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Sovereign Awards Derby & Auction Prices Santa Anita Derby Day Wood Memorial Day Kentucky Derby Contenders |
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 Thursday morning was all about the mud with rain moving in after 10am. |
Thursday is the last full workout session for Derby and Oaks horses, as training hours are reduced on both Friday and Saturday given the early start to the race cards. Rain Wednesday evening and overnight downgraded the track to sloppy, with more rain, fog, and mist and temperatures near 70.
Below are photos for 17 Derby horses and 10 Oaks fillies 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 9f at 6:20am under exercise rider Hector Ramos, sent out early by trainer Todd Pletcher to avoid the later rain. Pletcher said, "We're expecting rain around 7 so we wanted to get ahead of it. We kept it simple out there today; get them out, get them around, get them back home safe."
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Brooklyn Strong made his first appearance on the Churchill track after arriving Tuesday, galloping 1 1/4 miles and then paddock schooling. Trainer Danny Velazquez said, "I'm just excited to be here," Velazquez said. "Like I'm telling everyone, I have zero pressure. This is a lifelong dream. I was at the OBS sale last weekend and we decided to work him Monday. We were thinking Preakness, but then my partner (owner) Mark (Schwartz) told me we could maybe get in the Derby. I think Churchill called him and said we could enter the Pat Day Mile and AE for the Derby. Then on Sunday they called and said we were in. It's been crazy, been chaotic. I've had no sleep. It's been extremely hard with him. Nothing has been easy with him. It's been an up and down winter with him. He got a little sick on me. I'm not shocked this happened, but it's a bit ironic because of how tough things have been. I'm very happy with him. He settled in well and hasn't stopped eating."
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Dynamic One galloped 9f at 6am under exercise rider Carlos Perez Quevedo, sent out early by trainer Todd Pletcher to avoid the later rain. Pletcher said, "We're expecting rain around 7 so we wanted to get ahead of it. We kept it simple out there today; get them out, get them around, get them back home safe."
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Essential Quality schooled in the starting gate and galloped 1 5/8 miles in company with stablemate Mandaloun. Trainer Brad Cox said, "The serious work is over, now the fun begins."
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Helium jogged once around in company with stablemate Soup and Sandwich. Trainer Mark Casse said, "The track was muddy today and under normal circumstances I probably wouldn't have trained today and given them today off. So, the next best thing was to go out and jog. We're ready to go, we're happy with where they're at and we're as good as we can get. They're happy and healthy and we're just trying to maintain that. Training horses is like climbing a mountain; a lot of times the climb up to the top is the toughest part, and once you get there, you can relax a little."
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Hot Rod Charlie galloped 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Jonny Garcia. Trainer Doug O'Neill said, "I'm happy with him. In fact, I'm
very happy."
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Keepmeinmind galloped 1 1/2 miles at 5:30am. Jockey David Cohen said, "He's really developed into a tremendous 3-year-old year. I know his PP's don't show it, but he's grown from two to three the way we've wanted. He's been more aggressive this year and I think that's partly because of the blinkers. We're taking them off for Saturday. I'm just going to let him fall out of the gate, relax and make one run. I think the big field will actually help him. When he sees daylight, he gets aggressive. He likes to be covered up early."
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King Fury galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Lalo Jose Quiroz. The horse's namesake, heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, will walk over on Derby day. Trainer Ken McPeek said, "Tyson Fury is coming, along with (boxing promoter) Bob Arum, along with some others from Top Rank Boxing. I had tagged (Fury) on Twitter, and his agent called me yesterday and asked, 'Are you serious?' And I told him yeah, c'mon, it'll be fun. So he's flying in Saturday. He's going do some Muhammad Ali stuff, too, while he's here. He likes horse racing. He's from Manchester, England, and evidently he's been to the races over there, and likes the races. I don't think he's done anything in American racing. But how many times do you get to have the heavyweight champ come over?"
