Kentucky Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Tagg Calls Tiz The Law’s Penultimate Derby Work ‘Perfect’

After Saturday's sudden downpour in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., that drastically changed the track conditions and postponed Tiz the Law's workout, the Sackatoga Stable-owned colt was the first horse on the Saratoga Race Course main track Sunday, breezing five furlongs in a bullet 59.47 seconds in preparation for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5.

At 5:30 a.m., on the main track rated fast with exercise rider Heather Smullen up, Tiz the Law reached three furlongs in :35 3/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 and up in 1:26 for seven furlongs.

Trainer Barclay Tagg said the workout for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers champ was “perfect” as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby, second leg of the Triple Crown, at Churchill Downs. The third leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness, is slated for October 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

“It went fast enough, but not too fast,” Tagg said. “It was a little quicker than usual, but it wasn't too quick for him. He's a pretty fast horse. I told Heather I wanted a good work in him. I didn't want to set any records out there. I wanted her to keep a good snug hold on him. I wanted a good work.”

This was the first workout for Tiz the Law since winning the Travers by 5 1/2 lengths on August 8. With two weeks before the Kentucky Derby, Tagg said this workout was important.

“This is an important workout. In one way, I don't have any way to make up for it,” Tagg said. “It's the first thing he has done in the last two or three weeks. That's why I needed a good work today. If he goes a little too slow going on top of the race, I wouldn't want that, but I don't want it too fast either. It's going to have to be almost perfect. If it's just like today, that would be fine. I can only work him two times before this race. To me, this work was more important.”

Smullen said the colt performed in a professional manner while working on the Saratoga main track.

“It was a little dark and he wasn't quite as focused going down the backside,” she said. “He was playing around. At the three-eighths pole, I took my stick out. He stayed nice and straight. I never had to ask him. At the eighth pole, he saw a horse. I didn't have to do anything. He finished up his work. Galloping out, he just kept going. He's good at what he does.”

Watching near the clocker stand on the backstretch, Sackatoga Stable principal owner Jack Knowlton said he was also impressed with the workout and gallop out.

“Pretty amazing,” Knowlton said. “If you watch him gallop out, he just wants more. He isn't even breathing hard, which is pretty amazing. They didn't expect that he was going to have a fast work. They wanted him to have a vigorous work and gallop out and get a lot out of the work. I think they got all of that and more. [Assistant trainer] Robin [Smullen] and Barclay said not to expect a real fast time because the plan was to be off the rail because the rail was pretty deep.”

Tagg also had Joyce B. Young's Highland Sky working over the Oklahoma training turf course this morning in preparation for the Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer. Also with Smullen aboard, the 7-year-old gelding went in 1:01.22.

Highland Sky made a belated run from the back of the field in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, crossing the wire in third before being elevated to second behind Cross Border. This was the second workout off that race as his first workout was a bullet in 1:00 1/5 on August 14.

“He's doing well since that race,” Tagg said. “If he wasn't doing well, I wouldn't be running him.”

Almost five years ago [September 5, 2015] Highland Sky won his debut at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles over the turf course. He has also won over the Saratoga main track by taking the John's Call in the off-the-turf event last August by 81/4 lengths.

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Tiz the Law Drills Five-Furlong Bullet in Penultimate Derby Breeze

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (Constitution), a looming prohibitive favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, recorded his second-to-last breeze before the Sept. 5 Run for the Roses when covering five furlongs in a bullet :59.47 (1/39) over the Saratoga main track Sunday morning. The Barclay Tagg trainee was scheduled to breeze Saturday at the Spa, but had his work pushed back a day after a sudden downpour drastically changed the track conditions.

Working under cover of darkness at 5:30 a.m. Sunday under exercise rider Heather Smullen, Tiz the Law clicked off his three-furlong split in :35 3/5 before galloping out six panels in 1:12 4/5 and up in 1:26 flat (XBTV video).

“It went fast enough, but not too fast,” Tagg told the NYRA notes team. “It was a little quicker than usual, but it wasn’t too quick for him. He’s a pretty fast horse. I told Heather I wanted a good work in him. I didn’t want to set any records out there. I wanted her to keep a good snug hold on him. I wanted a good work.”

The breeze was Tiz the Law’s first since romping with a career-best 109 Beyer in the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. He is scheduled to breeze once more next weekend before shipping to Churchill Downs.

“This is an important workout. In one way, I don’t have any way to make up for it,” Tagg said. “It’s the first thing he has done in the last two or three weeks. That’s why I needed a good work today. If he goes a little too slow going on top of the race, I wouldn’t want that, but I don’t want it too fast either. It’s going to have to be almost perfect. If it’s just like today, that would be fine. I can only work him two times before this race. To me, this work was more important.”

Smullen added that the darkness affected Tiz the Law’s focus in the early part of the work before the colt buckled down for the stretch run.

“It was a little dark and he wasn’t quite as focused going down the backside,” she said. “He was playing around. At the three-eighths pole, I took my stick out. He stayed nice and straight. I never had to ask him. At the eighth pole, he saw a horse. I didn’t have to do anything. He finished up his work. Galloping out, he just kept going. He’s good at what he does.”

Elsewhere on the Derby contender worktab Sunday, John C. Oxley’s Enforceable (Tapit) drilled six furlongs in 1:12.20 (1/2) Sunday morning at Churchill. Last seen running fourth in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S., the gray worked in the fog under Adam Beschizza in company with stablemate Ghost Fighter (Tapit) and got his final five-eighths in :59.20.

