Article on the Blue Grass
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from Brisnet:
With a light, cold drizzle falling Monday morning, PATENA (Seeking the Gold) put in his final major preparation for Saturday's Blue Grass S. (G1) by working five furlongs over the Keeneland Polytrack in 1:00 with jockey Robby Albarado up.
It was Patena's second work at Keeneland since running eighth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 14. Patena worked a half-mile in :51 4/5 on March 28.
"It is hard to compare the works because there were two different riders," trainer Rick Dutrow said. "As long as the jock is happy, I'm happy."
And the verdict on Monday's work?
"We're all good here," Dutrow said.
Patena has started twice this year at Fair Grounds with Albarado aboard for both races. Prior to the Louisiana Derby, Patena had run second in the Lecomte S. (G3) on January 10.
The Louisiana Derby, run on a sloppy track, was Patena's poorest effort in six career starts.
"I haven't lost any confidence in him," Albarado said after the work. "In the Louisiana Derby, he had been off a while and the track was a little quirky that day. He is proven on the Polytrack and I am looking for a big effort on Saturday. He's a nice colt."
Trainer Ken McPeek had planned to work THEREGOESJOJO (Brahms) a half-mile on Tuesday, but a look at the weather forecast changed that.
"We're working this morning," McPeek said as Theregoesjojo came on the track with exercise rider Amanda Tamburello up. "I'm afraid it's going to snow in the morning and be 22 degrees. I didn't want to take a chance of the track being frozen."
So, the work went on and Theregoesjojo breezed the half-mile in :48 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5, according to Keeneland clockers. McPeek had the gallop out in 1:00.
"That was good. He did it easy and I got the last quarter in :23," McPeek said. "I just didn't want to take a chance with the weather. Before the Florida Derby (G1), I had to work him in the mud around the dogs."
In the Florida Derby, Theregoesjojo finished third to Quality Road (Elusive Quality) and Dunkirk (Unbridled's Song).
McPeek said that Calvin Borel would have the mount on Theregoesjojo in the Blue Grass.
Trainer Todd Pletcher was at Keeneland Monday to check in with his stable and to oversee the works by several runners, including Blue Grass hopeful JOIN IN THE DANCE (Sky Mesa), who worked four furlongs in :49 3/5.
"We were just looking for a nice easy half and he did it well, finished up strongly and galloped out good," said Pletcher, who won the Blue Grass in 2005 with Bandini and last year with Monba (Maria's Mon). "We think we're going to run in the Blue Grass. He seems to like it here. He's training well over the surface, so we're going to give it a try."
John Velazquez will ride Join in the Dance in the Blue Grass.
Barclay Tagg was pleased with the Monday work by HELLO BROADWAY (Broken Vow) as the trainer determines whether the colt will start next in an allowance race on Friday or in the Blue Grass on Saturday. With Carl Allsop aboard, Hello Broadway worked five furlongs in :59 2/5, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
"I was very happy with his work," Tagg said. "It was a little faster than I wanted, but I thought he did it very nicely. He does :59s very easy."
Hello Broadway is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 14. Prior to that race, he was second in the Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream.
"I'll probably run him in the allowance race if it goes," Tagg said. "There's a possibility on the Blue Grass. I'm not sure. I just worked him. I want to make sure he came out of the work good."
"Mrs. (Elizabeth J.) Valando is very nice to train for," Tagg said, referring to Hello Broadway's owner. "I've got no pressure to go in the (Kentucky) Derby (G1) or in the Blue Grass. We just want to get him (Hello Broadway) running better."
MAFAAZ (GB) (Medicean) cleared quarantine in time to get in one circuit around the Keeneland training track with exercise rider Miguel Moya up.
"We just wanted to get him out to stretch his legs and it was the first day a rider has been on him since Friday," said Les Reynolds, head traveling lad for trainer John Gosden. "He cleared quarantine at 9:30 (EDT) this morning."
Reynolds said that Mafaaz would remain in the quarantine barn rather than move to Barn 1, where a stall was waiting for him in Kiaran McLaughlin's barn.
"He's very happy here and eating well and we didn't want to move him again before the race," Reynolds said. "Now after the race, if he does well and stays here, we may move out of the quarantine barn."
Gosden is coming in Friday night. Richard Hills, who rode Mafaaz to victory in the Kentucky Derby Challenge S. at Kempton Park on March 18, will have the mount in the Blue Grass.
Reynolds indicated that Mafaaz likely would return to the training track in the morning.
"He just had a canter this morning; tomorrow will be a trot, or as you say, 'a gallop,'" Reynolds said. "He will probably go out around nine (a.m.)."
In other news on Blue Grass probables:
CLIFFY'S FUTURE (The Cliff's Edge) started his morning with a bit of a warm-up on the training track and then galloped 1 1/4 miles on the main track with trainer Darrin Miller up. Miller said that Jesus Castanon, who rode Cliffy's Future to victory in the Rushaway S. at Turfway Park on March 21 in his most recent start, would have the mount in the Blue Grass. Cliffy's Future is scheduled to work Wednesday.
CHARITABLE MAN (Lemon Drop Kid) walked the shedrow at Barn 1, a day after working five furlongs in :59 3/5.
"Everything's good," reported Neal McLaughlin, brother of and assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Alan Garcia has the riding assignment on Saturday.
TERRAIN (Sky Mesa) returned to the track and jogged a mile alongside a pony under exercise rider Keith Harris. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Terrain had worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Saturday. Julien Leparoux will ride on Saturday.
MASSONE (Menifee) will be ridden on Saturday by Garrett Gomez, who won the 2006 Blue Grass on Sinister Minister. Gomez rode Massone the day he broke his maiden last fall at Hollywood Park.
