With less than two weeks remaining until the first Saturday in May, Klaravich Stable’s homebred Highly Motivated, the runner-up to Essential Quality in the $800,000 Blue Grass (Grade II) worked a half-mile in :47.20 at Keeneland prior to his Monday arrival at Churchill Downs.
In Louisville, Stonestreet Stables’ Fantasy Stakes (GIII) winner Pauline’s Pearl worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 early Saturday morning beneath the Twin Spires. Her stablemate Clairiere, the winner of the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (GII), worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 at 7:30 a.m. (all times Eastern).
Sunday was the second day of the exclusive Derby and Oaks training session from 7:30-7:45 a.m. Monday will start the live broadcast of the Morning Works Show presented by TwinSpires.com. Fans can watch a livestream of Derby and Oaks training on the Kentucky Derby social media channels and on www.kentuckyderby.com/works.
TOP STUD FEES FOR 2021 DERBY CONTENDERS
(courtesy Neil A. Campbell)
1 Into Mischief (Mandaloun) $225,000
1 Into Mischief (Highly Motivated) $225,000
1 Into Mischief (Soup and Sandwich) $225,000
4 Tapit (Essential Quality) $185,000
5 Curlin (Known Agenda) $175,000
6 Constitution (Hidden Stash) $85,000
7 Candy Ride (Rock Your World) $75,000
8 More Than Ready (Crowded Trade) $65,000 (not running)
9 Street Sense (Concert Tour) $60,000 (not running)
10 Tiznow (Midnight Bourbon) $40,000
10 Twirling Candy (Rombauer) $40,000 (not running)
10 Twirling Candy (Dream Shake) $40,000
BOURBONIC, DYNAMIC ONE, KNOWN AGENDA, SAINTHOOD – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s squad of four Kentucky Derby contenders Bourbonic, Dynamic One, Known Agenda and Sainthood continue to train toward the first Saturday in May. All four are scheduled to have one additional work next weekend at Churchill Downs.
CADDO RIVER, ESSENTIAL QUALITY, MANDALOUN – Godolphin’s Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality and Juddmonte Farm’s Mandaloun had a scheduled walk day following their Saturday morning works at Churchill Downs.
Shortleaf Stable’s Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up Caddo River galloped about 1 ½ miles at 5:15 a.m. Sunday morning. His Kentucky Derby status remains undecided.
Trainer Brad Cox is expected to return to Louisville on Monday.
DREAM SHAKE – Exline-Border Racing, SAF Racing and Richard Hausman’s Santa Anita Derby (GI) third-place finisher Dream Shake worked five furlongs in :59.20 Saturday. The colt is scheduled to make his next start in the Derby or Pat Day Mile (GII).
GET HER NUMBER – Gary Barber’s fourth-place Arkansas Derby finisher Get Her Number returned to Southern California following his fourth-place effort in the Arkansas Derby.
There are currently three scheduled flights from Southern California to Louisville over the next 10 days – Friday, April 23, Sunday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 27.
HELIUM, SOUP AND SANDWICH – D J Stable’s Tampa Bay Derby (GII) winner Helium jogged one-mile Sunday at Churchill Downs while Live Oak Plantation’s Soup and Sandwich had a scheduled walk day.
Soup and Sandwich worked five furlongs in :59.80 Saturday at Churchill Downs while Helium breezed five furlongs from the gate in 1:01.80 Friday.
HIDDEN STASH – BBN Racing’s Hidden Stash, the fourth-place finisher in the Blue Grass, is scheduled to arrive Derby Week from trainer Vicki Oliver’s Keeneland base. The colt will be stabled in Barn 17.
HIGHLY MOTIVATED – Klaravich Stable’s Blue Grass (GII) runner-up Highly Motivated recorded a bullet half-mile move in :47.20 with stablemate Founder Sunday morning at Keeneland. It was the fastest of 27 horses at the distance.
Trained by Chad Brown, Highly Motivated is scheduled to van to Churchill Downs Monday. Brown is slated to arrive later in the week.
HOT ROD CHARLIE – Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and Strauss Bros Racing’s Hot Rod Charlie is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Southern California on Sunday, April 25, according to senior director of the stable area Steve Hargrave.
The Doug O’Neill trained TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (GII) winner worked six furlongs in 1:14.20 Saturday at Santa Anita.
Hot Rod Charlie is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs with O’Neill’s trusty retired racehorse turned pony Lava Man.
LIKE THE KING – M Racing Group’s Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) winner Like the King recorded a six-furlong breeze in 1:12.80 Saturday at Keeneland.
Trained by Wesley Ward, the three-time winner is tentatively scheduled to arrive Derby Week at Churchill Downs.
