DERBY NOTES (4/24-25): 'Spell' to Oaks only..

[Kasept]

Big Brown has his penultimate scheduled workout (Palm Meadows) today. The Rick Dutrow trainee will not arrive at CD until Monday...

Cool Coal Man works this morning at Churc hill after the break (8:30am).. It is his last serious drill preparing for Derby..

Most Churchill based Derby horses will gallop today:

Adriano
Anak Nakal (works Friday)
Col. John
Court Vision
Denis of Cork
Gayego
Halo Najib (jogging only)
Pyro
Recapturetheglory
Smooth Air
Z Fortune
Z Humor

Smooth Air's gallop girl (Suzie) will give way to his specified workout rider (Jody) for his last pre-Derby workout on Sunday. Jody, who works at Calder as a mutuel in the afternoon, is being flown in Saturday night for the workout and then heads back to Miami. Jody is no stranger to preparing horses for big races, having been picked up casually to gallop and exercise LOST IN THE FOG by Greg Gilchrist. Her work on LITF so pleased Gilchrist, that whenever 'Fog' came to the East Coast to race, Jody was flown in to work him in the mornings...

Visionaire, as well as Eight Belles and Proud Spell, are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Friday from Keeneland...

More notes after the busy morning...

[Kasept]

Big Brown sizzled in a sharp :58+ five-eighths move earlier this morning at Palm Meadows Training Center, his last serious work before the Derby. Rick Dutrow, reached by DRF's Mike Welsch, said while the work was faster than he was looking for, he was not concerned about it being 'too fast"

Big Brown is scheduled for a likely 3f blow out over the Churchill surface sometime next week.

[booner]

What do you think about him not getting one work over the CD surface?

[Mike]

From a DRF article yesterday:

There were no Derby workers on Wednesday. The morning's most impressive performance by a Derby candidate came from the Illinois Derby winner, Recapturetheglory, who galloped a strong two miles, keeping a straight and true course down the center of the track throughout both tours of the one-mile oval.

Trainer Louie Roussel Jr. was so taken by the performance that he immediately notified the media that he had canceled the work he had scheduled for Recapturetheglory on Thursday morning. Roussel pushed the drill back to Saturday, weather permitting.

"He's doing so well now he doesn't need two more works before the Derby," Roussel said.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by booner

What do you think about him not getting one work over the CD surface?

Not a big issue really. Giacomo and Funny Cide didn't have works here as recent examples that come to mind.

Bigger issue for the horses that aren't 'dirt' experienced.

As an example, Colonel John and Adriano both were on track today and looked good. Adriano cantered lightly and I only saw the Santa Anita Derby winner stand, but he makes a grand impression. Their works on the CD strip will be more important than Big Brown not working over it.

[booner]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Not a big issue really. Giacomo and Funny Cide didn't have works here as recent examples that come to mind.

Bigger issue for the horses that aren't 'dirt' experienced.

As an example, Colonel John and Adriano both were on track today and looked good. Adriano cantered lightly and I only saw the Santa Anita Derby winner stand, but he makes a grand impression. Their works on the CD strip will be more important than Big Brown not working over it.

I knew Giacomo didn't work @ CD, but didn't realize Funny Cide had not.

Very interested in Colonel John's work this weekend. This from the DRF caught my eye:

Colonel John had his second opportunity to try the Churchill Downs strip on a warm, sun-drenched morning shortly after the renovation break on Wednesday. And while the gallop went without incident, Colonel John, a well-made son of Tiznow, gave the appearance he still might not be completely comfortable over the surface. He strode along more like he was still testing and acclimating himself to the new footing rather than reaching out, as one would expect he usually does over familiar ground back home.

[Kasept]

Now that he's here, watch for Mike Welsch's workout patrol reports. Few can tell us how a horse is handling the surface better then Mike.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Not a big issue really. Giacomo and Funny Cide didn't have works here as recent examples that come to mind.

Bigger issue for the horses that aren't 'dirt' experienced.

As an example, Colonel John and Adriano both were on track today and looked good. Adriano cantered lightly and I only saw the Santa Anita Derby winner stand, but he makes a grand impression. Their works on the CD strip will be more important than Big Brown not working over it.

Thanks for the info, Steve ... I'm hoping Colonel John takes to the dirt surface.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Thanks for the info, Steve ... I'm hoping Colonel John takes to the dirt surface.

He that lives upon hope will die fasting.~benjamin franklin.


i like col john, have him in my rttr....but .....

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by booner

What do you think about him not getting one work over the CD surface?

I think a workout or race over a surface is overrated. Either he's going to like the track or he isn't. If he's going to like it, he won't need a work over it beforehand. If he isn't going to like it, I think it's better to not work on it first. There's a school of thought that says if a horse doesn't like a surface, his best effort over it will come in the first one because whatever it is they don't like about the track, they remember it the second time. Say for instance, a track stings their feet. They remember that the next time and run a poorer race.

[Kasept]

Proud Spell is much less likely as an entrant to the Derby as of late yesterday afternoon according to media representatives at Churchill. While final decisions for Larry Jones and his two big fillies are pending until they work over the weekend, indications are more solid that Eight Belles (Rick Porter) is Derby-bound and Proud Spell (Brereton Jones) Oaks-committed.

CURRENT EARNINGS LIST REFLECTING NO PROUD SPELL:

1 Pyro 1,020,000
2 Tale of Ekati 738,000
3 Colonel John 720,000
4 Gayego 640,000
5 Big Brown 600,000

6 Z Humor 579,000
7 Monba 515,000
8 Court Vision 331,872
9 Z Fortune 329,000
10 Adriano 310,000

11 Recapturetheglory 300,000
12 Smooth Air 290,000
13 Cool Coal Man 212,767
14 Anak Nakal 212,216
15 Eight Belles (f) 210,000

16 Cowboy Cal 207,660
17 Behindatthebar 204,500
18 Visionaire 202,500
19 Big Truck 194,500
20 Bob Black Jack 180,000
-------------------------
21 Denis of Cork 165,000
22 Halo Najib $157,996
23 Indian Sun $154,000
24 Tomcito $151,292