Triple Crown | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Clicking Off Those 12s’: Honor A.P. Works At Del Mar Under Mike Smith

C R K Stable's Honor A.P. worked five furlongs at 12:45 p.m. PT Saturday at Del Mar in 1:00.20 with the Kentucky Derby two weeks hence on his agenda.

He had rider Mike Smith up with trainer John Shirreffs looking on at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

The handsome ridgling, a 3-year-old son of Honor Code and a grandson of A.P. Indy, rang up fractions of :12.00, :24.00 :36.20 and :47.60 en route to his final clocking. He also galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.20 and seven eighths in 1:25.40.

Del Mar clocker Toby Turrell, who timed the move, said afterwards: “That's why they call him 'Big Money Mike.' He was just clicking off those :12s in all the right spots.”

Smith and Shirreffs combined to pull off a 50-1 shocker in the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo. Honor A.P., who has won the Santa Anita Derby this year and most recently was second in Del Mar's Shared Belief Stakes, is expected to be one of the stronger betting choices for the September 5 Run for the Roses behind the likely overwhelming favorite Tiz the Law.

C R K Stable is the nom du course for Lee and Susan Searing of Clairemont, Calif., who have raced horses since 1966 but will be taking their first shot at the Kentucky Derby this year. They paid $850,000 for Honor A.P. at the Saratoga Select Yearling Sale in 2018 and he now has won $382,200 in purses.

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Caracaro Breezes In Saratoga Slop For Self-Described ‘Derby Dreamers’

While Grade 1 Travers and Belmont Stakes-winner Tiz the Law pushed his work back a day due to sloppy conditions over the Saratoga main track, Travers runner-up Caracaro went back to work on an overcast Saturday morning, recording an easy five-furlong breeze for trainer Gustavo Delgado.

Heavy thunderstorms hit the Capital Region around 8:00 a.m. ET, resulting in sloppy conditions over the main track, but the show went on for the bay son of Uncle Mo, who went the first quarter in 25.60 seconds before finishing off his work in 1:01.02 under exercise rider J.J Delgado.

“We wanted something easy. In his first work after the Travers, we just want to see where we're at,” said Delgado's son and assistant Gustavo Delgado, Jr. “Ideally, we'll have [Hall of Fame jockey] Javier [Castellano] aboard next Saturday. We'll see during the week how he comes back from this work and where his energy level is at, but so far, he's doing well.”

Delgado said Caracaro is familiar with breezing over a wet track, having worked twice over a “wet fast” track in June at his home base of Gulfstream Park West.

“He kind of likes it. He does well over it,” Delgado, Jr. said.

Owned by Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing, Caracaro earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure in his second-out graduation in January at Gulfstream Park ahead of a strong runner-up effort to Country Grammer in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at the Spa.

Last out, Caracaro garnered a career-best 101 Beyer when runner-up to likely Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law in the Travers finishing 5 ¼ lengths behind the four-time Grade 1 winner.

Caracaro will be Delgado's third Kentucky Derby starter after Majesto [18th, 2016] and Bodexpress [13th, 2019], both of whom arrived at the “Run for the Roses” off runner-up efforts in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

“We've always been Derby dreamers,” Delgado, Jr. said. “With Majesto and Bode, we were really trying to qualify for the big race. Bode was a maiden when he ran, and he was in the 21 post. We only needed one scratch and it was [morning line favorite] Omaha Beach. This one has shown so much talent since we got him. His speed figures are improving.”

Caracaro will put the finishing touches on his serious Kentucky Derby preparation next Saturday and is scheduled to fly out to Louisville the following day. He will be joined by Bodexpress, who worked five furlongs in 1:01.88 on Saturday, and will likely target an allowance event on Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby undercard.

Bred in Kentucky by SF Racing, Caracaro was purchased as a weanling for $95,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale, where he was consigned by Buckland Sales.

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Kentucky Derby Notes: King Guillermo’s Fast Work, Tiz The Law’s One-Day Delay, Arrival Plans

On the first day of Churchill Downs' exclusive training period for contenders preparing for the $3-million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) and $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo posted a flashy five-furlong move Saturday in :58.20 – the fastest of 40 horses at the distance.

Trained by Juan Avila, King Guillermo was one of two Kentucky Derby contenders on the track from 7:30-7:45 a.m. (all times Eastern). The $600,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up rolled through splits of :11.40, :23, :34.80 and :46.60 with a strong six-furlong gallop out in 1:10.80 under jockey Miguel Mena. Florida-based rider Samy Camacho will ride on the first Saturday in September.

“You can sometimes get a little bit worried when horses work that fast but he did it so effortlessly,” Mena said. “He has an unbelievable stride and is pretty tough in the bridle. When I broke off from the pony, he really wanted to go. He continued out really well around the turn and onto the backside.”

The main track was listed as “muddy” to start training on Saturday but was upgraded to “good” following the 7 a.m. renovation break. Saturday also was the first morning of updated training hours which were adjusted 15 minutes earlier to 5:15-10 a.m.

Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr's former $100,000 claim Necker Island also was on the track during the exclusive training window. The chestnut colt galloped about 1 1/2 miles under Hillary Hartman, the wife of his trainer Chris Hartman.

The next expected local workout for the Kentucky Derby will be Enforceable at 5:15 a.m. on Sunday. Sackatoga Stable's Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law had his scheduled Saturday work delayed until Sunday due to inclement weather at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.. … Trainer Tommy Drury reported Friday following Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Art Collector's half-mile move in :49.10 at Skylight that the colt would likely ship from his Goshen, Ky. base to Louisville early next week

Other Derby contenders based at Churchill Downs are Attachment Rate, Major Fed, Max Player and Winning Impression.

ARRIVAL INFORMATION – 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 FIELD RUNDOWN: The possible field, in order of preference, for the 146^th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) (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).

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 Stauble and Chantal Sutherland.

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King Guillermo Fires Bullet Ahead of Kentucky Derby

Victoria Ranch’s King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) tuned up for the $3-million GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong drill that was clocked in :58.20 (see below), the quickest of 40 works at the distance. It was the second consecutive Churchill bullet for the strapping bay, who went the same distance in :59.40 (1/46) Aug. 15.

With Miguel Mena in the irons, the GII Tampa Bay Derby upsetter broke off in :11.40 for the opening eighth of a mile, then was timed in subsequent splits of :23 (flat) (:11.60 interval), :34.80 (:11.80) and :46.60 (:11.80) before covering his final furlong in :11.60. He galloped out three-quarters of a mile in a very strong 1:10.80 (:12.60) and was up seven furlongs in 1:24.20 (:13.40) according to a tweet from Churchill Downs’s Kevin Kerstein. Samy Camacho, who rode King Guillermo in the Tampa Bay Derby and guided the colt to his runner-up effort in the faster division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2, has the call in the Run for the Roses.

“You can sometimes get a little bit worried when horses work that fast, but he did it so effortlessly,” Mena said. “He has an unbelievable stride and is pretty tough in the bridle. When I broke off from the pony, he really wanted to go. He continued out really well around the turn and onto the backside.”

Mena has picked up the call on GIII Indiana Derby and Runhappy Ellis Park Derby third Necker Island (Hard Spun).

In other activity Saturday morning, GI Longines Kentucky Oaks hopeful Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) breezed six furlongs in 1:11.60 beneath exercise rider Edwin Vargas in sectional times of :12.60, :24.20, :35.40 and :59 flat. Florent Geroux has the call for trainer Brad Cox, who also oversaw a routine track gallop for Juddmonte Farms’s GSW/GISP Bonny South (Munnings).

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