Shirl's Speight | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tampa Turf Stakes: Bleecker Street Remains Unbeaten, Shirl’s Speight Rallies Under Wilson

After being victimized by Bleecker Street's whirlwind rally in the Grade 3, $175,000 Endeavour Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf, Emma-Jayne Wilson – the jockey on beaten favorite Lady Speightspeare – was ready to turn the tables on someone at Tampa Bay Downs.

Two races later, in the Grade 3, $175,000 Tampa Bay Stakes for males on the turf, Wilson set Lady Speightspeare's stablemate Shirl's Speight loose in the stretch, and the 5-year-old horse responded by running down the race's defending champion, pace-setter Get Smokin, by a length-and-a-half.

“That's horse racing, in a nutshell,” Wilson said after 9-1 shot Shirl's Speight's victory for breeder-owner Charles Fipke and trainer Roger Attfield in 1:41.20 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth. “There are many ups and downs, and you've just got to ride the wave.

“When good horses come around, they'll show their stuff when the time is right.”

The two stakes races were the centerpiece of a spellbinding “Turf Champions Day” card under overcast skies that resulted in long-shots aplenty visiting the winner's circle (including Bleecker Street and Shirl's Speight, although their payoffs were minuscule in comparison to several others).

In the 23rd running of the Endeavour, the sixth race on the card, Wilson was sitting pretty on the lead on Lady Speightspeare at the eighth pole when unbeaten 4-year-old filly Bleecker Street – whose previous victory here on Jan. 8 came in a conditional allowance/optional claiming event – showed her stuff and then some, accelerating from mid-pack under jockey Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr., for a convincing length-and-a-half triumph.

The victory was the first graded-stakes triumph for the 32-year-old Diaz, who might feel like he's uncovered the key to buried treasure after trainer Chad Brown stuck with him following his three previous victories aboard Bleecker Street.

“She never gave me that turn of foot before,” Diaz said of today's performance by the Peter M. Brant-owned filly, now 4-for-4. “Not like that. Today was her best race, by far. The effort she put in was great. I have to thank God and Chad and his entire crew for this opportunity. They've done an amazing job with this filly. I knew she had to prove herself today against these kind of horses, but I was confident she could do it.

“I saw that green light in the stretch and she just took off, and the rest is history.”

The victory was the fourth in the Endeavour's 23-year history for Brown, more than any other conditioner. Bleecker Street posted a time of 1:41.91 on the firm turf course.

“She has won all four times coming off the pace, and being able to work out a trip like that every time is very difficult to do,” Brown said via telephone. “He (Diaz) has ridden her all four times, and I'm very proud of him.

“She had a good post (No. 2), the trip worked out real well and she showed a super turn of foot through the stretch. This filly took time to come around, and my whole staff has done an unbelievable job with her. And Mr. Brant is so patient. We scratched In Italian from the race this morning because we thought bringing her back inside a month was a little soon for her, and we didn't want to run them against each other.

“She (Bleecker Street) stepped up and it turned out to be the right call,” added Brown, who later won the Grade III Withers for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct with Early Voting.

Wilson was disappointed to get beat, but offered no excuses. “Chad's horses have a tendency of doing that to you,” Wilson said. ”I wouldn't give (Lady Speightspeare) any excuses. She had everything go as well as it could. We had a good run at it – we were just second-best.”

Stunning Princess finished third and Jezebel's Kitten was fourth. Bleecker Street paid $16 to win.

The way Get Smokin was sailing along under jockey Antonio Gallardo in the Tampa Bay Stakes, it appeared everyone was running for second at the top of the lane. The 5-year-old gelding hadn't been asked much approaching the stretch in his first start since June 20, but Wilson sensed she was sitting on a powder keg.

“I was interested to see how the pace was going to set up,” Wilson said of Shirl's Speight's performance. “Last time (a Jan. 15 victory here under Gallardo in an allowance/optional claiming race), he was a little keen, but today he settled off the pace nice and the way they kind of ran away from him early, I just wanted to make sure he relaxed and got into position where he was comfortable.”

Reserved near mid-pack, Shirl's Speight was asked for his best when Wilson tipped him out wide and kept to his task to record his second lifetime Grade 3 victory. Floriform finished third and English Bee was fourth.

“I had to thread the needle a little down the lane, but good horses will overcome adversity and he shot through there like he was shot out of a cannon,” Wilson said. “Roger is a Hall of Famer, and he knows how to have them primed and ready.”

