Hollywood Derby Day Princess Elizabeth & Coronation Leparoux wins #3000 Japan Cup Results Bob Hope Stakes |
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A plane passes overhead while Kentucky Derby contender Haikal is on the track. |
Tuesday morning was overcast with temperatures in the mid 50's during training at Churchill Downs and the track was fast after the renovation break. Many of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses came out for their special private workout session at 7:30 after the break, although a few had come out earlier in the day. Below are photos for 14 Derby horses and 14 Oaks fillies from this morning on the track with comments for each. You can watch video of today's training session here.
Arriving at Churchill Downs at 9:30am following an early morning flight from Florida were the undefeated Maximum Security, Blue Grass (G2) winner Vekoma, the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Cutting Humor and Spinoff and Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Bodexpress.
Kentucky DerbyBy My Standards drew post 3 for trainer Bret Calhoun and jockey Gabriel Saez at odds of 20-1. Calhoun said, "Gabe (jockey Gabriel Saez) said he wanted somewhere between post five and 12. We drew three but it is close enough. I’m glad we didn’t draw the rail or post 20." | |
Code of Honor drew post 13 for trainer Shug McGaughey and jockey John Velazquez with morning line odds of 15-1. McGaughey said, "It's perfect for me. I was hoping for something toward the outside. I think they load from the inside out. I just didn't want to be buried down on the inside. It's perfect."
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Country House will have Flavien Prat riding but the Bill Mott trainee drew the far outside post 20 at 30-1 odds. Mott said, "Twenty should be fine for (Country House). He’s going to come from far back."
He galloped this morning and schooled in the paddock during the 6th race this afternoon.
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Game Winner drew post 16 for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Joel Rosario and is second choice on the morning line at 5-1. Baffert said, "They’ll all be easy to watch. With Roadster I wanted the 16 so I got 16 and 17 (with Game Winner) and Improbable is a quicker horse. Anything but the one or two I’m fine with that. I think the good horses all drew well."
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Haikal is 30-1 on the morning line out of post 11. Rajiv Maragh gets the call for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. McLaughlin said, "He loads first, which is the only negative, but otherwise it’s a great post."
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Improbable is one of two horses at 6-1 third choice. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides out of post 5 for trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert said, "I think it’s less stressful (not having the favorite). I think the expectations when you have the favorite is put on you but I think when I had the favorite with Pharoah or Justify, it was their race to lose. There are a lot of nice horses in this race. Omaha Beach, he deserves to be the favorite. We’ll just see how it plays out."
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Master Fencer is one of two horses listed as the 50-1 longest shots. Julien Leparoux rides the Japan Road to the Derby invitee for trainer Koichi Tsunoda from post 15. Tsunoda said, "We are lucky not to have the 20. Horses have won from the outside gate. We are happy to be in the race. The (post position) is good."
He galloped this morning in his fancy hood, then walked back the wrong way and took a turn through the paddock.
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Omaha Beach is the 4-1 morning line favorite in the Derby and will break from post 12. He comes to the Spires off a three race win streak including the Rebel Stakes (G2) second division, and the Arkansas Derby (G1). Regular rider Mike Smith will be in the irons for trainer Richard Mandella. Jockey Mike Smith said, "Perfect. I love it. Didn’t want to be down inside. I think I’m in a great spot." Mandella said, "He’s happy (nodding toward Smith), so you know I’m happy. It’s good."
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Plus Que Parfait, winner of the UAE Derby drew post 9 for trainer Brendan Walsh with odds of 30-1. New jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in the irons Saturday. Walsh said, "I wanted something between two and 12, which I said earlier this week, and that’s what we got. Hopefully he breaks and then can save some ground. It looks like the speed is inside of us, so that’s good. I’m happy with the post."
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Roadster, Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner, drew the 17 hole (which has never won the Derby!), with Florent Geroux aboard the 6-1 co-third choice for trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert said, (on post 17 being 0-for-40) "They also had that curse last year. Not that many horses run out of there but I’m OK. We’ll figure out a plan for them. I think Improbable he’s the quickest of the three and he’s in the five. There are speed horses outside of him, too. They still have to break. I like 16. The 17 has been 0-for-40, but it’s like American Pharoah had the 18 and there was a scratch and he had the 17 for a day then he went to the 16. At the end of the day, you have to have the horse. If your horse shows up, that’s more important. After watching Big Brown gallop from the 20 hole it really doesn’t make a difference."
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Tacitus is a 10-1 shot in the Derby, drawing the 8 post for jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Bill Mott. Mott said, "I was hoping for the middle and that’s what we got. I’ve no complaints (for Tacitus)."
He galloped this morning and schooled in the paddock during the 6th race this afternoon.
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Tax drew post 2 and is a 20-1 outsider. Junior Alvarado retains the mount for trainer Danny Gargan. Gargan said, "I wanted to be on the inside. He’s been in the one hole three times with two wins and a second. He has tactical speed. Now we won’t have to use him much to lay fourth or fifth in the race. I like the horse inside us [War of Will] because he’s a speed horse. Hopefully he goes. I want to tuck in behind him and sit on the rail. If he doesn’t go, I’m going to come out running and sit on the rail."