MEDINA SPIRIT – Zedan Racing Stable’s Grade III winner Medina Spirit worked five furlongs in 1:00 Saturday at Santa Anita.
Trainer Bob Baffert tentatively has three options for Medina Spirit’s arrival to Churchill Downs – Friday, April 23, Sunday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 27, according to Hargrave.
MIDNIGHT BOURBON, SUPER STOCK – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ multiple graded stakes placed colt Midnight Bourbon along with Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen’s upset Arkansas Derby (GI) hero Super Stock galloped about 1 3/8 miles at 6:45 a.m. Sunday at Churchill Downs.
Midnight Bourbon is scheduled to work Monday at Churchill Downs while Super Stock would work next weekend, according to Asmussen.
O BESOS – Barrett Bernard, Tagg Team Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Louisiana Derby (GII) third-place finisher O Besos had a light gallop Sunday at 7:30 a.m. for trainer Greg Foley.
The Orb colt is scheduled to have one more breeze prior to the Derby early next week.
ROCK YOUR WORLD – Hronis Racing and David Michael Talla’s Rock Your World will have a new jockey for the Kentucky Derby with Joel Rosario.
Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World won the Santa Anita Derby (GI) with Umberto Rispoli in the saddle but the team opted to switch to Rosario.
Rock Your World is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Sunday, April 25.
ALSO ELIGIBLES:
KING FURY – Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys’ Farm’s Lexington Stakes winner King Fury will make his next start in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness (GI), according to trainer Kenny McPeek.
The Curlin colt is stabled in Barn 7 at Churchill Downs.
KEEPMEINMIND – Spendthrift Farm, Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith’s Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Keepmeinmind breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 Saturday at Keeneland and vanned to Churchill Downs Sunday.
Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind is stabled in Barn 46.
STARRININMYDREAMS – Stewart Racing and WinStar Farm’s third-place Lexington Stakes finisher Starrininmydreams is probable to enter the Pat Day Mile but could run in the Derby if there are enough defections, according to co-owner and trainer Dallas Stewart.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 1 in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat, Doug O’Neill); Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Rock Your World (Joel Rosario, John Sadler); Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert); Midnight Bourbon (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen); Mandaloun (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano); Helium (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse); Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse); Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Sainthood (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Dream Shake (TBA, Peter Eurton); O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley); and Get Her Number (TBA, Peter Miller);
Possible starters within the Top 20 on the preference list: Caddo River (TBA, Brad Cox).
Next up in order of preference: King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Starrininmydreams (TBA, Dallas Stewart).
Out of race: Rebel’s Romance (IRE) (June 5 Belmont Stakes); Greatest Honour (rest); Life Is Good (ankle chip); Weyburn (May 8 Peter Pan); Panadol; Crowded Trade (May 8 Peter Pan or May 15 Preakness); Proxy; Rombauer (May 15 Preakness); Drain the Clock (shorter distances); New Treasure (IRE); Hozier; Hockey Dad; Spielberg (rest); and Jackie’s Warrior (May 1 Pat Day Mile).
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE – Stonestreet Stables’ graded stakes-winning duo of Clariere and Pauline’s Pearl logged their penultimate works Sunday at Churchill Downs prior to the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).
Pauline’s Pearl was the first of the two Oaks contenders to work Sunday morning when she breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 inside of Abrogate. The duo began their work through eighth-mile fractions of :13, :25.20, :36.60 and :48.40 before a six-furlong gallop out in 1:13.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
Two hours later, Clairiere worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 inside of Finite. The duo breezed through splits of :12.20, :24.40, :36.20 with a six-furlong gallop out of 1:14.20.
Other Kentucky Oaks contenders who are regularly training at Churchill Downs are Ava’s Grace, Crazy Beautiful, Malathaat, Millefeuille, Travel Column and Will’s Secret.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, April 30 in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Search Results (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Crazy Beautiful (Jose Ortiz, Kenny McPeek); Pauline’s Pearl (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Malathaat (Joel Rosario, Todd Pletcher); Soothsay (Flavien Prat, Richard Mandella); Clairiere (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); Will’s Secret (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart); Millefeuille (TBA, Bill Mott); Moraz (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy); Ava’s Grace (TBA, Robertino Diodoro); Pass the Champagne (Javier Castellano, George Weaver); Maracuja (Kendrick Carmouche, Rob Atras); and Competitive Speed (TBA, Javier Gonzalez).
Next up in order of preference: Coach (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Souper Sensational (TBA, Mark Casse); Moon Swag (TBA, Brendan Walsh); Army Wife (TBA, Mike Maker); and Spritz (Chris Landeros, Rodolphe Brissett).
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