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Derby Notes: Light Activity Under Snowy Twin Spires, Baffert Adds Hozier To Consideration

Six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert indicated via text that Hozier, sixth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in his most recent start, is under consideration for Kentucky Derby 147.

Owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm and Robert Masterson, Hozier is No. 21 on the Road to the Kentucky Leaderboard.

Hozier galloped a little bit more than a mile with Joel Osorio up over a sloppy track a little before 9:30 on a morning in which the news of the day was … wait for it … Snow!

Overnight Louisville picked up an April 21 record 1.8 inches of snow that left the Matt Winn Turf Course covered in a blanket of white inside the sloppy main track.

BOURBONIC, DYNAMIC ONE, KNOWN AGENDA, SAINTHOOD – Trainer Todd Pletcher sent his quartet of Derby 147 hopefuls out for 1 ¼-mile gallops Wednesday morning.

“We cut back a little bit today and sent them straight off (as opposed to backtracking to the front of the grandstand),” Pletcher said, “And got them back safe and sound.”

First to go out for Pletcher at 7:30 was Florida Derby (G1) winner Known Agenda with Hector Ramos aboard and Wood Memorial (G2) runner-up Dynamic One with Carlos Perez Quevedo aboard.

At 7:50, Wood Memorial winner Bourbonic was on the track with Ramos aboard along with Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Sainthood with Amelia Green aboard.

Pletcher is leaning toward working all four on Friday.

“There is potential for rain all day Saturday and I would prefer Friday to pushing back to Monday,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher, who won the Derby in 2010 with Super Saver and 2017 with Always Dreaming, has riders lined up for all but Sainthood.

“We will wait until after the final breezes and monitor who is available,” Pletcher said.

HELIUM, SOUP AND SANDWICH – Live Oak Plantation's Soup and Sandwich, along with D J Stable's Helium, jogged two miles over the sloppy surface Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

Helium, ridden by Paolo Levi and Soup and Sandwich, with Gilbert Hernandez in the saddle, were both accompanied by stable pony Jack with Isabella Leslie aboard.

Both horses are likely to gallop Thursday, according to trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll.

HIGHLY MOTIVATED – Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated galloped a mile and a half under Peter Roman during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses.

Trainer Chad Brown plans to work the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) runner-up Saturday, a breeze that could be moved up a day because of weather.

HOZIER – Hozier, No. 21 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, galloped a little more than a mile before 9:30 under exercise rider Joel Osorio.

KEEPMEINMIND – Keepmeinmind had a spirited 1 ½-mile gallop over the sloppy track with Enrique Benitez aboard at 5:45.

Standing at No. 23 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Keepmeinmind is scheduled to work Friday or Saturday for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

KING FURY – Lexington Stakes (G3) winner King Fury galloped 1 ½ miles under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. at 7:30.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury stands at No. 22 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with a work scheduled for Saturday.

MIDNIGHT BOURBON, SUPER STOCK – Winchell Thoroughbreds' multiple graded stakes-placed colt Midnight Bourbon jogged one mile at 5:30 a.m. with Wilson Fabian aboard alongside Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's upset Arkansas Derby (G1) hero Super Stock galloped about 1 3/8 miles with Juan Vargas aboard at 6:30 a.m. Super Stock is scheduled to work Saturday while Midnight Bourbon is slated to work Monday.

O BESOS – Barrett Bernard, Tagg Team Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds' O Besos was tentatively scheduled to work Wednesday morning but trainer Greg Foley opted to move the work to Thursday because of track conditions.

The Orb colt jogged one mile under rider Margarito Fierro.

“Horses like this give me the motivation to keep going in life,” said Fierro, who's worked for Foley for nearly 20 years. “He's still a baby but what I've loved about his galloping is he does it with class. He gets on the track with the pony, checks out his surroundings and when he's ready to start his gallop he's all business.”

O Besos will work at 5:15 a.m., according to Foley.

STARRININMYDREAMS – Stewart Racing and WinStar Farm's third-place Lexington Stakes (G3) finisher Starrininmydreams galloped about 1 ½ miles at 6:30 a.m. under exercise rider Emerson Chavez.

“We're still waiting to see what shakes down,” trainer Dallas Stewart said. “He looks unbelievable out there training but you never know what can happen with the horses in front of us. We'll be ready.”

Starrininmydreams sits No. 24 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 1 in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat, Doug O'Neill); Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Rock Your World (Joel Rosario, John Sadler); Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert); Midnight Bourbon (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen); Mandaloun (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Caddo River (TBA, Brad Cox); Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano, Chad Brown); Helium (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse); Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse); Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Sainthood (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley); Get Her Number (TBA, Peter Miller).