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War of Will drew the inside post 1 for trainer Mark Casse with Tyler Gaffalione riding at odds of 20-1. Casse said, "You know what, it could be worse I think. Our horse is really on his game so he’ll come away from there running. We’ll probably be on the lead. I think we’ll probably be on the lead and play catch me if you can. And you know if we come away from there like he normally does, we’re going to come away from there running. At least we have the shortest way around. I’ve thought I had great draws before and gotten wiped out so maybe this is the change."
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Win Win Win drew post 14 for trainer Mike Trombetta and jockey Julian Pimentel and has morning line odds of 15-1. Trombetta said, "It was a lot less pressure this year than 2006 when we were the favorite. We had so many cameras and media around us that it’s a little bit, but not much, more relaxing this year. I’m happy with our post. We’re ready to go."
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Kentucky OaksOut For A Spin is 15-1 with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in post 1 for trainer Dallas Stewart. Accompanied by Dallas Stewart's assistant Marcelino Jacuinde aboard stable pony Bucky, Ashland Stakes (GI) winner Out for a Spin had a routine 1 1/2-mile gallop with Emerson Chavez aboard Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. | |
Chocolate Kisses drew post 2 for trainer Mark Casse and will have Julien Leparoux up at odds of 20-1. She galloped in the morning at 9am and schooled in the paddock during the race 3.
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Lady Apple drew post 3. Ricardo Santana Jr. rides the 20-1 shot for trainer Steve Asmussen. She galloped one mile this morning after having a walk day Monday following her final work Sunday.
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Bellafina (post 4) is the 2-1 favorite in the morning line off a 3 race win streak including the Santa Ynez (G2), Las Virgenes (G2), and Santa Anita Oaks (G1). Flavien Prat, who has been aboard for all 8 of her starts, rides again for trainer Simon Callaghan.
The Kentucky Oaks favorite Bellafina got in a "nice and easy" gallop of a mile and a quarter Tuesday morning, according to assistant trainer Carlos Santamaria.
The bay 3-year-old filly owned by Kaleem Shah had jetted in from California Monday with a crew that included Santamaria, exercise rider Georgio Moreno and groom Garcia Ericson. She got her exercise in during the special Oaks-Derby training period at Churchill Downs between 7:30-7:45 a.m.
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Flor De La Mar drew post 5 for trainer Bob Baffert and will have Joel Rosario aboard at odds of 20-1. Flor de La Mar came out at 9 a.m. along with stablemate Game Winner and galloped under Jose Conteras.
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Positive Spirit (post 6) is a 30-1 outsider and will have Manny Franco in the irons Friday. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset rode Positive Spirit onto the Churchill Downs track Tuesday morning after shipping over from Keeneland on Monday. "She just galloped almost 1 ½ miles," the native of Tours, France, said. "She schooled in the paddock. She showed good energy, and she handled the track pretty good."
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Jaywalk is 8-1 on the morning line with Javier Castellano aboard from post 7 for trainer John Servis. She galloped a mile this morning.
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Motion Emotion drew post 8 with Mike Smith riding the 15-1 shot for trainer Thomas Van Berg. She came out to train at 7:30 a.m. and galloped 1 1/4 miles under Raul Vizcorrando. "She's doing great, just super," trainer Tom Van Berg said. "I'm very happy with her."
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Liora is a 20-1 outsider. Channing Hill will be in the irons from post 9 for trainer Wayne Catalano. Jockey Channing Hill sID, "Man, 20-1 was an insult. I was like 'Wow, we're getting no respect for the Fair Grounds people."
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Jeltrin drew post 11 for trainer Alexis Delgado and will have Luis Saez aboard at odds of 15-1. She went out early in the morning and galloped. "She open-galloped from the three-eighths pole to the half-mile pole," trainer Alexis Delgado said. "She was very strong. She was perfect. Two, three days before a race, I like to give them a happy gallop. Today, she was very strong."
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Street Band gets jockey Sophie Doyle out of post 12, at 15-1 odds for trainer Larry Jones. She stood in the gate and galloped one mile Tuesday morning under the watchful eye of trainer Larry Jones, who is seeking his fourth Kentucky Oaks victory. "She's doing good," Jones said. "All the hard stuff is behind us now."
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Serengeti Empress is an 8-1 contender with Jose Ortiz out of post 13 for trainer Tom Amoss. She galloped Tuesday morning. "It was a typical day," Amoss said of the filly, who is an 8-1 chance on the morning line along with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) champion Jaywalk. "She had a really good day today, full of energy, eager to do more. That's how you want to see them before the race. You want them to show all those things and still be relaxed."
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Restless Rider (post 14) finished second in her last 3 starts - the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Golden Rod (G2), and Ashland (G1). Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. will be in the irons for trainer Ken McPeek. She jogged under regular exercise rider Danny Ramsey, said Greg Geier, an assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek, who was at Keeneland Tuesday.
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Dunbar Road (also-eligible) would be the 5-1 morning line second choice for trainer Chad Brown, with Jose Ortiz the named rider, should she draw into the field. Scratch time for both Derby and Oaks cards is Friday at 9:00am. "She galloped and she looks great," trainer Chad Brown said. "She's ready if she gets in."
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