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Paco Lopez 4000 wins Woodbine Turf Showcase Woodward Stakes Day Pennsylvania Derby Day Mohawk Million Night |
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 The Derby and Oaks horses on the track Tuesday morning. That is T O Password closest to us. |
Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs was busy during the exclusive Oaks/Derby session, including two timed works for Kentucky Derby horses along with some gallops. Conditions were typical for Derby week with cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 60's during training hours, after overnight rain downgraded the track to "good". Video for this morning's work can be viewed here on YouTube. Videos of individual horses in timed works can be found here.
Below are photos and comments for 15 Derby horses and 12 Oaks fillies.
CATCHING FREEDOM - galloped at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and schooled in the paddock.
DORNOCH - was out and about during the 7:30 a.m. training session as he galloped twice around the Churchill Downs main track. "Everyone's good. Everyone ate up well. They trained good," trainer Danny Gargan said. "Dornoch always looks good out there on the track."
ENDLESSLY – galloped 1 1/8 miles Tuesday morning after standing in the starting gate during the special 7:30-7:45 training session for Derby and Oaks horses and later schooled in the paddock. "He's always been a good-feeling horse," trainer Mike McCarthy said. "He likes his work; he's glad to do it. He's continued in that fashion since he's been here and, of course, that's what we want to see."
EPIC RIDE – officially drew into Kentucky Derby 150 following the defection of Encino Tuesday afternoon. Trainer John Ennis reported the colt will continue his normal training plus have some gate and paddock schooling. Epic Ride jogged a mile this morning under Sophie Doyle.
FIERCENESS – got his morning exercise in during the special 7:30-7:45 training session designated for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses at Churchill Downs on a track designated as "good" because of overnight rains in the Louisville area. Danny Wright, the veteran British jockey who once rode for Queen Elizabeth II in England, was up on the City of Light colt, as he has been for the run up to his go in the $5 million headliner. "He's feelin' good," Wright reported back at Barn 39 following the gallop. "He's been like that since Day One. He's a neat little horse." Trainer Todd Pletcher noted that his handsome colt was likely to follow a similar pattern morning Wednesday with a side trip for schooling in the starting gate.
FOREVER YOUNG (JPN) – worked five furlongs in 1:03 over a track rated as "good" Tuesday morning. Fractions on the work were :14, :27, :39.60 and out six furlongs in 1:16.80 under training assistant Yusaku Oka. "He handled it well and moved well over the track," Oka said through a translator. "I think we did a good for job for the final breeze. The Kentucky Derby is a difficult race to win but all I can is Team Yahagi Stable is undefeated in the United States and Forever Young is undefeated." Forever Young is scheduled to return to the track Wednesday with a trip to the paddock on the agenda.
GRAND MO THE FIRST – galloped a mile and a half under Amel Macias for trainer Victor Barboza Jr. Grand Mo the First began his career on the all-weather surface at Gulfstream Park and concluded his 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the Zuma Beach (G3) on the grass at Santa Anita. "We went to California for the Breeders' Cup, but he didn't get in," owner David Geofrey said. "He ran OK out there (in the Zuma Beach in which he was defeated by Derby rival Endlessly). After that we regrouped to see if could go on dirt and we put him in the Swale and he did OK." OK was a third-place finish in the Swale that was followed by a close third in the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) and then third in the Florida Derby (GI). "And now, here we are," Geofrey said.
HONOR MARIE – galloped 1 1/2 miles at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday under regular rider Maurilio Garcia.
JUST A TOUCH – galloped at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and schooled in the paddock.
JUST STEEL – was out early Tuesday morning (photo is from Saturday) along with stablemate and Kentucky Oaks contender Lemon Muffin, putting in an easy jog two days after breezing a half mile in his last series work before the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas was pleased with what he saw from the son of Justify on Tuesday as he believes the colt was wanting to do a little more than was being asked.
"That's what I wanted to see today, he had very good energy," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "Actually, watching him go around there, I was thinking we probably should have galloped him. He's got a lot of energy."
MYSTIK DAN – was out for trainer Kenny McPeek for a typical gallop with exercise rider Martin Reyes on Tuesday. "He galloped a mile-and-a-half and stood in the gate," said McPeek. Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride Mystik Dan, 20-1 on the Derby morning line, from the No. 3 post. Last Saturday, Mystik Dan was timed for the five furlongs in 1:01.20 with Hernandez.