Attfield, in fact, is a member of both the U.S. and Canadian Horse Racing Halls of Fame, a status shared by Get Smokin's trainer, Mark Casse.

“We've lost a lot to Roger. He's a wonderful guy and a class act, and good for him,” Casse said.

Attfield had both of his horses ready for top efforts and was thrilled to come away with a victory and a second.

“It (the Tampa Bay Stakes) was a beautiful race, no question,” he said. “I liked the way he did it today – I don't really want him to be speed all the time, but he's got a lot of speed. (Wilson) rode him very well. I definitely thought (Get Smokin) was the horse to beat.

“And our filly (Lady Speightspeare) ran very well for everything she has been through, so it's been a good day.”

Shirl's Speight wins the Tampa Bay Stakes

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Equibase Analysis: War Of Will, March To The Arch Stand Out In Woodbine Mile

The Grade 1, $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile is always a highly anticipated fixture as the northern hemisphere transitions from summer to fall and this year's edition is no exception. A “Win & You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Mile, this year's edition drew a strong field of eight, led by a pair of standouts from the barn of Mark Casse in War of Will and March to the Arch. War of Will is one of those, perhaps best remembered for winning the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes in 2019. However, the talented colt who leads the field in career earnings at $1.7 million, ran on turf in the first four races of his career and enters the race off a win on grass in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile in July. March to the Arch proved he belonged in top company on grass when winning the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes in June, 2019 and renewed that form last month when victorious in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine.

Admiralty Pier finished second in the King Edward and certainly fits in this field as a contender, as does recent Grade 3 Vigil Stakes runner-up Olympic Runner. Armistice Day won the Toronto Cup Stakes in 2019, the same race March to the Arch won the previous year, and makes his third start off a layoff so he may have a say in the outcome as well. Value Proposition (GB) has just five races under his belt but his third place effort in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes this summer suggests he has enough talent to be a factor. Even more lightly raced is Shirl's Speight, who has run two races to date. However, this three year old who was considered for the Kentucky Derby earlier this month is a perfect two-for-two in his career and has potential to surprise a few people with another top effort.

Last, but certainly not least, is the mare Starship Jubilee, who is second in career earnings at $1.6 million. Starship Jubilee has won 18 races in her career including six on the Woodbine turf. She enters the race off a fourth place effort in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga and won the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes prior to that and a repeat of that effort, or when winning the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes last October at Woodbine, gives her a more than decent shot at being in the thick of the action at the finish in this year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

War of Will may be best known for winning the Preakness Stakes in 2019 but when considering his chances to win this year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile on turf one need look no further than his races before getting on the Road to the Derby last year, and his most recent starts. Being by a tremendous turf sire in War Front, War of Will began his career on turf in the fall of 2018, finishing third before entering the Summer Stakes still as a maiden in only the second start of his career. Nearly pulling off the upset at 10/1 in that race when leading late before settling for second, War of Will then nearly won the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland when fourth in a blanket finish on the wire. After a fifth place finish in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and after breaking his maiden on dirt, War of Will set his sights on the Kentucky Derby, winning the Lecomte Stakes and Risen Star Stakes before poorer efforts in the Louisiana Derby and an eighth place finish in the Kentucky Derby. After rebounding to win the Preakness, War of Will finished third or worse in five races on dirt before returning to the turf. The first of those efforts came in the Shoemaker Mile in May in which he raced close up early before tiring to fifth in a ten horse field. A little of six weeks later, War of Will arguably ran his best race ever, gamely rallying in the stretch to win the Maker's Mark Mile by a nose and earning a 115 Equibase Speed Figure, the best winning figure of his career. The reason for that effort appears to be the removal of blinkers for that race so there is every reason to believe the effort, and its winning result, are repeatable, making War of Will the one to beat in this year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

March to the Arch is also a strong contender to win the Ricoh Woodbine Mile. On six occasions in 21 career turf races, March to the Arch has come out on top. The best of those came last year came when he won the Wise Dan Stakes with a strong 104  figure. However, as a five year old March to the Arch has run even better. In his second start of 2020, March to the Arch fought gamely and lost by a nose and a head in the Tampa Bay Stakes with a career-best 115 figure. Following a poor 10th place effort in this year's Shoemaker Mile, March to the Arch was only beaten two lengths although sixth when defending his title in the Wise Dan before returning to Woodbine last month, where he won the Toronto Cup Stakes in 2018. Prepping for the Ricoh Woodbine Mile last month in the King Edward Stakes, March to the Arch was quite impressive in rallying from last in the field of eight to assert himself late and win by two and one-quarter lengths. The 112 figure was the second best last race figure in the field, bettered only by that of War of Will, who is also trained by Mark Casse. Getting the ground saving rail for this race, March to the Arch appears to be the biggest challenge to War of Will and has every right to win his second straight graded stakes in a row at the distance of one mile on turf.

