Godolphin's Essential Quality (Tapit) headlined a quintet of hopefuls that put in their final major works at Churchill Downs Saturday morning ahead of next weekend's Run for the Roses. Also working on an overcast morning were Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun (Into Michief), Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Super Stock (Dialed In) and Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury (Curlin).
Heading the Brad Cox Derby team, last season's juvenile champ worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. With exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard, the likely Derby favorite worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 outside of fellow Godolphin-owned Spa City. The duo began their work at the half-mile pole through splits of :12.80, :24.80 and :48.20. The recent GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner completed a six-furlong gallop out in 1:14.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
“We keep radios on all of our riders, so that way, we can stay in contact throughout the work,” Cox said. “Galloping out around the turn, I got on the radio to Edvin and told him not to let him go too strongly. Spa City is a horse we used as a workmate for Essential Quality the last three or four works. He's a good matchup for him because he's a good work horse.”
Shortly after Essential Quality completed his work, Mandaloun, with Florent Geroux in the saddle, worked five furlongs in 1:00 outside of recent Keeneland allowance winner Joe Frazier. The GII Risen Star S. scorer started about six lengths behind his stablemate and completed swift opening fractions of :23.20, :35.60 and :47.60. Mandaloun galloped out strongly around the first turn through a six-furlong time of 1:12.60 and completed seven furlongs in 1:27.20.
“Going into the pole, Joe Frazier was a little bit strong and I didn't want to ask Mandaloun to catch up to him too much,” Geroux said. “I didn't want to get him in the bit too early, so we started six or seven lengths behind but going around the turn and he really picked up the pace. He has a big stride to him and was full of himself getting over this track.”
King Fury put in his final workout for the Kentucky Derby, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard during the period reserved for training horses pointed to the Derby and Oaks. King Fury worked a solo five furlongs in 1:00.20. He reeled off splits of :12.80, :25.20, :36.80, and :48.40. Hernandez Jr. guided him out to 1:12.80 for six furlongs and 1:26.60 for seven furlongs.
“Everything was good,” Hernandez Jr. said. “He did it with his ears up and he seems like he's a happy horse. He's got a little confidence in himself coming out of the Lexington. He's coming into the Derby with some confidence.”
The GIII Lexington S. winner moved up to No. 20 on the points leaderboard following the defections of Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) and Dream Shake (Twirling Candy).
“We weren't fretting about it too much,” said trainer Ken McPeek. “It was all up to a higher power, if we didn't get in, then [the plan] was to go on to the [May 15] GI Preakness S. [at Pimlico]. Those things are out of our control. What other people do with their horses, it's not something we spend a lot of energy on. We would have worked him the same today, if he was going to Baltimore or if he was staying here.”
Trained by Chad Brown, Highly Motivated went five furlongs in 1:00.40 under exercise rider Peter Roman immediately after the break. Runner up to Essential Quality in Keeneland's Apr. 3 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and eagerly pulled away from stablemate Southern District, while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28.40.
“I thought he breezed really well and it went exactly how I wanted,” Brown said. “I wasn't afraid to give him a good solid breeze and he did it and he did it well, with some in reserve too. He got over the track well, which I really wanted to see. He had been galloping well over it, but really, when you get to see a breeze, you can see more, obviously.”
Also among yesterday Churchill workers, Super Stock, who hit the track at 5:32 a.m., went five furlongs in 1:01.20. The Steve Asmussen trainee worked in company with 4-year-old stablemate Max Player, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.60, and seven furlongs in 1:28.
“He went perfect and he gave us exactly what we were looking for,” Asmussen said. “I think that the horse's confidence level is at an all-time high, he goes really well over this racetrack, and I couldn't feel any better about him going into the Derby.”
At Keeneland, Like the King worked five furlongs in 1:01. The move was the ninth fastest of 28 at the distance. Working in company with the 4-year-old Artie's Princess, the 2020 Sovereign Award winner as Canada's champion female sprinter, Like the King started two lengths in back and edged clear at the wire, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.40 with Julio Garcia aboard.
“He was nice and smooth down the lane,” said Wesley Ward. “He had that filly measured, as he did last week. He looked a lot smoother this week than last week. Last week, he was kind of on the bridle. [Today] he was a lot more fluid.”
He added, “He's a very difficult horse to gallop. He had a really, really strong last part of his gallop [Friday] when a couple of workers came inside of him. So, I wasn't looking to go :59 or anything today.”
Ward indicated the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner will jog Sunday morning and gallop Monday and Tuesday before vanning to Churchill after training.
West Coast Workers
At Santa Anita, Hronis Racing and David Talla's Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) worked five furlongs in :59.20. The unbeaten GI Santa Anita Derby winner went together with winner Best Chance and outfinished him by a couple of lengths, according to trainer, John Sadler
“He breezed very well,” said Sadler, who is seeking is first win in the Run for the Roses. “He looked good, nice and smooth. It was kind of a repeat of last week. We didn't want to do too much because he's right where he wants to be already. We're happy.”
'Rocks' is expected to ship to Kentucky Sunday and will jog Monday after arriving at Churchill Downs. He will gallop Tuesday and Wednesday, “but the schedule could be tinkered with slightly depending on the weather,” Sadler said.
Working before Santa Anita's first race Saturday, Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and Strauss Bros Racing's Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) went six furlongs 1:13.68 under Flavien Prat, who will accompany him next Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Accompanied by stablemate Chasing Fame, Hot Rod Charlie started one length behind his work partner at the five furlong pole, from where he tracked his company to the top of the lane, assumed command and worked past the wire to the seven furlong pole through splits of 24.46, 48.94 and 1:00.90.
“I loved the way he went,” said Prat, who was also aboard for a six furlong work in 1:14.20 at Santa Anita Apr. 17. “He went really easy and he went a solid three quarters, with a good gallop out. I loved his energy and the way he went by his stablemate.”
Santa Anita Timer Dane Nelson had the GII Louisiana Derby winner galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27.43.
“I love the fresh track and not having to worry about traffic,” said trainer Doug O'Neill, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 with I'll Have Another and in 2016 with Nyquist. “I'm real happy with the way he breezed. We're all set, looking forward to getting him to Churchill and finding out what our post position will be on Tuesday.”
Hot Rod Charlie will be flown to Louisville early Sunday morning and will gallop and/or jog throughout the week over the Churchill Downs main track.
Also posting his final Derby tightener, Gary Barber's Get Her Number (Dialed In) worked five furlongs in 1:02 at San Luis Rey Training Center with Peter Miller on-hand for the work.
“He went out in 1:14 and it was a nice move,” Miller said via text from the facility, which is about 30 miles northeast of Del Mar racetrack.
Miller indicated a final decision would be made Saturday regarding the colt's participation in Saturday's Classic.
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