galloped 1 5/8 miles.
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Will's Secret galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Lee Guidry and accompanied by Cole Stewart, assistant to his father Dallas.
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