Possible starters within the Top 20 on the preference list: Dream Shake (TBA, Peter Eurton).

Next up in order of preference: Hozier (TBA, Bob Baffert); King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Starrininmydreams (TBA, Dallas Stewart).

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Concert Tour Arrives At Oaklawn For Saturday’s Arkansas Derby

There's a concert tour stopping late Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn and if it's anything like March 13, it will be another virtuoso performance.

That's because unbeaten Concert Tour, a homebred for Gary and Mary West, will be heavily favored to enhance his credentials as a leading Kentucky Derby candidate in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles.

Probable post time for the Arkansas Derby, which will be televised live by NBC Sports Network, is 6:41 p.m. (Central). It goes as the 12th of 13 races. First post Saturday is 12:02 p.m., with the infield open, weather permitting.

The Arkansas Derby is one of four stakes Saturday at Oaklawn, the others being the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) for older horses at 6 furlongs, $400,000 Oaklawn Mile for older horses and the $250,000 Carousel for older fillies and mares at 6 furlongs.

The projected six-horse Arkansas Derby field from the rail out following Tuesday's post-position draw: Super Stock, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 122 pounds, 6-1 on the morning line; Caddo River, Florent Geroux, 122, 7-2; Hozier, Martin Garcia, 118, 3-1; Get Her Number, Francisco Arrieta, 122, 6-1; Concert Tour, Joel Rosario, 122, even money; and Last Samurai, Jon Court, 118, 15-1.

Concert Tour is coming off an eye-catching 4 ¼-length victory in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 13, the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby.

Concert Tour, in his two-turn debut and first start outside Southern California, zipped to the lead under Rosario, turned back Caddo River at the quarter pole and coasted home to remain unbeaten in three starts. It marked a record eighth Rebel victory for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has owned Oaklawn's four-race Kentucky Derby prep series the last decade.

Since the Arkansas Derby also brings back the 2-4-5-7 finishers from the Rebel, it means Concert Tour will be facing essentially the same group he dominated a month ago. Baffert trains Rebel runner-up Hozier, too.

“Those two horses, both are doing really well,” Baffert said. “It's a short field. I'm surprised it was with all the horses that were up there this year, trying to get points.”

The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby May 1 at Churchill Downs. The 1 ¼-mile race is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference given to the top 18 point earners in designated races like the Arkansas Derby. The top point earners on the European and Japan Road the Kentucky Derby will receive invitations.

Concert Tour earned 50 points for his Rebel victory and ranks No. 11 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard compiled by Churchill Downs. Hozier (20 points) is No. 24, Grade 1 winner Get Her Number (10) is No. 29, Rebel fifth Caddo River (10) is No. 30 and Rebel fourth Super Stock (9) is No. 31. Get Her Number finished seventh in the Rebel.

Concert Tour has been on the same path as the Baffert-trained Nadal was in 2020, winning his career debut in January at Santa Anita, $200,000 San Vicente (G2) at Santa Anita in his second start and the Rebel in his third.

Nadal, like Concert Tour, was a front-running winner of the Rebel but used stalking tactics to capture the second division of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1). Five years earlier, Baffert's American Pharoah was a wire-to-wire winner of the Rebel before coming from off the pace to claim the Arkansas Derby en route to sweeping the Triple Crown.

Caddo River was a front-running 10 ¼-length winner of the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 22 at Oaklawn, but chose not to engage Concert Tour early in the Rebel. Asked if believed Concert Tour would be tracking Caddo River in the Arkansas Derby, “Baffert said, “I don't know.”

“Concert Tour's very fast,” Baffert said. “He's quick, really fast. I think the break is important, how you leave there. You never know what's going to happen. You don't know what the strategy's going to be. I just worry about my own horses. If he (Caddo River) goes, he (Rosario) will just ride his own horse and see what he does. My other horse has speed, too. Going a mile and an eighth, it's a different story.”

Caddo River was favored over Concert Tour in the Rebel and looks to turn the tables Saturday with a more aggressive approach early, trainer Brad Cox said. Caddo River is again drawn inside of Concert Tour.

“Little more of a free-running horse, we think,” Cox said. “It (Rebel) was just his fifth start and he was coming off a little bit of a freshening, I guess you could say, being seven weeks between races. We're just hoping that he can kind of get a little bit more of a forward run and maybe the jock drops his hands and kind of let him do his thing and get in a big rhythm and see if that works a little better than it did last time. If it doesn't, were in trouble – bottom line.”

