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Max Player Works ‘Really Well,’ Covers Swift Five Furlongs In Company At Churchill Downs

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbred's $1 million Travers Stakes (Grade I) third-place finisher Max Player recorded a swift five-furlong move in :59.60 Monday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Max Player, who was recently transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen from New York-based conditioner Linda Rice, worked at 7:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) during the exclusive 15-minute training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders. Max Player, who breezed with jockey Florent Geroux up, began his work two lengths behind stablemate Allege and worked through fractions of :23.80 and :35.80. Max Player finished even with his workmate at the wire and continued to gallop out in front through six furlongs in 1:12.60.

“He worked really well behind his workmate,” said Geroux, who was filling in Monday for Max Player's Derby rider Ricardo Santana Jr. “I think he will like the 1 ¼-mile distance in the Derby. I was working the horse this morning because Ricardo is still at Saratoga. Steve has given me many great opportunities in my career so I always try to help when he needs me. I will be on (trainer) Bob Baffert's horse Thousand Words in the Derby.”

Also training during the special training window was Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo, who galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Edgar Medina for trainer Juan Avila. The son of Uncle Mo is scheduled to have his final move before the Kentucky Derby on Saturday morning.

Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr's former $100,000 claim Necker Island returned to the track following his walk day on Sunday with an easy jog under exercise rider Hillary Hartman. Necker Island, trained by Chris Hartman, is tentatively scheduled to work on Saturday with jockey Miguel Mena aboard.

Prior to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks training window, Lloyd Madison Farm's Major Fed galloped 1 ½ miles at 5:15 a.m. under exercise rider Margarito Fierro. Trained by Greg Foley, the $300,000 Indiana Derby (GIII) runner-up is scheduled to have his final work on Friday or Saturday. Approximately 45 minutes following Major Fed's gallop, West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing's $600,000 Arkansas Derby (GI) third-place finisher Winning Impression had a light 1 ½-mile gallop with trainer Dallas Stewart's exercise rider Emerson Chavez in the saddle.

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby runner-up Attachment Rate had a scheduled walk day following his half-mile move in :48.60 Sunday morning.

On the Longines Kentucky Oaks front, Mark and Nancy Stanley's graded stakes placed Tempers Rising galloped 1 ½ miles at 6:30 a.m. under Chavez. Also making an appearance Monday morning at Churchill Downs was Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited and Big Aut Farms' $200,000 Indiana Oaks (GIII) winner Shedaresthedevil, who jogged with exercise rider Edvin Vargas up for trainer Brad Cox. Her stablemate, Juddmonte Farms' $600,000 Alabama Stakes (GI) runner-up Bonny South, galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Gustavo Abrego.

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Kentucky Oaks Probable Donna Veloce Works Friday At Del Mar

Donna Veloce, a stakes winning filly who is headed for the Grade I Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday, Sept. 4 for her next start, turned in a six-furlong work for that test at 12:45 this afternoon at Del Mar.

The daughter of Uncle Mo, owned by Kaleem Shah and Mrs. John Magnier, had Flavien Prat up as she covered the distance in 1:11.60 on a fast track during a sunny afternoon at the seaside oval. Her trainer, Simon Callaghan, looked on.

She started her work at the five-furlong pole, went her first quarter in :25.00, her second in :47.80 and hit the finish line in :59.80. She then continued on another furlong to her final time and finished up by galloped out seven eighths in 1:26.20.

The bay was an $800,000 2-year-old in training sale acquisition and – in four starts all told so far – has earned $490,000. She captured Santa Anita's Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 8 in her most recent out. Last year she won her first start in September at Santa Anita, then came back to just miss in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 1 at Santa Anita. She completed her year by finishing second again in the Grade I Starlet at Los Alamitos in December.

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‘Right And Responsible Decision’: Kentucky Derby 2020 To Be Held Without Fans

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Friday its decision to run the 146th Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5, 2020 without fans. CDI
issued the following statement:

The Kentucky Derby is a time-honored American tradition which has always been about bringing people together. However, the health and safety of our team, fans and participants is our highest concern. Churchill Downs has worked diligently over the last several months to plan a safe Derby with a limited number of spectators in attendance. We were confident in that plan, but dedicated to remaining flexible using the best and most reliable information available. With the current significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Louisville as well as across the region, we needed to again revisit our planning. We have made the difficult decision to hold this year's Kentucky Derby on September 5 without fans. Churchill Downs and all of our team members feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility as citizens of Louisville to do all we responsibly can to protect the health, safety and security of our community in these challenging times and believe that running the Derby without spectators is the best way to do that. We deeply regret the disappointment this will bring to our loyal fans.

The decision comes with the support of Governor Andy Beshear.

“The virus is still aggressively spreading in Kentucky, and the White House has announced that Jefferson County and the City of Louisville are in a 'red zone' based on increases in cases. This week alone the county had more than 2,300 new cases,” Gov. Beshear said. “I applaud Churchill Downs for continuing to monitor the virus and for making the right and responsible decision. I am asking all Kentuckians to take action to stop the spread of the virus so we can get back to the many traditions we enjoy, like the Kentucky Derby.”

Since early May, decisions regarding this year's Kentucky Derby have been made in consultation with public health authorities including data provided by medical experts at Norton Healthcare. Positivity rates in the more than 70,000 patients tested at Norton have gone from as low as two percent in June to a rapid escalation of 10 percent in recent days.

“This is a critical point in time for our community,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare. “This remains a very fluid situation and every event should be evaluated based on the data available as close to the date of the event as possible. We appreciate and support Churchill Downs' decision.”

“This year's Kentucky Derby was never going to be the celebration we're used to, but I could not be more grateful to our tremendous team members and community partners for all of their efforts. We've left no stones unturned and reached the right decision,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “We hope our fans, the Louisville community and our country find an opportunity over the coming weeks to reflect on the challenges we have faced this year as a community and as a nation, and work together toward a better and safer future.”

Additional information about Kentucky Derby 146:

 The decision to run without fans includes Kentucky Oaks on Friday, Sept. 4 and all live racing at Churchill Downs Racetrack for Derby week (Sept. 1-5). Only essential personnel and participants will be permitted on property.
 Ticket holders for all Derby week race dates and related programming, including Dawn at the Downs, will be automatically issued a refund.
 NBC will televise coverage of the Kentucky Derby and undercard racing on Sept. 5 from 2:30-7:30 p.m. ET. The 146th running of the Kentucky Oaks will be televised Friday, Sept. 4 on NBCSN from 3-6 p.m. ET.

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Coronavirus Spread, Racial Justice Demonstrations: Louisville Mayor Won’t Attend Kentucky Derby

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer told the Courier-Journal on Thursday that his current plan doesn't include attending this year's Kentucky Derby, rescheduled for Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. Fischer usually does attend the annual event.

Churchill has already announced it will close the infield and restrict the number of attendees for this year's race, down from approximately 150,000 to 23,000.

Fischer cited the rising rate of coronavirus cases in Louisville, which his chief medical officer, Dr. Sarah Moyer, has compared to a “wildfire,” as well as the racial justice demonstrations being planned for that day in Louisville by the NFAC. The demonstrations are a response to the death of Breonna Taylor, a nationally publicized case in which the Black woman was fatally shot by Louisville police.

“We do expect some people in town for that,” Fischer said. “Obviously we want to make sure we're connected to everything that's going on and planning accordingly. Like every day, that will be a busy day, just a little more so with the running of the races.”