Daily Derby Update for the 21st
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Daily Derby Update. Racing News has posted throughout the day (see below), and to get more Kentucky Derby news and insight now, please click today's Daily Derby Update.
Quotes from Todays' NTRA Teleconference
Todd Pletcher, trainer of Dunkirk, Advice, Join in the Dance and Take the Points, called Quality Road "the one to beat."
On Dunkirk, compared to previous Derby horses trained by Pletcher: "This is the best chance we've ever had. This is a horse that really wants a mile and a quarter. Essentially, all he's missing on his resume is a start at two."
On the way Dunkirk is built: Pletcher described him as having a "long, lean" look that you sometimes see in great athletes.
On the Kentucky Derby status of Advice, winner of the Grade II Coolmore Lexington: "He's going to ship to Churchill tomorrow, gallop there the remainder of the week, and have a work on Monday." A decision on the Derby will made after the workout, Pletcher said.
His opinion on going synthetic to dirt, or dirt to synthetic, for the first time: "You really don't know until you...try it in a competitive situation."
On whether Take the Points is being considered for the Kentucky Derby: "Not at this time."
Dunkirk will be shipped to Kentucky from Florida, where he's been stabled at Palm Meadows, next Tuesday. Pletcher said one factor in keeping Dunkirk in Florida was the weather, and that there had not been much rain to deal with.
Tom McCarthy, trainer of General Quarters
On his reaction to the Grade III Sam F. Davis and Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes wins: "I thought he'd run very well (in the Davis). I didn't think he'd break the stakes record, but he did. He bloomed going into the Blue Grass," in what McCarthy described as a homecoming of sorts for General Quarters.
On how the colt came out of his win in the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass. "He ate half a rack of hay in the van (on the trip back from Keeneland to Churchill Downs). He's come back just sensational."
On the maturity of General Quarters: "Now he realizes what it's all about."
On his loss in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby: "He just had all kinds of trouble, got cut up and things."
On strategy in the Kentucky Derby. "It's to stay out of that big logjam going into the first turn. This is a completely different race than any other race. It's going to be a cavalry charge going into that first turn. There's been a lot of bumping going into that first turn the last two or three Derbies. He's a big horse...and once he gets going, you don't want to stop him."
What about the surface at Churchill Downs? "I galloped him all Summer long at Churchill Downs, and he seemed to like the track."
Does he have an unusual way of going in his behind when jogging? "He had that from day one. He just raises his back legs a little higher. You don't really see it when he gallops or runs. It's just there. He loses that action when he gallops."
On his next workout: Thursday if the weather cooperates.
Joe Talamo, rider of I Want Revenge
On track conditions for today's workout on a track rated fast (five furlongs in 1:01.60). "It wasn't muddy, but it wasn't real fast."
Jimmy Jerkens, trainer of Quality Road, did not answer his telephone during several attempts made to contact him from the pre-arranged teleconference, according to the moderator. Of course, it's impossible to know why contact couldn't be made.
Quality Road was shipped to New York after the Florida Derby and is scheduled to arrive in Kentucky next Tuesday.
West Side Bernie Had Colic, Said to Have Rebounded. Courier-Journal.com reports today that West Side Bernie has had colic but has rebounded from it.
West Side Bernie finished second in the Grade I Wood Memorial to possible Kentucky favorite I Want Revenge on April 4, and he reportedly arrived at Churchill Downs on April 13. The Courier-Journal report says he was sent to a Lexington clinic on the 13th for an X-ray as a precautionary measure.
Trainer Kelly Breen told the newspaper that West Side Bernie had rebounded from the bout. "Right now he's back, up to full rations, he's eating, looking good, training good," Breen said. "He galloped a mile and seven-eighths (Sunday), a mile and three-quarters (Monday). He's really doing well. He's pulling the crap out of me on the track," said Breen, who gallops the horse himself.
Colic is a broad subject that describes abdominal discomfort or pain in Thoroughbreds that can have a variety of causes. One source says there are ten main types of colic, ranging from the mild and inconsequential to the life-threatening or fatal. Mild to moderate colic can be treated with medication; severe pain can sometimes be managed with medication, sometimes with surgery; and extremely severe pain almost always requires surgery. The source of the condition is often intestinal but sometimes shows up in the stomach.
