Tag: Kentucky Derby

Rocket Can Drills for Derby

Frank Fletcher's Rocket Can (Into Mischief) turned in his final work ahead of Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby going five furlongs in :59.80 (4/35) at Churchill Downs Sunday. With regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona aboard and working inside of stablemate Mr. McGregor (Into Mischief), the colt  worked in splits of :12.80, :24.40, :36. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.

“I thought it went very well,” trainer Bill Mott said of the work. “That's racehorse time for this track. He had a workmate out there, both riders did a good job, and it worked out like we had hoped it would. I thought Rocket Can finished well, and galloped out well. It was a very nice work.”

Rocket Can worked in blinkers Sunday and he'll be wearing them again Saturday.

“Visually, for me, they appear to be helping,” Mott said. “We had worked him before in blinkers and we had thought that they didn't make an extreme amount of difference. But if they help just a little bit, that's what you need.”

Rocket Can, who is out of a Tapit mare, won the Feb. 4 GIII Holy Bull S. and was second behind champion Forte (Violence) in the Mar. 4 GII Fountain of Youth S. He was a closing fourth behind Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) after a wide trip in the nine-furlong GI Arkansas Derby last time out Apr. 1.

“The one thing we all have to prove is if we can get 10 furlongs,” Mott said. “That's always the question in the Derby, there's not that many prep races at that mile-and-a-quarter distance. When they turn for home in the Derby, that really sorts them out. We hope this horse has the stamina to get the 10 furlongs. We think he has it, he has a pedigree that indicates he should get the distance. You never know if they can do it, until they do it.”

The field for both the Kentucky Derby and Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks will be held Monday from 2-3 p.m. in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs.

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Dozen Kentucky Derby Hopefuls Breeze at Churchill Downs

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's likely GI Kentucky Derby favorite and last out GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Forte (Violence) headlined a busy morning beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs as 12 candidates for this year's Run for the Roses turned in their final works for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte, who worked a half-mile in company in :49.80 over a fast track, was one of four breezers for trainer Todd Pletcher. Other Pletcher half-mile workers were GI Blue Grass S. winner and 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) (:48.20) and unbeaten GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks runner-up Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), who worked together in :48.40.

“I'm very pleased,” Pletcher said. “They all did what they were supposed to do.”

Trainer Brad Cox also had four workers: GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) (five furlongs 1:01.40) and Louisiana Derby third and 'Rising Star' Jace's Road (Quality Road) (1:01.20) in company together and GII Wood Memorial S. second-place finisher Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) (:59.60) and Blue Grass runner-up Verifying (Justify) (:59.40) in separate company.

“We're one week out from the race and they are important works, but we didn't want to ask them to do too much,” Cox said. “They did it on their own and did what we needed to see going into the Derby.”

Last out GII Rebel S. winner Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) worked five furlongs in :59 for trainer Keith Desormeaux, a move that was the fastest of 54 at the distance.

Florida Derby runner-up Mage (Good Magic) turned in a six-furlong work in 1:16.80 for trainer Gustavo Delgado.

Florida Derby third Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief), currently on the outside looking in as the first also-eligible, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Dale Romans.

Working before the first morning harrow break, fellow also-eligible and Arkansas Derby runner-up King Russell (Creative Cause) worked a half-mile in :47.80 for trainer Ron Moquett.

Working at Santa Anita was GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher Skinner (Curlin), who breezed six furlongs in 1:14 for trainer John Shirreffs. Skinner is scheduled to ship to Louisville on Sunday.

Two fillies put in their final works for the 149th running of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks: GI Central Bank Ashland S. upsetter Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) (a half-mile in :47, the fastest of 149 at the distance) for trainer Kenny McPeek and G3 UAE Oaks heroine Mimi Kakushi (City of Light) (a half-mile in 50.40) for trainer Salem bin Ghadayer.

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Saturday Insights: Zandon Makes His Return

8th-AQU, $84K, OC, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:06 p.m.
ZANDON (Upstart), last seen running fourth Dec. 3 in the GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, returns to the scene on Saturday in this spot for owner Jeff Drown. Receiving Lasix for the first time, the Chad Brown trainee will be ridden by Flavien Prat and will leave from gate two. Zandon's 3-year-old campaign included a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., and a pair of third-place finishes in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Runhappy Travers S. His dam Memories Prevail (Creative Cause) produced a 2-year-old filly named Remembering (American Freedom) that sold last year for $200,000 at the Keeneland September sale to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm. TJCIS PPS

4th-AQU, $70K, Msw, f, (S), 3yo/up, 6f, 2:56 p.m.
Also on the card in Ozone Park is first-time starter Angelique (Army Mule). The WinStar and Siena Farms-owned filly gets Lasix as she takes on fellow state-breds for Todd Pletcher with Irad Ortiz aboard from post six. A $300,000 SARAUG buy out of Whispering Angel (Hard Spun), she's a half-sister to GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby victor Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky). The female side of this family includes MGISW Big Brown (Boundary). TJCIS PPS

1st-OP, $90K, Msw, f, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:30 p.m.
Owned by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Loupit (Tapit) begins her career routing in Hot Springs on Saturday. A $250,000 OBSMAR purchase from last year and out of Courtisane (Arg) (Silver Finder), the bay filly counts GSW Madame Stripes (Arg) (Equal Stripes (Arg) as a half-sister. Trained by Kenny McPeek and under Lasix, she will have Francisco Arrieta in the irons from post five.  TJCIS PPS

 

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LG&E And KU Energy Becomes First Green Energy Partner Of Churchill Downs

LG&E and KU Energy have partnered with Churchill Downs to become the first Green Energy partner of the Kentucky Derby.

LG&E and KU Energy, the holding company for Kentucky's two largest utilities–Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company–will be the presenting sponsor of Saturday's 10-race opening night program, which is now officially billed as “Opening Night Powered by LG&E” and kicks off the first “green” Kentucky Derby Week.

Through participation in LG&E and KU's Green Energy program, Churchill Downs Racetrack has agreed to purchase blocks of Green Energy from LG&E, equivalent to the total energy consumed by the track during live racing Kentucky Derby Week. In turn, the program purchases equivalent Renewable Energy Certificates on the track's behalf. The certificates are purchased from renewable energy generators of solar, wind or biomass in Kentucky or neighboring states, support putting that renewable energy on the regional grid and credit the track for the environmental, social and other benefits associated with that sustainable energy.

“With our desire to be a steward of environmental efforts in the community, we're delighted to formalize this exciting partnership with LG&E and KU to make this year the first official green Kentucky Derby Week,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson.

“We are proud to have the iconic Churchill Downs as a key customer and excited that, through this partnership, we will be helping them and the Kentucky Derby on their sustainability journey,” said John Crockett, president of LG&E and KU Energy.

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