In addition to American Pharoah and Nadal, Baffert won the Arkansas Derby in 2012 with Bodemeister, who rolled by 9 ½ front-running lengths. Baffert also won the last year's first division of the Arkansas Derby with the speedy Charlatan, but he was disqualified because of a medication violation. The case is under appeal. Overall, Baffert has 16 victories in Kentucky Derby prep races at Oaklawn – all since 2010. Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby a record-tying six times.

“I just feel fortunate that I have these two after losing Life Is Good,” Baffert said, referring to an injury that knocked his unbeaten colt off the Kentucky Derby trail. “It's pretty tough, you know, but that's why everything works itself out for the Derby. The horse will get you there.”

The Wests won the 1993 Arkansas Derby with Rockamundo, who paid $218.

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Classic Bound Sophs Highlight Saturday Worktab

On a brisk spring morning, Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun (Into Mischief) began his serious preparation toward the GI Kentucky Derby with a half-mile breeze in :49.80 under jockey Florent Geroux Saturday. The GII Risen Star S. winner worked outside of stakes winner Australasia through a moderate :25.40 opening quarter-mile fraction. The duo galloped out together through five furlongs in 1:02.60 and completed the work with a six-furlong time of 1:16.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun was the 6-5 favorite in the Mar. 20 GII Louisiana Derby, but finished a disappointing sixth.

“There really wasn't an excuse in the Louisiana Derby,” Cox said. “I hate to use the cliché of drawing a line through the race, but that is what we are doing. At the half-mile pole, he really didn't continue to put himself into the race and was out of gas. We had high hopes, obviously, that he would run better in that race. We talked it over with the folks from Juddmonte and if he continues to train well, we are going to pursue the Derby.”

Moments before Mandaloun's work, Cox's top GI Longines Kentucky Oaks contender Travel Column (Frosted) breezed a half-mile in :48.60. She began the work with a :24.60 quarter-mile time and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

Other stars that recorded works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included 2020 GI Preakness S. winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who worked a half-mile in :48 under jockey Robby Albarado and undefeated GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf hero Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire)), who worked a half-mile in :48.60 under Geroux.

On the West Coast, Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) worked four furlongs Saturday morning in :49.40 under Flavien Prat, while Derby-bound GII Rebel S. winner Concert Tour (Street Sense) went six furlongs in a bullet 1:12.80 for Bob Baffert.

“He went the last eighth in :11 and change,” trainer Doug O'Neill said of Hot Rod Charlie. “I'm very happy.”

Of the 145 recorded workouts, including 25 on the training track, 21 were for runners conditioned by O'Neill. Baffert also sent Rebel runner-up Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) four furlongs in a bullet :46.60 as the colt prepares for next Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby. It was the fastest of 67 drills at the distance and almost three seconds quicker than the average time of :49.26

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Medina Spirit, Baffert’s Santa Anita Derby Stand-In, ‘Went Very Nice’ In Breeze

Medina Spirit, twice runner-up to Life Is Good, worked four furlongs Sunday in 48 seconds flat as the Protonico colt prepares to deputize for his undefeated but sidelined stablemate in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

“He went very nice (under jockey Juan Ochoa),” said Bob Baffert, who is seeking to add to his record of nine Santa Anita Derby victories.

“I also worked Hozier (runner-up to unbeaten stablemate Concert Tour in the March 13 Rebel at Oaklawn Park, five furlongs in 1:00.80), Charlatan (four furlongs in 48 flat) and Gamine (five furlongs in 59.60).”

Life Is Good was favored in the most recent Future Wager to win the May 1 Kentucky Derby before a small chip in his left hind ankle was detected following a workout on March 20, forcing him to miss the race and necessitating surgery by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., two days ago.

“The surgery went well,” Baffert said. “I received great reports on it. It was minor, so that was good and he should be back (racing) a lot sooner than we thought he would.”

G1 Malibu Stakes winner Charlatan and Eclipse Award champion female sprinter Gamine are scheduled to run at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, Charlatan in the G1 Churchill Downs Stakes and Gamine in the G1 Derby City Distaff, both at seven furlongs.

Trainer John Sadler sent Runhappy Santa Anita Derby candidate Rock Your World five furlongs Sunday morning in a bullet 59.20, fastest of 76 drills at the distance, more than two seconds faster than the average time of 1:01.37.

The Runhappy Santa Anita Derby headlines six stakes on Saturday, four of them graded and two showcasing California-bred or sired runners.

In addition to the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, they are the G22 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles; the G2 Royal Heroine for fillies and mares 4 and up at one mile on turf; and the G3 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Also, two Golden State Series races, the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs and the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs.

In all, the six stakes offer $1,750,000 in purse money. Entries for Saturday's race will be taken on Wednesday.

Saturday's latest local weather forecasts partly cloudy skies, one percent chance of rain and a high of 78 degrees.

First post time will be 12 noon.

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