Admiralty Pier led from the start in the King Edward and although beaten by two and one-quarter lengths at the end by March to the Arch ran one of the best races of his career. Earning a 109 figure for in the King Edward, Admiralty Pier is likely to be the controlling speed in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile. He won the Tampa Bay Derby with a career-best 115 figure in February, defeating March to the Arch in the process, and he's on a pattern to get back to that type of effort as he earned a 103 figure when second in the Connaught Cup in July before a 109 figure in the King Edward. As such, we should not rule out the possibility Admiralty Pier could post the upset in this race.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Armistice Day (103), Olympic Runner (99), Shirl's Speight (97) Starship Jubilee (119 in 2018) and Value Proposition (GB) (99).

Win Contenders (in probability/preference order):
War of Will
March to the Arch
Admiralty Pier

Ricoh Woodbine Mile – Grade 1
Race 9 at Woodbine
Saturday, September 19 – Post Time 5:59 PM E.T.
One Mile on Turf
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $1 Million

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War Of Will Takes On Talented Field In Saturday’s Woodbine Mile

Starship Jubilee, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year, will take on a gifted group of seven rivals, including 2-1 morning line favourite War of Will and undefeated three-year-old Shirl's Speight, in Saturday's Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

The 24th running of the Ricoh Woodbine Mile, worth $1 million and contested over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, has attracted a competitive field of eight hopefuls. With an estimated post time of 5:39 p.m. ET, the race will be showcased on a live broadcast airing on TSN3 & TSN5 in Canada and on NBCSN in the U.S. from 5-6 p.m. ET.

Under the terms of the Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' Challenge Series, the Woodbine Mile winner will be entitled to a fees-paid berth for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, to be run on November 7 at Keeneland.

This year's edition of the Mile showcases an intriguing mix of local talents and U.S. headliners.

Starship Jubilee, Canada's 2019 Horse of the Year, will make her 38th career start in the fall turf classic for owner Blue Heaven Farm and trainer Kevin Attard. The bay was claimed for $16,000 on Attard's behalf by his father and fellow trainer, Tino Attard, at Gulfstream in early 2017.

Entered in the 2018 November Breeding Stock Sale at Keeneland, Starship Jubilee failed to meet her $425,000 reserve and was subsequently sold privately to Bonnie Baskin's Blue Heaven Farm.

The 7-year-old daughter of Indy Wind has assembled a career record of 18-5-3, going 3-3-1 from seven starts in 2019 en route to her Sovereign Award recognition, which also includes three straight (2017-19) Champion Female Turf Horse honours.

“I don't think people realize how hard it is to keep a horse consistent,” said Attard. “When you see that consistency – there are always so many things that can go wrong, bad trips, bad luck, horses waking up on race day and not feeling well – bringing their A-game each and every time, it shows you how special it is and how special this horse is.”

In five starts this year, Starship Jubilee, bred in Florida by William Sorren, won her first four starts before finishing fourth in her most recent engagement, the Diana (G1) at Saratoga on August 23.

Attard is hoping a return to the E.P. Taylor course, where she has won six races including back-to-back (2018-19) Canadian Stakes (G2), results in a trip to the winner's circle.

“You can see that she seems like she enjoys winning. She has that desire and she has that feisty attitude in the morning. I think, especially with fillies, that attitude carries over to the afternoon.”

Now, her connections are hoping to add some more hardware to an already impressive haul.

“She's a multiple Sovereign Award winner, which is pretty special in itself. But, to train a Horse of the Year, that's icing on the cake, a huge accomplishment. To look back at the season that she had, winning the E.P. Taylor Stakes, an international race like that, it was a fabulous season, and she's a fabulous mare. They are once-in-a-lifetime horses.”