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Known Agenda galloped 9f at 6am under exercise rider Hector Ramos, sent out early by trainer Todd Pletcher to avoid the later rain. Pletcher said, "We're expecting rain around 7 so we wanted to get ahead of it. We kept it simple out there today; get them out, get them around, get them back home safe."
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Like the King jogged 1 mile under jockey Drayden Van Dyke. Van Dyke said, "The first Derby I remember here was Mine That Bird. I watch that ride by Calvin (Borel). I still go back and watch it. That is what sticks with me. I think it is one of the best rides in Derby history so far. I feel like this is my best chance. He is very professional and has lots of talent. He idled when he got to the front (in the Jeff Ruby) and I knew I had more in the tank. I know he is a fighter."
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Mandaloun schooled in the starting gate and galloped 1 5/8 miles in company with stablemate Essential Quality. Trainer Brad Cox said, "The serious work is over, now the fun begins."
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Medina Spirit galloped 1 1/2 miled under exercise rider Humberto Gomez. Trainer Bob Baffert said, "Johnny (Velazquez) is a really good rider. The thing I like about him, his strength, is that he's an exceptionally good gate rider. A good speed rider and my horse is a speed horse. He'll keep him out of trouble. That's what Medina has going for him, he's very fast out of the gate. When you have 20 horses, that is the key."
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Midnight Bourbon galloped once around and schooled in the paddock and starting gate.
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O Besos jogged 1 mile at 6:15am.
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Rock Your World galloped 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Javier Meza. Trainer John Sadler said, "Just a straight forward, routine gallop. I'm happy with him and that the rain held off and we didn't get poured on."
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Sainthood galloped 9f at 6:20am under exercise rider Amelia Green, sent out early by trainer Todd Pletcher to avoid the later rain. Pletcher said, "We're expecting rain around 7 so we wanted to get ahead of it. We kept it simple out there today; get them out, get them around, get them back home safe."
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Super Stock galloped once around and schooled in the paddock.
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Kentucky Oaks
 
Coach galloped 1 1/2 miles at 5:15am under Mario Garcia in company with stablemate Travel Column. Trainer Brad Cox said "That'll do it, let's get it done."
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Competitive Speed jogged 1 mile under exercise rider Anthony Gallo. New jockey Chris Landeros said, "She has run in the same series of races at Gulfstream as Champagne Anyone. I have watched replays of her races. She had a wide trip in Gulfstream Park Oaks, got fanned five wide and still ran on to only get beat by four lengths. That was a gutsy effort."
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Crazy Beautiful galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Danny Ramsey. Trainer Ken McPeek said, "She's doing super. After she wins, I want the TV cameras to zoom in on me and listen to me singing."
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Malathaat galloped 9f under exercise rider Amelia Green.
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Maracuja jogged 1 1/2 miles under Brittney Atras, assistant to husband Rob. Brittney Atras said, "She was really good again and we might even end up training tomorrow. We don't usually train on race days, but we also don't usually have a 6:00 p.m. post, so we'll play accordingly after Rob gets in (Thursday afternoon). If it's not sloppy and sealed we may do a little something."
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Millefeuille galloped 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Ailsa Morrison.
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Moraz galloped 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Olha Krushevska. Trainer Mike McCarthy said, "I'm very happy; very, very happy. I have an extreme amount of faith in her."
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Pass the Champagne galloped 1 1/2 miles under assistant trainer Cindy Hutton, wife of trainer George Weaver. Weaver said, "It feels great. It will feel even better if she wins. The filly is doing really well."
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Pauline's Pearl galloped once around in company with stablemate Clairiere.
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Travel Column galloped 1 1/2 miles at 5:15am under Fernando Espinoza in company with stablemate Coach. Trainer Brad Cox said "That'll do it, let's get it done."
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Last year's Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil schooled in the paddock with her stablemates Coach and Travel Column.
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