Tag: Kentucky Derby

Rosario to Ride Rock Your World in Derby

Jockey Joel Rosario will replace Umberto Rispoli on unbeaten GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby hero Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Kentucky Derby. The decision came after it was announced that Bob Baffert trainee Concert Tour (Street Sense), who Rosario had ridden in each of his four starts, would skip the Derby and opt for the GI Preakness S.

Rosario rode Rock Your World in his turf sprint debut win at Santa Anita Jan. 1, but Rispoli was up for both the Pasadena S. and Santa Anita Derby. Rosario has had significant success riding for Rock Your World's trainer John Sadler and co-owner Hronis Racing, including with 2018 Horse of the Year Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky).

“Let's be very clear here, I was rooting for [Bob Baffert's] Concert Tour to win the [Apr. 10 GI] Arkansas Derby and [then] this is all a non-conversation,” Sadler said on the “Thoroughbred Los Angeles” radio show Sunday morning. “We decided to wait until after the Concert Tour race to see what was going to happen and nobody could've predicted that (a third-place finish), really. I mean, he was 1-5 or whatever and then he didn't run on.

“So, when Joel came available…You know, these are agonizing decisions and not easy. I want to be very clear, I think the world of Rispoli and I think the world of his riding. He's a terrific rider on our circuit and he's been a great addition to California and will continue to be. But, I had to make a call and this is the call I made… History will tell whether I'm right or wrong. Things could go bad, you know, overnight in this game, but this is the decision we made for this race, so you know, we have to live with it and go forward.

“We think with [Joel's] experience over the track… And just my relationship with him and these owners (Hronis Racing LLC and Talla Racing LLC)… this gives us our strongest position. So, this is what we're going to do.”

Sadler said that Rock Your World would ship to Louisville on Sunday, Apr. 26.

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California Trio Breeze Towards Derby

Three Santa Anita-based sophomores headed to the GI Kentucky Derby tuned up Saturday morning over their home track.

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who will have his fair share of backers off his front-running victory in the GII Louisiana Derby, went three-quarters of a mile in :1.14.20 for two-time Derby-winning conditioner Doug O'Neill. Flavien Prat, who was tabbed earlier this week for the ride, was aboard.

“He looked solid. So far, so good,” said O'Neill.

Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), who remained perfect in three starts with his front-running success in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3, worked five furlongs in :59.60 Saturday morning.

“I had him going a minute for five furlongs with Serapio Figueroa riding, in company with Tripoli (Kitten's Joy),” trainer John Sadler said. “It was a pretty effortless work, just smooth and relaxed. I was very happy.”

'TDN Rising Star' Dream Shake (Twirling Candy), beaten some 6 1/2 lengths into third in the Santa Anita Derby, went five furlongs in the bullet :59.20 (1/72) to the satisfaction of trainer Peter Eurton.

“It was a pretty comfortable work,” Eurton said. “He was well within himself. I'm very pleased.”

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Busy Saturday Beneath the Twin Spires

With just two weeks remaining to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby, the Saturday worktab at Churchill Downs was dotted with the names of top sophomores headed towards the first jewel of racing's Triple Crown.

Godolphin's reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) took to the Churchill main track at 5:15 a.m. with big-race rider Luis Saez in from Keeneland to put the colt through his paces. The homebred went five furlongs in :59.60 after breaking off about a length behind 4-year-old stablemate Spa City (Street Sense) and was timed in fractions of :12.80, :24.60 and :47.40 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28.60. Essential Quality never passed his workmate around the turn and into the backstretch.

It was the first serious piece of work for Essential Quality since his tough defeat of Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 3. Trainer Brad Cox was duly pleased with what he saw Saturday morning.

“I'm not taking a deep breath yet, but we're very pleased with where we are at today,” the conditioner said. “He really had to work for that win in the Blue Grass and we were very pleased how well he ended up bouncing out of it.”


Highly Motivated, whose official status for the Derby remains 'possible,' is scheduled to breeze Sunday morning at Keeneland for trainer Chad Brown and is expected on the Churchill backside Monday.

Following the champ's workout, Cox sent out GII Risen Star S. hero and fellow 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) to breeze six furlongs in a crisp 1:11.40. The Juddmonte homebred tugged hard against jockey Florent Geroux and was difficult to settle through early sectional times of :12.40, :24.20 and :35.60. He was noticeably more relaxed once given his head at the quarter pole and worked strongly through the line before clocking seven furlongs in 1:25.20 and a mile in 1:41.60.

Mandaloun exits a disappointing sixth behind Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 20, but Cox is more and more inclined to draw a line through the effort.

“[Mandaloun] worked great,” he said. “We were all puzzled after the Louisiana Derby, but he's been doing great since that race–maybe that was just a head-scratcher. He's a really good-looking son of Into Mischief, and we know he's better than what we saw in his last start.”

Live Oak Plantation's Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief), who earned his way into the Run for the Roses via his runner-up effort to Known Agenda (Curlin) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Mar. 27, went five-eighths of a mile in :59.80 Saturday morning. With Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle, the homebred skipped along in :12.40, :24.20 and :35.20, then readily drew clear of his company Epic Dreamer (Orb) and was out six furlongs in a strong 1:12.40 and seven panels in 1:25.20.

“This horse is just starting to figure things around the racetrack,” trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll said. “Tyler was in cruise control around there and that gallop out was great.”

Also Saturday morning, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) looked sharp going five furlongs in a bullet :59 (:12.40, :24, :35.40, :47, out 1:12.40) for trainer Ken McPeek; and GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Ava's Grace (Laoban) went a half-mile in :48.60 for Robertino Diodoro for the Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks.

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Preakness Next for Concert Tour

Concert Tour (Street Sense) will not run in the May 1 Kentucky Derby, said Bob Baffert Saturday morning.

He will instead be pointed for the May 18 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

A winner of his first three starts, a Santa Anita Maiden Special Weight, the GII San Vicente and the GII Rebel at Oaklawn, he was most recently third in the GI Arkansas Derby.

“He's immature and we were disappointed that he didn't win the Arkansas Derby,” said Baffert. “I was really expecting an outstanding performance and he didn't give it. Physically, he's fine, but he's too immature to come back in two weeks (from today), so we're going to wait for the Preakness.”

Baffert's lone Derby entrant is now Medina Spirit (Protonico), who was second in the Santa Anita Derby.

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