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Messier Drills Bullet In Workout For Santa Anita Derby

Classics candidate Messier, recently transferred from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to his former assistant Tim Yakteen, breezed a bullet six furlongs Sunday for the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 9.

Messier was timed in 1:11.40, fastest by nearly three seconds of five recorded works at the distance at the Arcadia, Calif. track.

“He worked lights out,” Yakteen said of Messier, named for hockey great Mark Messier, winner of six Stanley Cups.

“We had Johnny (Velazquez) work him and he'll ride him in the Santa Anita Derby. He gave us a thumbs up. The horse looked great, although he ended up with some unexpected company. We almost had a little training race out there.”

Messier, a son of 2003 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker, won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) by 15 lengths on Feb. 6.

Yakteen, a 57-year-old native of Germany who assisted Baffert off and on for almost 10 years between a tour with the legendary Charlie Whittingham, also received promising 3-year-old Doppelganger from the Baffert barn.

“Both horses came to me in good shape,” said Yakteen, who began training solo in 2004. “They were always well cared for.”

A $570,000 son of Into Mischief who worked five furlongs at Santa Anita in 1:00.20 on Saturday, Doppelganger is headed to the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on April 2.

“We'll see if he can validate himself as a (Kentucky) Derby horse, earn some points and take it from there,” Yakteen said. “The horses are doing well, but you still need a little bit of luck.”

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Lynch ‘Leaning Toward Florida Derby’ With Classic Causeway

Kentucky West Racing LLC and Clarke Cooper's Classic Causeway will most likely make his next start in Saturday's $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

“We're leaning toward the Florida Derby. He's right here at Palm Meadows. We'll just have to make a short trip down there Friday afternoon,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “We can school him Friday, stay the night, and run the next day. There's always concern about the weather in Kentucky. As prestigious as the Blue Grass is, I think the Florida Derby is the equivalent to it and it does give the five weeks to the Derby.”

The son of Giant's Causeway, who breezed a half-mile in :47.45 Saturday at Gulfstream's Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach County, Fla., is coming off a 2 ¾-length victory in the March 12 Tampa Bay Derby (G2). The April 9 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland had also been under consideration for Classic Causeway's final prep for the May 7 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Classic Causeway, a first-out winner at Saratoga last summer before finishing third in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland and second in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, captured the Feb. 12 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in his 2022 debut in advance of his dominating front-running triumph in the Tampa Bay Derby.

“He was very impressive breaking his maiden at Saratoga. We've always had his 3-year-old campaign in mind, so we didn't try to over-race him as a 2-year-old. We just wanted to educate him around two turns,” Lynch said. “We gave him a little time over the Christmas and New Year's period. He's just a colt that seems to be getting better with each race. We couldn't be happier than where we're at with him right now.”

An already strong cast for the Florida Derby includes several Triple Crown candidates: Fountain of Youth (G2) hero Simplification, Holy Bull (G3) winner White Abarrio, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Pappacap.

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Epicenter Storms To Track Record Win In Louisiana Derby

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter uncorked a torrid rally down the middle of the track and captured the $1 million Twinspires Louisiana Derby (G1) in track record time Saturday at Fair Grounds.

The win mark the fifth on card for trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosairo.

A 3-year-old Not This Time colt, Epicenter settled in third early then moved out and stormed down the lane, collaring pacesetter Zozos and shaking clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

Epicenter was timed in a track-record lowering time 1:54.38 for 1 3/16 miles.

Pioneer of Medina finished third

The Louisiana Derby had 170 points up for grabs by way of a 100-40-20-10 dispersal to the top four finishers. Epicenter had already secured his spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby (G1) entering Fair Grounds' centerpiece event with 64 points and now tops the leaderboard with 164 points.

Updated Kentucky Derby/Oaks leaderboard

Epicenter has flourished at Fair Grounds over the winter, winning the Gun Runner Stakes on December 26 in his final start as a 2-year-old before finishing second in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) Jan. 22, then posting an easy front-running victory Feb. 16 in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) in his start prior to the Louisiana Derby.

Asmussen and Winchell have won two previous Louisiana Derbys together, scoring in 2008 with Pyro and again with Gun Runner in 2016. Asmussen's first of three Louisiana Derby wins came with Fifty Stars in 2001.

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Sano: Simplification Breezes Faster Than Expected Ahead Of Florida Derby

Tami Bobo's Simplification breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning in final preparation for a planned start in next Saturday's $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

The son of Not This Time produced the second fastest clocking of 31 workouts recorded at the five-furlong distance while completing five furlongs in :59.91 under Leonel Reyes, who was subbing for jockey Jose Ortiz, who rode on Saturday's Dubai World Cup program.

“He breezed faster than I thought he would. He worked good and came out of the work good,” trainer Antonio Sano said. “The jockey told me he was easy to handle. The gallop-out after the finish was very, very good – better than last week.”

Simplification is coming off a dominating 3 ½-length victory March 5 in the 1 1/16-mile Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2), in which he made a sweeping move from off the pace to give his trainer his second success in the final prep for the Gulfstream's signature 1 1/8-mile Triple Crown prep.

“I'm so happy. He is doing great. I know there are good horses in the race, but my horse is getting stronger and stronger,” said Sano, who saddled Gunnevera for a Fountain of Youth victory in 2017 prior to a third-place finish in the Florida Derby.

Simplification kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with a front-running victory in the mile Mucho Macho Man Jan. 1 before finishing a troubled second behind Florida Derby contender White Abarrio in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull Feb. 5.

OGMA Investments LLC and Jack Hardin Towell Jr.'s O Captain, a deep-closing third in the Fountain of Youth, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.11 at Gulfstream Park for the Florida Derby. Carrie Brogden's Steal Sunshine, a recent runner-up in a Gulfstream optional claiming allowance, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.57 for trainer Bobby DiBona.

At Palm Meadows Training Center, Rustlewood Farm Inc.'s Pappacap turned in a sharp half-mile breeze in :47.80 Saturday morning at Casse Training Center for his scheduled return to Gulfstream next Saturday. The son of Gun Runner scored a debut victory at Gulfstream last May before going on the win the Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar in his next start. The Mark Casse trainee finished second in both the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar before finishing a close third in the Lecomte (G3) and running off the board in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Kentucky West Racing LLC and Clarke Cooper's Classic Causeway, who captured the March 12 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), returned to the worktab at Gulfstream Park's satellite training center in Palm Beach Country Saturday morning with a half-mile breeze in :47.45. The Brian Lynch-trained son of Giant's Causeway, who produced the second fastest of 93 works at the distance, is possible for a Kentucky Derby tune-up in the Florida Derby.

At Palm Beach Downs, Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Charge It breezed a half-mile in 48.30 seconds, the fastest clocking of 30 recorded at the distance. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Tapit is coming off a sharp maiden score at Gulfstream Park.

Irish Smith Stable LLC's Shipsational, who finished third behind Classic Causeway in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), tuned up for a scheduled start in the Florida Derby with a five-furlong breeze in 1:02 at Tampa Bay Downs.

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