Derby / Oaks Update -- Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Apr 23, 2013 Travers Manley & Gary Yunt

KENTUCKY DERBY UPDATE – TUESDAY, APRIL 23

BLACK ONYX – Sterling Racing’s Black Onyx (No. 12) galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Aurelio Gomez during the special training session after the morning renovation break for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses.

CHARMING KITTEN / OVERANALYZE / PALACE MALICE / REVOLUTIONARY / VERRAZANO / WINNING CAUSE – Prior to the morning renovation break Tuesday, Wood Memorial (GI) winner Verrazano (No. 2) and Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Revolutionary (No. 6) returned to the track after walking the shedrow of trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn Monday. Verrazano jogged under Humberto Zamora and Revolutionary jogged under Nick Bush.

Also prior to the renovation break, Charming Kitten (No. 21), most recently third in the Blue Grass (GI), galloped under Patti Krotenko.  Pletcher said Tuesday that no “concrete” rider plans have been made for Charming Kitten should he make it in the Derby starting gate.

Following the renovation break during the 15-minute period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders, Arkansas Derby (GI) winner Overanalyze (No. 5) and Blue Grass runner-up Palace Malice (No. 13) galloped around the Churchill Downs oval. Overanalyze was guided by regular exercise rider Obed Perez and Palace Malice was under Jake Nelson.  

Lexington (GIII) winner Winning Cause (No. 22) walked the shedrow of Barn 34. He is scheduled to return to the track Wednesday.

Verrazano, Revolutionary, Charming Kitten, Overanalyze and Palace Malice are scheduled to work Sunday.

CODE WEST/GOVENOR CHARLIE/POWER BROKER – Mike Pegram’s Govenor Charlie (No. 11) galloped 1 3/8 miles after the break under exercise rider Jorge Alvarez.

Gary and Mary West’s Code West (No. 23) and Power Broker (No. 26) walked the shedrow following Monday works. Jim Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert said both colts came out of their respective works in good order. Code West had worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 and Power Broker covered six furlongs in 1:12.80

FALLING SKY – Newtown Anner Stud, James Covello and Joseph Bulger’s Falling Sky (No. 19) waited patiently at the gap during the morning renovation break before galloping 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Cassie Garcea.

“He likes to look at all the people,” Garcea said of the colt’s quiet disposition.

Trained by John Terranova, Falling Sky is scheduled to work Saturday or Sunday.

FRAC DADDY/JAVA’S WAR – Charles Fipke’s Java’s War (No. 4) and Magic City Thoroughbred Partners’ Frac Daddy (No. 15) galloped 1 ½ miles each after the renovation break. Marvin Abrego was aboard Java’s War and Victor Lebron was on Frac Daddy.

Trainer Ken McPeek plans to work both of his Derby hopefuls on Saturday.

GOLDEN SOUL – Charles Fipke’s Golden Soul (No. 25) galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Emerson Chavez at 6 o’clock, shortly after the track opened for training.

MYLUTE – Louisiana Derby (GII) runner-up Mylute visited the paddock and jogged around the Churchill Downs track Tuesday under regular exercise rider Maurice Sanchez. 

According to trainer Tom Amoss, Mylute is scheduled to have his final work in advance of the Derby on Sunday.

NORMANDY INVASION – Fox Hill Farms’ Normandy Invasion (No. 14) galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Javier Herrera after the renovation break.

Trainer Chad Brown, who has yet to saddle a Kentucky Derby starter, liked what he saw of Normandy Invasion’s first day back at the track after working a half-mile Sunday morning.

“Normally, after a work, I walk a day and then jog,” Brown said. “But right now, he is too strong.”

ORB – Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable’s Orb (No. 1) walked the shedrow at Barn 43 and is scheduled to return to the track Wednesday trainer Shug McGaughey said.

“This is familiar territory,” McGaughey said of Barn 43, which served as his regular barn when he started training more than 30 years ago. “All the horses I trained here came out of this barn.”

The roster of McGaughey horses that called Barn 43 home included 1993 Kentucky Oaks winner Dispute, 1988 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Personal Ensign and fellow Hall of Famer Easy Goer.

In addition to Orb, McGaughey has a couple other stable stars eyeing major victories on Derby Day: Phipps Stable’s Point of Entry in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) and Emory Hamilton’s Hungry Island in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII).

OXBOW/WILL TAKE CHARGE – Calumet Farm’s Oxbow (No. 17) walked the shedrow at Barn 44 a day after working five furlongs in 1:01 under jockey Gary Stevens.

“He is very sharp this morning,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said of Oxbow, who broke his maiden here last fall and took the LeComte (GIII) at Fair Grounds by 11 ½ lengths. “He will go back to the track tomorrow.”

Willis Horton’s Will Take Charge (No. 9) galloped after the renovation break under exercise rider Rudy Quevedo.