Attard has enjoyed having a front-row seat to watch her compete.

“When I look at her, she's tiny – definitely not big. She's fierce, she's feisty and she just has this mental approach and attitude… she goes out there and wants to do everything hard and fast. She loves what she does. She's a true competitor – loves to train, loves to run, and enjoys what she does. And we enjoy watching it all.”

Should she win, Starship Jubilee would join Ventura (2009) and Tepin (2016) as the only mares to take the Mile.

Leading jockey Justin Stein picks up the mount on the mare who is approaching the $2 million mark in career earnings.

A Keeneland sale graduate, War of Will is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of War Front out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity (IRE).

Gary Barber's 2019 Preakness Stakes winner heads into Saturday's engagement off a nose win in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) on July 10.

The Maker's Mark was the fourth graded stakes victory for War of Will and his first on turf.

Last year, War of Will took the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds before his Preakness victory in mid-May. The Preakness came after a troubled seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4, 2019.

The Woodbine Mile represents his third Woodbine start.

He launched his career with a pair of races at the Toronto oval, including a third in his debut on August 24, 2018.

In his second start, three weeks later, the colt contested the Summer Stakes (G1), finishing second to even-money choice Fog of War.

Now, after two years, the well-travelled bay is back at the place where it all began.

Casse, who won the 2016 Mile with Tepin and the 2017 running with World Approval, is hopeful the third time is the charm for the five-time winner.

“He's coming off that nice win in the Maker's Mark Mile and he's trained as good as I've ever seen him train since that race. We're expecting him to run well. Rafael [Hernandez] is going to ride him. We had got the call for Rafael for the Mile, two or three weeks before March the Arch ran. So, it doesn't have anything to do with him picking one over the other. He had committed to Gary Barber and War of Will before he even rode March the Arch. I don't want anybody to read anything into it – that they think one is better than the other. It has no bearing.”

Lightly-raced Shirl's Speight, denied a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate after developing a cough ahead of the race, will be making his third start in the Mile.

After a brilliant debut on July 4, an eight-length score at seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, Charles Fipke's homebred three-year-old son of Speightstown followed it up with a 2 ¾-length triumph in the main track Marine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine on July 25.

“He missed a work but I kept him galloping and galloping,” noted Attfield. “He had a very good work [Tuesday] morning.”

Shirl's Speight was also being considered for the 145th running of the Preakness on October 3 before the connections decided to keep their budding star at home.

“This [Mile] is still a big step, but it's better than the alternative,” said Attfield. “There was the dirt, the ship, I couldn't send help with him.”

A 5-year-old son of English Channel, Admiralty Pier brings back-to-back second-place efforts into the Mile.

Trained by Barb Minshall, the gelding was a half-length back of Silent Poet in the Connaught Cup (G2) on July 11, before taking the runner-up spot to Mile rival March to the Arch in the King Edward (G2) on August 15.

In his first start of 2020, the Calumet Farm-bred chestnut sprung a 21-1 upset in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) on February 8.

Owned by Hoolie Racing Stable and Bruce Lunsford, Admiralty Pier, 5-3-2 from 21 starts, was seventh to El Tormenta in last year's running of the race.

Armistice Day, also from the Minshall barn, will be making his third straight start at Woodbine.

Owned by Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins, the 4-year-old son of Declaration of War has a 3-2-1 record from five outings at the Toronto oval, including a one-length score in last July's Toronto Cup Stakes.

The chestnut gelding's most recent win came on August 2 at Woodbine, a 1 ¼-length triumph in a 1 1/16 mile main track race that was originally scheduled for the grass.

Live Oak Plantation homebred March to the Arch, also trained by Casse, took the one-mile turf King Edward on August 15.

Under Rafael Hernandez, the 5-year-old gelded son of Arch notched a 2 ¼-length win in the Grade 2 stakes event, the seventh win in 23 starts for the Florida-bred bay.

“I was extremely impressed with his last win,” said Casse. “More importantly, he's come back and trained very well. Patrick [Husbands] is going to ride him. We've had tremendous success with Patrick over the years and he's also had great success for Live Oak. It was a perfect match.”

Casse's third Mile entrant comes in the form of hard-knocking Olympic Runner, who recently earned silver against multiple stakes champion Pink Lloyd in both the Bold Venture (G3) and Vigil (G3).

