Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's likely Kentucky Derby favorite Forte recorded his first published workout at Churchill Downs on Friday morning when he breezed five furlongs in 1:02 outside stablemate Bright Future.
Along with Forte's five-furlong move, other Kentucky Derby contenders to record workouts were Angel of Empire (six furlongs, 1:13.40); Hit Show (five furlongs, 1:01); Tapit Trice (four furlongs, :48.60) and Verifying (five furlongs, 1:01). Currently No. 21 on the Kentucky Derby preference list is Jace's Road, who worked six furlongs in 1:13.40.
Florida Derby (GI) winner Forte was ridden in his workout by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and started about a half-length behind Bright Future. The duo easily completed an opening quarter-mile fraction of :26.20. The duo began to pick up their momentum around the far turn through a three-furlong split of :38.60. Forte galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40 and completed seven furlongs in 1:27.
“It was a normal work from him, which is exactly what you want to see,” Ortiz said. “I let him start going at the five-furlong pole and just get into stride. Going into the turn he stayed with the other horse. When I tipped him out in the stretch he responded well and galloped out nicely. His mind has changed a lot this year from last year. I'm happy with that. He's growing physically but has a great mind.”
Just prior to Forte's move, Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Blue Grass (G1) winner Tapit Trice recorded his half-mile move with regular exercise rider Amelia Green in the saddle. Tapit Trice completed an opening eighth-mile in :12.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.
“These workouts become super, super important,” Pletcher said. “They keep you up at night.
“Tapit Trice started out with a nice, steady breeze. He was on the bridle throughout He seemed to get over the track very comfortably.
“If you look at Forte's progression numbers wise, he's made that progression forward in each start. Same thing with Tapit Trice. What I'm encouraged by with both of them is how they handled the mile-and-an-eighth and how they handled their final prep. It gives you confidence stretching out in the Derby. Forte is a very straightforward horse to train. He's pushbutton. When Irad asked him to sit just off of his workmate this morning he did just that. When you press 'go', he quickly accelerated to put a head in front of his workmate.”
Trainer Brad Cox's foursome of Angel of Empire, Hit Show, Jace's Road and Verifying all worked at 7:30 a.m. ET. Angel of Empire was paired outside Jace's Road and the duo completed eighth-mile fractions of :12.20, :23.80, :35.60 and 1:00.40. They galloped out seven furlongs in 1:26.40. Jockey Flavien Prat was aboard Albaugh Family Stable's Angel of Empire while Florent Geroux was in the boot on West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stable's Jace's Road.
In Cox's next set, Gary and Mary West's Hit Show, ridden by exercise rider Edvin Vargas, worked inside Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor's Verifying, who had jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard. Hit Show and Verifying began their move at the 4 ½-furlong marker through splits of :12.60, :24.40 and :48.60.
“Angel of Empire is the type of horse we've been confident all along that can handle the mile-and-a-quarter distance in the Derby,” Cox said. “He excelled going the longer distance in the Arkansas Derby and moves like the type of horse that will like a route of ground.
“Jace's Road is sitting on the outside looking in but worked well this morning with Angel of Empire. I thought they handled themselves well and galloped out strongly.
“Hit Show just missed in the Wood Memorial. It was a pretty tough beat that day but he showed us that as the distances get longer he can handle the route of ground as well.
“Verifying, like Hit Show, was a tough beat about an hour before in the Blue Grass. Going back in his career, I don't' think he was quite ready when we ran him in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He started to mature over the winter and I'm still a little confused on his effort in the Rebel. He was in contention, then dropped back and then rallied in the stretch. He put things together in the Blue Grass and has a lot of tactical speed that should play to his advantage in the Derby.”
The special 15-minute training window for Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders will begin Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby contenders will wear a yellow saddle towel while Oaks contenders will sport a pink saddle towel.
The first morning of the Kentucky Derby Morning Works show is Monday.
Blue Grass Stakes (G1) third-place finisher Blazing Sevens worked a half-mile in :48.80 at Keeneland. The Chad Brown trainee is scheduled to arrive in his Barn 25 at Churchill Downs on Monday.
Regular exercise rider Peter Roman was aboard Blazing Sevens, who raced in blinkers for the first time in the Toyota Blue Grass and wore them for today's breeze at 7:40 a.m. following the first track maintenance period. (Click here for a video of the work.)
Assistants Baldo Hernandez and Josh Flores wore matching smiles after the work by Blazing Sevens, who is scheduled to go to Churchill Downs Monday for a possible start in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
“He breezed very well and we're very happy with it,” Flores said. “That's what you want to see from the first breeze back (after a race).”
Rebel (G2) winner Confidence Game continues to train at Churchill Downs but his next work is still to be determined.
The post ‘He’s Growing Physically But Has A Great Mind’: Likely Favorite Forte Leads Friday’s Derby Workers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
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