With a light, cold drizzle falling Monday morning, PATENA (Seeking the Gold) put in his final major preparation for Saturday's Blue Grass S. (G1) by working five furlongs over the Keeneland Polytrack in 1:00 with jockey Robby Albarado up.
It was Patena's second work at Keeneland since running eighth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 14. Patena worked a half-mile in :51 4/5 on March 28.
"It is hard to compare the works because there were two different riders," trainer Rick Dutrow said. "As long as the jock is happy, I'm happy."
And the verdict on Monday's work?
"We're all good here," Dutrow said.
Patena has started twice this year at Fair Grounds with Albarado aboard for both races. Prior to the Louisiana Derby, Patena had run second in the Lecomte S. (G3) on January 10.
The Louisiana Derby, run on a sloppy track, was Patena's poorest effort in six career starts.
"I haven't lost any confidence in him," Albarado said after the work. "In the Louisiana Derby, he had been off a while and the track was a little quirky that day. He is proven on the Polytrack and I am looking for a big effort on Saturday. He's a nice colt."
Trainer Ken McPeek had planned to work THEREGOESJOJO (Brahms) a half-mile on Tuesday, but a look at the weather forecast changed that.
"We're working this morning," McPeek said as Theregoesjojo came on the track with exercise rider Amanda Tamburello up. "I'm afraid it's going to snow in the morning and be 22 degrees. I didn't want to take a chance of the track being frozen."
So, the work went on and Theregoesjojo breezed the half-mile in :48 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5, according to Keeneland clockers. McPeek had the gallop out in 1:00.
"That was good. He did it easy and I got the last quarter in :23," McPeek said. "I just didn't want to take a chance with the weather. Before the Florida Derby (G1), I had to work him in the mud around the dogs."
In the Florida Derby, Theregoesjojo finished third to Quality Road (Elusive Quality) and Dunkirk (Unbridled's Song).
McPeek said that Calvin Borel would have the mount on Theregoesjojo in the Blue Grass.
Trainer Todd Pletcher was at Keeneland Monday to check in with his stable and to oversee the works by several runners, including Blue Grass hopeful JOIN IN THE DANCE (Sky Mesa), who worked four furlongs in :49 3/5.
"We were just looking for a nice easy half and he did it well, finished up strongly and galloped out good," said Pletcher, who won the Blue Grass in 2005 with Bandini and last year with Monba (Maria's Mon). "We think we're going to run in the Blue Grass. He seems to like it here. He's training well over the surface, so we're going to give it a try."
John Velazquez will ride Join in the Dance in the Blue Grass.
Barclay Tagg was pleased with the Monday work by HELLO BROADWAY (Broken Vow) as the trainer determines whether the colt will start next in an allowance race on Friday or in the Blue Grass on Saturday. With Carl Allsop aboard, Hello Broadway worked five furlongs in :59 2/5, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
"I was very happy with his work," Tagg said. "It was a little faster than I wanted, but I thought he did it very nicely. He does :59s very easy."
Hello Broadway is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 14. Prior to that race, he was second in the Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream.
"I'll probably run him in the allowance race if it goes," Tagg said. "There's a possibility on the Blue Grass. I'm not sure. I just worked him. I want to make sure he came out of the work good."
"Mrs. (Elizabeth J.) Valando is very nice to train for," Tagg said, referring to Hello Broadway's owner. "I've got no pressure to go in the (Kentucky) Derby (G1) or in the Blue Grass. We just want to get him (Hello Broadway) running better."
MAFAAZ (GB) (Medicean) cleared quarantine in time to get in one circuit around the Keeneland training track with exercise rider Miguel Moya up.
"We just wanted to get him out to stretch his legs and it was the first day a rider has been on him since Friday," said Les Reynolds, head traveling lad for trainer John Gosden. "He cleared quarantine at 9:30 (EDT) this morning."
Reynolds said that Mafaaz would remain in the quarantine barn rather than move to Barn 1, where a stall was waiting for him in Kiaran McLaughlin's barn.
"He's very happy here and eating well and we didn't want to move him again before the race," Reynolds said. "Now after the race, if he does well and stays here, we may move out of the quarantine barn."
Gosden is coming in Friday night. Richard Hills, who rode Mafaaz to victory in the Kentucky Derby Challenge S. at Kempton Park on March 18, will have the mount in the Blue Grass.
Reynolds indicated that Mafaaz likely would return to the training track in the morning.
"He just had a canter this morning; tomorrow will be a trot, or as you say, 'a gallop,'" Reynolds said. "He will probably go out around nine (a.m.)."
In other news on Blue Grass probables:
CLIFFY'S FUTURE (The Cliff's Edge) started his morning with a bit of a warm-up on the training track and then galloped 1 1/4 miles on the main track with trainer Darrin Miller up. Miller said that Jesus Castanon, who rode Cliffy's Future to victory in the Rushaway S. at Turfway Park on March 21 in his most recent start, would have the mount in the Blue Grass. Cliffy's Future is scheduled to work Wednesday.
CHARITABLE MAN (Lemon Drop Kid) walked the shedrow at Barn 1, a day after working five furlongs in :59 3/5.
"Everything's good," reported Neal McLaughlin, brother of and assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Alan Garcia has the riding assignment on Saturday.
TERRAIN (Sky Mesa) returned to the track and jogged a mile alongside a pony under exercise rider Keith Harris. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Terrain had worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Saturday. Julien Leparoux will ride on Saturday.
MASSONE (Menifee) will be ridden on Saturday by Garrett Gomez, who won the 2006 Blue Grass on Sinister Minister. Gomez rode Massone the day he broke his maiden last fall at Hollywood Park.
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