A 4-year-old son of Gio Ponti, the Gary Barber-owned gelding has a record of 3-3-2 from 12 career starts.

Last year, Olympic Runner, bred by Eutrophia Farm, won the King Corrie Stakes, at Woodbine. In his last eight starts, the Kentucky-bred has two wins, three seconds and two thirds.

“He's a horse that's just become better and better,” praised Casse. “We just feel like the mile will suit him well, but he still has to prove he fits in the caliber of March the Arch and War of the Will. He's doing well.”

Daisuke Fukumoto, who teamed to win the Queen's Plate with Mighty Heart on September 12, gets the call.

Value Proposition, a 4-year-old son of Dansili, will try the Canadian green scene for the first time.

Trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Racing Stables, the dark bay heads into the Mile off a third-place showing in the Poker (G3) on July 4 at Belmont.

Bred by Meon Valley Stud, Value Proposition is 3-0-1 from five career starts.

The lucrative Ricoh Woodbine Mile program will also feature the $125,000 Singspiel Stakes (G3), the $135,000 Woodbine Cares Stakes, and the $135,000 Ontario Racing Stakes. Breeders' Cup Challenge Series action will continue on Sunday with the $250,000 Summer Stakes (G1) and $250,000 Natalma Stakes (G1).

First race post time on Saturday is set for 1:10 p.m. For more information, visit Woodbine.com.

$1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Grade 1)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer – Morning Line

1 – March to the Arch – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse – 5-2

2 – Armistice Day – David Moran – Barbara Minshall – 20-1

3 – Shirl's Speight – Kazushi Kimura – Roger Attfield – 8-1

4 – Starship Jubilee – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard – 4-1

5 – Olympic Runner – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mark Casse – 15-1

6 – Admiralty Pier – Steven Bahen – Barbara Minshall – 10-1

7 – Value Proposition – Luis Contreras – Chad Brown – 6-1

8 – War of Will – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse – 2-1

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Kentucky Derby Derby Notes: Final Works On Three Fronts; Shirl’s Speight Out With Cough

Kentucky Derby hopefuls worked on three fronts Saturday morning highlighted by Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law's five-furlong work in :59.21 over a fast track at Saratoga.

Beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs, John Oxley's Enforceable worked a half-mile in :49.60 and Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo worked a half-mile in :52.20. Also working was Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver who covered a half-mile in :49.20 in her final prep for Friday's Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

At Del Mar, 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Storm the Court worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 and Thousand Words covered five furlongs in :59.80.

Also at Del Mar, Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Honor A. P. breezed seven furlongs in 1:27.20 with Mike Smith up at 12:45 p.m., a little over an hour before the day's first race.

Owner Charles Fipke reported that Shirl's Speight will miss the Derby because of a minor cough.

ART COLLECTOR – Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector jogged a mile at 6:45 a.m. with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the saddle.

The Blue Grass and Ellis Park Derby winner had his final work prior to the Derby Friday with a five-furlong move in 1:00.80. He is expected to walk the shedrow Sunday.

ATTACHMENT RATE – Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby runner-up Attachment Rate galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Faustino Herrarte at 7:30 a.m.

Attachment Rate is scheduled to work on Sunday. Trainer Dale Romans is due back in Louisville Saturday from Saratoga.

AUTHENTIC – Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing's $1 million Haskell (GI) winner Authentic is scheduled work Sunday at Del Mar and arrive Monday at Churchill Downs. The plane is due to land at 11:30 a.m.

DR POST – St. Elias Stable's Haskell third-place finisher Dr Post was removed from Kentucky Derby consideration, according to Churchill Downs assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork.

ENFORCEABLE – Lecomte (GIII) winner Enforceable completed his major Derby preparations by working a half-mile in :49.60 under jockey Adam Beschizza.

Breezing over a track labeled as good during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Oaks runners, Enforceable posted fractions of :12.80, :24.80, :37.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.20 while working on his own.

“I think he is really improving at this stage of his career,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He's maturing; he's ready to go.

“I thought he looked super,” added Casse, who will be seeking the first Kentucky Derby triumph of his Hall of Fame career. “If you said to me three months ago you could have him where he is today and you'd be in the position you're in, I would have taken it. I just think he's at the top of his game right now. That's all you can ask for.”

Saturday's work was the sixth for Enforceable since finishing fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes (GII) at Keeneland on July 11 and the second consecutive work with Beschizza aboard.

