DOWNS DAWN PATROL (4/20): McPeeks, Awesome, David, Saver..

[Kasept]

It was a marginally eventful training session at the Downs Tuesday on a cooler, breezier morning, and those in attendance at the clocker's stand high above the Downs were in agreement that the Derby or Oaks winners didn't drill today. Ken McPeek's NOBLE PROMISE and BEAUTICIAN worked in company, and while the Derby possible looked OK pulling away from the filly in the last 300 yards, his Oaks counterpart looked a bit ragged. Noble's stopped the clock in :59.4 and Beautician turned in a 1:02.0...

AWESOME ACT had a solid if unspectacular spin, again moving behind his workmate (Peace Town) one time around the oval before breaking off into their drill. The Gotham winner tracked Peace Town in :12.3, :25.0 and :36.4 before overhauling him after half mile in :48.3 and 5f in 1:00.2. He galloped out in 1:12.3 (6f) and 1:26.4 (7f) with good enough energy, but the move wasn't exactly a heat-turner...

Equally ordinary was the effort of LINE OF DAVID, as the John Sadler trainee went :12.0, :24.1, :36.3, :49.1 and 1:02.0 before slowing markedly to go out in 1:16.0. To his credit, the Arkansas Derby winner wasn't asked, looked smooth, and did race just 10 days ago...

Though the winner of the Oaklawn meet-ender didn't particularly enthrall, the runner-up out of the Hot Springs classic did. Todd Pletcher's SUPER SAVER galloped energetically, and though I missed it Monday, Churchill balcony hangers say the Todd Pletcher-trained WinStar homebred was equally eager yesterday and has been on his toes from the moment he arrived in Louisville. The Maria's Mon bay broke his maiden 9/11/09 going Belmont's one turn mile on sealed slop, and wired 8 foes in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club under Calvin Borel in his final juvenile start. He is the son of the A.P. Indy daughter Supercharger, herself a Phipps family product that is a full sister of multiple GSW Daydreaming and G2 Jerome winner Girolamo...

Unless BACKTALK makes the First Saturday starting gate, Super Saver would be the lone Derby runner with a win at Churchill Downs. MISSION IMPAZIBLE was 3rd in the 5f Kentucky Juvenile (G3) last April, while DUBLIN (2), STATELY VICTOR and ENDORSEMENT were off the board in tries at 4th and Central. Tom Amoss' Backtalk broke his maiden at the Downs in June '09, and came back three weeks later to annex the G3 Bashford Manor here...

If you're curious now about Oaks runners and their slates at CD, SASSY IMAGE, who works Wednesday, stands out with a 4/3-0-1 for Dale Romans on her home track with maiden, Pocahontas (G3) and Golden Rod (G2) as the W's. BEAUTICIAN broke her maiden here as well, as did DWL's TIDAL POOL...

Bob Baffert's Derby runners LOOKIN AT LUCKY and CONVEYANCE work Wednesday, and JACKSON BEND, still sitting at #21, may as well for Nick Zito...

MORE LATER AND DAY 2 OF 'ATR' LIVE FROM CHURCHILL AT 4PM...

[analyizethis]

I was going to call in with the following question today but you said you were going to talk pace next week so will you and your guest be addressing pace in the context of the question?

When I define a KD pace meltdown I use the 2000, 2001 and 2005 editions as my recent benchmarks. In each of these Derbies the half went in sub :46, the 3/4 in sub 1:10 and the superfecta contained at least one and more likely two or more runners from the second half of the field at the six furlong mark.

From all the references on this board and others about early speed, is there a consenus that we will have those type of fractions in 2010?