“He’s doing extremely well,” said trainer Mark Casse. “This was his last big breeze. They caught him in 12 and 1, but he probably went a little faster because we broke him off at the five and a half and we worked him a sixteenth past the wire, but it was so foggy. The time isn’t as important as how well he did it. Adam said he couldn’t get him pulled up until the three-eighths pole. He’s doing very well and is holding his weight good. I told Mr. Oxley that I don’t know where he fits with this group, but we couldn’t ask him to be any better than he is right now.”

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A Foggy Morning In Derby Town: Enforceable Breezes Six Furlongs

Under foggy conditions at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., John Oxley's $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (Grade 3) winner Enforceable continued his preparation for the $3-million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with a six-furlong move on Sunday in 1:12.20 under jockey Adam Beschizza.

The fog moved into the Louisville area just past midnight and the conditions did not improve at the start of training on Sunday at 5:15 a.m. Enforceable, outside of stablemate Ghost Fighter (six furlongs, 1:13.80), worked from the five-furlong pole to the wire in :59.20 and the duo continued their work around the turn to the seven-eighths pole.

“It was a really good work from what I could see,” trainer Mark Casse said. “From the videos I've seen over the last couple of weeks I've been really excited how he's doing at Churchill. We're hoping that it is a fast early pace in the Derby because we know with his running style he'll be making a run from off the pace.”

Sunday's 7:30-7:45 a.m. training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks only saw two participants: George Hall and SportBLXThoroughbreds' $1 million Travers Stakes (G1) third-place finisher Max Player and Juddmonte Farms' homebred Bonny South. Derby contender Max Player, ridden by Juan Vargas, galloped about 1 ½ miles while Oaks contender Bonny South, ridden by Gustavo Abrego, galloped about the same distance. Max Player is scheduled to breeze on Monday.

Other Kentucky Derby contenders on the track Sunday included Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby runner-up Attachment Rate, who worked a half-mile in :48.60 at 9 a.m. under exercise rider Faustino Herrarte. Attachment Rate is also nominated to the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Lloyd Madison Farm's $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) runner-up Major Fed returned to the track early Sunday morning following a scheduled walk day Saturday with a one-mile jog under exercise rider Margarito Fierro. Another Derby contender that returned to the track Sunday following a scheduled walk day was West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing's $600,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) third-place finisher Winning Impression, who jogged one-mile with exercise rider Emerson Chavez in the saddle.

Following his speedy five-furlong move in :58.20 on Saturday, Victoria Ranch's King Guillermo had a scheduled walk day along with fellow Derby contender Necker Island.

Bruce Lundsford's recent Ellis Park Derby hero Art Collector is scheduled to arrive back to trainer Tommy Drury's Churchill Downs base in the upcoming days and will have one local work prior to the Kentucky Derby.

The possible field, in order of preference, for the 146^th running of the Kentucky Derby (with jockey): Tiz the Law (Manny Franco); Authentic (John Velazquez); Art Collector (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Honor A.P. (Mike Smith); Ny Traffic (Paco Lopez); King Guillermo (Samy Camacho); Thousand Words (Florent Geroux); Dr Post (TBA); Max Player (Ricardo Santana Jr.); Caracaro (Javier Castellano); Enforceable (Adam Beschizza); Rushie (TBA); Major Fed (James Graham); Storm the Court (Julien Leparoux); Attachment Rate (Joe Talamo); Sole Volante (Luca Panici); Finnick the Fierce (Martin Garcia); Winning Impression (Joe Rocco Jr.); Necker Island (Miguel Mena); and Shirl's Speight (Corey Lanerie).

Several Kentucky Derby contenders have yet to converge on Churchill Downs but are scheduled to arrive in the upcoming week. The following is the latest arrival information, according to senior director of the stable area Steve Hargrave:

Monday or Tuesday via van from Skylight Training Center to Churchill Downs: Art Collector (trainer Tommy Drury)
Tuesday via flight from San Diego to Louisville: Rushie (Michael McCarthy)
Aug. 30 via flight from New York to Louisville: Caracaro (Gustavo Delgado) and Ny Traffic (Saffie Joseph)
Aug. 30 via van from Florida to Louisville: Sole Volante (Patrick Biancone)
Aug. 31 via flight from San Diego to Louisville: Authentic (Bob Baffert), Honor A. P. (John Shirreffs), Storm the Court (Peter Eurton); and Thousand Words (Baffert)
Aug. 31 via flight from New York: Dr Post (Todd Pletcher) and Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg)

Details on the arrivals of Finnick the Fierce (Rey Hernandez) and Shirl's Speight (Roger Attfield) have not been finalized. On the Longines Kentucky Oaks front, $600,000 Alabama (GI) winner Swiss Skydiver is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday via plane from New York. Swiss Skydiver's main rival in the Oaks, multiple Grade I winner Gamine, is scheduled to arrive with the other Baffert trainees on Sunday, Aug. 31.

KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS WORKOUTS TO BE STREAMED LIVE MONDAY –Churchill Downs Racetrack will provide live online streaming of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders' workouts when the exclusive 7:30-7:45 a.m. (all times Eastern) training window starting on Monday.

The live stream presented by TwinSpires.com will be available at multiple sources including on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/kentuckyderby; on Twitter via @KentuckyDerby and www.twitter.com/kentuckyderby; on YouTube atwww.youtube.com/kentuckyderby; and www.kentuckyderby.com/workouts

The live video will include graphics to identify each horse and commentary from an array of industry experts including: Churchill Downs Host and Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek along with TwinSpires.com Racing Experts Scott Shapiro, Ed DeRosa, Brandon Staubleand Chantal Sutherland.

A special 15-minute session from 7:30-7:45 a.m. is exclusive to Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants and any workmates. The specially-made Derby and Oaks saddle towels must be worn to gain access to the racetrack during that window.

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