“I thought the work was perfect,” said Beschizza, who also had worked Enforceable over the winter at Fair Grounds. “He went a scratch under :50. Mark and (assistant trainer) David (Carroll) just wanted to keep the lid on it. His major work was in the bag.”

Enforceable will represent the first Kentucky Derby mount for Beschizza.

“I like his consistency,” Beschizza said. “He is a light-framed horse and doesn't need a lot to keep fit. He is going to have to be on his 'A' game. He needs pace and we know he is going to get it (in the Derby).”

“Where he fits in (the Kentucky Derby field) will depend a lot on who gets lucky, who doesn't. And pace,” Casse said of the late-running colt. “But the only thing for us as a trainer we want is for a horse to be at the top of his game, and I feel like he's there.”

Casse is set to drive up to Kentucky from his base in Ocala, Florida, with a planned midweek arrival.

FINNICK THE FIERCE – Arnaldo Monge and trainer Rey Hernandez's Finnick the Fierce galloped Saturday morning at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington.

Hernandez said Finnick the Fierce would train the next two mornings in Lexington and then ship to Churchill Downs Monday afternoon.

HONOR A. P. – (from Del Mar media office) C R K Stable's Honor A.P. went through his final Kentucky Derby prep Saturday at Del Mar at 12:45 p.m. PT.

The ridgling son of Honor Code was sent seven furlongs with his Derby rider, Mike Smith, up and his trainer, John Shirreffs, looking on from the track's Clubhouse box section. His final time for the move was 1:27.20. Track clocker Toby Turrell caught splits of :25.80, :37.80, :50.20, 1:02.80 and 1:14.80 along the way. He gave him a one mile gallop-out time of 1:40.60.

“I just wanted an easy seven eighths,” Shirreffs said. “He got it; we're good to go. Now we just need a bit of luck. You need some of that in that race.”

Since running second in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on August 1, the grandson of the late champion and superior stallion A.P. Indy now has had four workouts at Del Mar in preparation for his mile and a quarter debut next Saturday. His last three –:59.40 Aug. 15, 1:00.20 Aug. 22 and today's drill – all have been accomplished in the early afternoon with Hall of Famer Smith up.

Smith and Shirreffs combined to pull off a 50-1 shocker in the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo. Honor A.P., who won the Santa Anita Derby in June, is expected to be one of the shorter betting choices for the Run for the Roses behind the likely stout favorite Tiz the Law.

KING GUILLERMO – Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo published an easy half-mile move in :52.20 Saturday morning under exercise rider Edgar Garcia.

Trained by Juan Avila, King Guillermo strolled through opening eighth-mile splits of :14.40 and :27.20 before he galloped out five furlongs in 1:05.20.

“(Juan) asked me to go easy and it was exactly what the horse needed,” Garcia said. “I thought he galloped out around the turn well and was moving very easy on the track. He doesn't need to do much, he's pretty fit.”.

MAJOR FED – Lloyd Madison Farm's $300,000 Indiana Derby (GIII) runner-up Major Fed had a scheduled walk day following his five-furlong move in :59 Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

“He cooled out great,” trainer Greg Foley said.

Major Fed is likely to return to the track Sunday at 5:15 a.m.

MAX PLAYER – George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbred's $1 million Travers Stakes (GI) third-place finisher Max Player schooled in the paddock and galloped 1 ½ miles at 6 a.m. with exercise rider Juan Vargas in the saddle.

The Steve Asmuseen-trained colt is expected to work Monday. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will have the call in the Derby.

MONEY MOVES – Robert LaPenta and Bortolazzo Stable's two-time winner Money Moves is targeting the Kentucky Derby, according to assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork.

Money Moves worked five furlongs in 1:00.14 Friday at Saratoga for trainer Todd Pletcher. He is scheduled to arrive Monday at Churchill Downs.

NECKER ISLAND – Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr's Necker Island walked the shedrow at trainer Chris Hartman's barn a day after working a half-mile in :48.40.

“Once he got going, I thought it was a good work,” Hartman said of the breeze that ended with a :23.40 final quarter and a gallop-out to the half-mile pole. “He will walk again tomorrow and then back to the track Monday.”

Miguel Mena, who was aboard for the work, has the Derby mount, his second. Mena rode Backtalk in the 2010 Run for the Roses.