VYJACK – Pick Six Racing’s Vyjack (No. 8) jogged to the finish line and then galloped 1 ½  miles under trainer Rudy Rodriguez after the renovation break .

“He looked around a little bit at first but then settled in and went about his business. He was very good this morning,” Rodriguez said.

Vyjack had jogged early Monday morning for his first training at Churchill Downs and Rodriguez said the Tuesday activity would be the norm.

“This is the same routine we have a home,” Rodriguez said. “When I worked for Bobby (Frankel), he had a routine and schedule that worked and stuck to it.”

Rodriguez, who will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter, said that Vyjack would have paddock and gate schooling leading up to the race.

SECTION 110 DERBY, OAKS TICKETS AVAILABLE

Two-day Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks seating packages in Section 110 – the new area featuring tip-up, stadium-style seats on the iconic first-turn with a view of the legendary Twin Spires – remain available for purchase online at Churchill Downs’ official online box office: www.KentuckyDerby.com/Tickets.

Under cover seats are $799 per person, which include a reserved seat for Oaks and Derby days, food and drink and a commemorative Kentucky Derby 139 chalice courtesy of Stella Artois. Open-air seats for Oaks and Derby with food and drink are $698 per person.

KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE – TUESDAY, APRIL 23

BROKEN SPELL – Calumet Farm’s Broken Spell (No. 13) was ruled out of the Kentucky Oaks Tuesday morning by trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“She is going to go in the turf race,” Lukas said, referring to the Edgewood Presented by Forcht Bank to be run May 3. “We think she is better on grass and the Oaks is a damned tough race.”

In preparation for the Edgewood, Broken Spell worked a half-mile on the main track Tuesday in :50.40 under Edvin Vargas. She recorded fractions of :12.40, :24.60 and :37.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:05.20. 

CLOSE HATCHES/FLASHY GRAY – Juddmonte Farms’ Close Hatches (No. 5) and West Point Thoroughbreds and Tom Keithley’s Flashy Gray (No. 6) visited the paddock and then galloped after the morning renovation break for trainer Bill Mott.

Joanna Trout was aboard the undefeated Close Hatches and Penny Gardiner was on Flashy Gray, who broke her maiden here last fall by 10 ½ lengths.

Mott said Flashy Gray likely would work Saturday if the weather cooperates and Close Hatches is slated for her second Churchill Downs work on Sunday.

DREAMING OF JULIA / PRINCESS OF SYLMAR / SILSITA / UNLIMITED BUDGET – Prior to the renovation break, Gazelle (GII) runner-up Princess of Sylmar (No. 7) galloped around the Churchill Downs track under exercise rider Obed Perez.

Following the renovation break, during the 15-minute period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders, undefeated Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) winner Unlimited Budget (No. 2), Gulfstream Oaks (GII) winner Dreaming of Julia (No. 4) and Bourbonette Oaks (GIII) winner Silsita (No. 10) galloped under the Twin Spires.

Unlimited Budget galloped under Patti Krotenko, Dreaming of Julia was guided by Humberto Zamora and Silsita was under Nick Bush.  

FIFTYSHADESOFHAY/MIDNIGHT LUCKY – Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s Midnight Lucky (No. 9) came out of her six-furlong work of 1:12 on Monday in good order according to Jim Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert.

Fiftyshadesofhay (No. 8), owned by the same partnership, galloped 1 3/8 miles under Peter Hutton before the morning break.

PURE FUN – Magdalena Racing’s Pure Fun galloped Tuesday morning at Keeneland was scheduled to leave the Lexington track shortly after noon for the van ride to Churchill Downs.

Trainer Ken McPeek said Pure Fun, seventh against males in Saturday’s Coolmore Lexington (GIII), would be on the track here Wednesday. McPeek said that Julien Leparoux would have the mount in the Oaks.

ROSE TO GOLD – Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centrofanti’s Rose to Gold (No. 2) galloped 1 ½ miles under Denis Roberson on her first day back to the track since working a half-mile in :48.20 on Saturday.

Roberson, who began galloping Rose to Gold at Oaklawn Park this winter, said trainer Sal Santoro would not be here until possibly next week.

“He was supposed to be here yesterday, but he got delayed in Florida,” said Roberson, who has horses of his own stabled at the nearby Trackside Training Center.  “She was in my barn at Oaklawn and I started getting on her to help them out.

“Down there, she’d gallop a mile and a half a day and would walk the day before she’d work, but last week galloped on Friday before working with Calvin (Borel) on Saturday. She will probably work again Saturday with Calvin and follow the same schedule.”

SEANEEN GIRL – Naveed Chowhan’s Seaneen Girl (No. 11) galloped 1 ½ miles after the renovation break with exercise rider Rocky Seely up for trainer Bernie Flint.

-- END --