RESILIENCE – galloped twice around the Churchill Downs oval on Tuesday during the 7:30 p.m. training period for Oaks and Derby contenders. "The difference between my emotional barometer on this between winning and losing is more narrow than most people," co-owner Ric Waldman said. "If he wins, I'm not going to jump over the barn and if he loses, I'm not going feel like the world has collapsed. If the horse comes back safely and soundly then there is nothing that could happen that could alter that barometer reading much from that."
SIERRA LEONE – galloped twice around the Churchill Downs oval on Tuesday during the 7:30 p.m. training period for Oaks and Derby contenders. "I love everything about him," jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. "He was so impressive in the Risen Star making up all that ground, but I was even more impressed with him the last time in the Blue Grass. With that little bit of fit he threw behind the gate, for him to compose himself and get his mind back on running and put on the performance he did I thought was incredible. It shows the mind frame he has and the talent he has. Every time I got up closer to him, he would stick his head out a little bit more. I've definitely never had these feelings before, it's pretty special. That's the thing, you get a horse like this and it's just so exciting. I'm living the dream right now."
T O PASSWORD – worked a half-mile in :46.80 under jockey Kazushi Kimura. Working in company with Alysheba (G2) entrant T O Saint Denis, T O Password produced fractions of :23.80 and out five furlongs in :59.60 over track rated as "good" following overnight rain in Louisville. "Everything was smooth this morning," Kimura said. "I put him behind his workmate to get some kickback. We got everything we wanted this morning. He was OK with the mud this morning, but with 20 horses, you never know."
WEST SARATOGA – galloped two miles under Donte Lowery and visited the paddock Tuesday morning for trainer Larry Demeritte. West Saratoga never has raced on an off track and with a chance of rain Saturday, Demeritte was asked about how his colt would fare on sloppy going. "I don't want to ruin the day for anybody (with rain), but I'd take it," Demeritte said. "I know his daddy liked it." That would be Exaggerator, runner-up in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and subsequent winner of the Preakness (GI) and Haskell (GI), both of which were run on sloppy tracks and made up a good chunk of Exaggerator's $3.5 million in earnings.
Gin Gin galloped about 1 1/2 miles Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. for trainer Brad Cox. "Just going through the normal motions right now," Cox said. "All good."
Into Champagne went to the track Tuesday at the 7:30 a.m. training time for trainer Ian Wilkes. "She galloped about a mile-and-three-eighths today with her exercise rider, Adelso Orantes," Wilkes said. "It's probably one of the strongest Oaks' fields that I've seen in a long time. Top to bottom, it's very strong."
Just F Y I visited the paddock and proceeded to skip over the track as she galloped twice around during the 7:30 a.m. training session, two days after working a half mile in :49.40. "She's got some stride on her," trainer Bill Mott commented of the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) winner.
Leslie's Rose galloped a mile and a quarter under exercise rider Joel Osorio during the 7:30-7:45 training session for horses eyeing the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks, and later schooled in the paddock.
Power Squeeze went out Tuesday onto a Churchill Downs track listed as good after overnight rains for trainer Jorge Delgado, with her regular exercise rider, Edwin Castro. "She went a mile-and-a-half, galloping," Delgado said. "It's her routine, we'll follow it the next two days. She's eating well, resting well, resting good, so no complaints. She's training really good. We're getting really excited, because she's doing everything better than expected. She looks like a winner, it's difficult to control my excitement about her."
Regulatory Risk galloped twice around during the 7:30 a.m. training period on Tuesday. "It was another good day of training," trainer Chad Brown said.
Tarifa galloped about 1 1/2 miles Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. for trainer Brad Cox. "Just going through the normal motions right now," Cox said. "All good."
Thorpedo Anna went out Tuesday morning with her Oaks jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr., for trainer Kenny McPeek. "She did the same thing as Mystik Dan, galloping a mile-and-a-half and then stood in the gate," McPeek said.
Ways and Means galloped twice around during the 7:30 a.m. training period on Tuesday. "It was another good day of training," trainer Chad Brown said.
Where's My Ring galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider David Rodriguez. "She had issues with ulcers when she was a 2-year-old," trainer Val Brinkerhoff said. "We gave her a bit of time off and got that sorted out and she's been good since. She's come good at the right time."
ALSO ELIGIBLES
Out Pretty Woman galloped 1 1/2 miles at 5:30 a.m. for trainer Steve Asmussen. The filly still needs one defection to make the body of the Oaks.
Candied galloped a mile and a quarter under exercise rider Carlos Quebedo during the 7:30-7:45 training session for horses eyeing the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks, and later schooled in the paddock.
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