NY TRAFFIC – John Fanelli, Cash is King and Paul Braverman's Ny Traffic walked the shedrow at trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.'s barn at Saratoga a day after working five furlongs in :59.45.

Joseph reported via text that Ny Traffic came out of the work well and is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs Monday.

RUSHIE – Jim and Donna Daniell's Rushie walked the shedrow at trainer Michael McCarthy's barn a day after working five furlongs in 1:01.60.

“Everything is good this morning,” McCarthy said looking at the track that was labeled muddy before the first renovation break. “We got lucky with the weather yesterday and it worked out well.”

SHIRL'S SPEIGHT – Charles Fipke reported on Twitter that $100,000 Marine Stakes winner Shirl's Speight will miss the Kentucky Derby due to a minor cough.

“He's coughing and full of mucus so we've had to put him on antibiotics,” trainer Roger Attfield said. “I've had 4 or 5 of them (get sick) these last couple weeks actually. It's nothing majorly serious but it's bad timing. We were looking forward to seeing if we could something fancy but there will be another day. Just normal stuff we have to go through quite often.”

SOLE VOLANTE – Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Biancone's Sole Volante walked the shedrow at trainer Patrick Biancone's barn at Palm Meadows a day after working five furlongs in :57.80 on the turf.

“Everything is good,” Biancone said via text. “He leaves at 5:30 tonight and should be at Churchill between 11 and 11:30 tomorrow morning.

STORM THE COURT – David Bernsen, Exline-Border Racing, Dan Hudock and Susanna Wilson's Storm the Court worked six furlongs on his own in 1:12.80 with Austin Solis aboard over a fast track at Del Mar Saturday morning.

Trainer Peter Eurton gave the work a thumb's up via text with Storm the Court scheduled to ship to Louisville on Monday.

THOUSAND WORDS – Multiple graded stakes winner Thousand Words completed his final piece of serious work in advance of his trip to Louisville for the 146th Kentucky Derby, working five furlongs in :59.80 in company under the watch of trainer Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday.

The move was the second fastest of 44 works at the distance for the day and continued the pattern of improvement for the son of Pioneerof the Nile. The colt broke off several lengths behind Tapitution but went by his workmate on the gallop out, continuing on to cover a mile in 1:39 1/5 on Baffert's watch.

“Bob said it was great work, he was really happy,” said Jason Loutsch, racing manager for Albaugh Family Stables, which owns Thousand Words in partnership with Spendthrift Farm. “It looks like we're trying to teach him to sit back a little bit. He was right off the workmate, about 5 or 8 lengths, and that's probably going to be our style this week since there is a lot of speed in (the Kentucky Derby). I think there will be three or four horses up near the lead and hopefully we're in the second pack that sits behind them.”

Thousand Words comes into the Kentucky Derby off a victory in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1 where he bested Grade 1 winner Honor A. P. The bay colt opened his sophomore campaign with a victory in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and boasts and overall record of four wins from seven starts.

“He's one of these horses that is just steady,” Baffert said. “He's just a steady kind of horse. I think he'll be a threat. Both of them, Authentic and him, they're threats. When you see a horse like Tiz the Law, he looks like right now he'll be so tough to beat, but I'm happy right now the way they're coming in. They're coming in the right way and that's all you can ask for right now.”

Thousand Words and his stablemate Authentic are set to ship to Louisville on Monday August 31. Baffert said Authentic is slated to put in his last serious workout at Del Mar on Sunday.

TIZ THE LAW – Sackatoga Stable's Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law breezed five furlongs in :59.21 Saturday morning at Saratoga.

Tiz the Law, the multiple Grade I-winning son of Constitution, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Monday evening at 5 o'clock.

“Everything went fine,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “He came back well. It may have been a little faster than he needed to go but the track was very fast, too. It went perfect, he's a pleasure to train.”

WINNING IMPRESSION – West Point Thoroughbreds' and Pearl Racing's graded stakes placed Winning Impression had a regularly scheduled walk day Saturday following his five-furlong move in :59.20 Friday at Churchill Downs.

Likely starters in the 146^th running of the $3 million, Grade I Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve to be run for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, Sept. 5 (in order of preference): Tiz the Law (jockey 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); Max Player (Ricardo Santana Jr.); Enforceable (Adam Beschizza); 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); Money Moves (Javier Castellano). Possible: Rushie (TBA).

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