The exact nature of West Side Bernie's colic wasn't described in the referenced source. Sometimes the etiology is never determined. Among other things, regular exercise and a tightly controlled feeding and watering regimen are considered beneficial for a horse recovering from colic.
Today's Workouts at Churchill Downs
Track rated fast.
Flying Private breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 (7/19) under Derby jockey Robby Albarado.
I Want Revenge breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 (8/19) under Derby jockey Joe Talamo.
Pioneerof the Nile breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 (4/19) under exercise rider Joe Steiner.
Chocolate Candy breezed a mile in 1:42.00 (1/1) under Derby jockey Mike Smith.
Mike Welsch of DRF said he caught Pioneerof the Nile galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 on what was described as a deep track, I Want Revenge in 1:15, and Flying Private in 1:16. He reported that Chocolate Candy went the final quarter-mile of his work in :26 and change and that trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was pleased with the work.
In addition, Flat Out, whose connections want in the Derby, but who will probably not make the field, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 (16/19).
At Oaklawn Park
Track rated fast.
Win Willy breezed four furlongs in :51.20 (1/1).
Daily Derby Update. Racing News has posted throughout the day (see below), and to get more Kentucky Derby news and insight now, please click today's Daily Derby Update.
Quotes from Todays' NTRA Teleconference
Todd Pletcher, trainer of Dunkirk, Advice, Join in the Dance and Take the Points, called Quality Road "the one to beat."
On Dunkirk, compared to previous Derby horses trained by Pletcher: "This is the best chance we've ever had. This is a horse that really wants a mile and a quarter. Essentially, all he's missing on his resume is a start at two."
On the way Dunkirk is built: Pletcher described him as having a "long, lean" look that you sometimes see in great athletes.
On the Kentucky Derby status of Advice, winner of the Grade II Coolmore Lexington: "He's going to ship to Churchill tomorrow, gallop there the remainder of the week, and have a work on Monday." A decision on the Derby will made after the workout, Pletcher said.
His opinion on going synthetic to dirt, or dirt to synthetic, for the first time: "You really don't know until you...try it in a competitive situation."
On whether Take the Points is being considered for the Kentucky Derby: "Not at this time."
Dunkirk will be shipped to Kentucky from Florida, where he's been stabled at Palm Meadows, next Tuesday. Pletcher said one factor in keeping Dunkirk in Florida was the weather, and that there had not been much rain to deal with.
Tom McCarthy, trainer of General Quarters
On his reaction to the Grade III Sam F. Davis and Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes wins: "I thought he'd run very well (in the Davis). I didn't think he'd break the stakes record, but he did. He bloomed going into the Blue Grass," in what McCarthy described as a homecoming of sorts for General Quarters.
On how the colt came out of his win in the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass. "He ate half a rack of hay in the van (on the trip back from Keeneland to Churchill Downs). He's come back just sensational."
On the maturity of General Quarters: "Now he realizes what it's all about."
On his loss in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby: "He just had all kinds of trouble, got cut up and things."
On strategy in the Kentucky Derby. "It's to stay out of that big logjam going into the first turn. This is a completely different race than any other race. It's going to be a cavalry charge going into that first turn. There's been a lot of bumping going into that first turn the last two or three Derbies. He's a big horse...and once he gets going, you don't want to stop him."
What about the surface at Churchill Downs? "I galloped him all Summer long at Churchill Downs, and he seemed to like the track."
Does he have an unusual way of going in his behind when jogging? "He had that from day one. He just raises his back legs a little higher. You don't really see it when he gallops or runs. It's just there. He loses that action when he gallops."
On his next workout: Thursday if the weather cooperates.
Joe Talamo, rider of I Want Revenge
On track conditions for today's workout on a track rated fast (five furlongs in 1:01.60). "It wasn't muddy, but it wasn't real fast."
Jimmy Jerkens, trainer of Quality Road, did not answer his telephone during several attempts made to contact him from the pre-arranged teleconference, according to the moderator. Of course, it's impossible to know why contact couldn't be made.
Quality Road was shipped to New York after the Florida Derby and is scheduled to arrive in Kentucky next Tuesday.
West Side Bernie Had Colic, Said to Have Rebounded. Courier-Journal.com reports today that West Side Bernie has had colic but has rebounded from it.
West Side Bernie finished second in the Grade I Wood Memorial to possible Kentucky favorite I Want Revenge on April 4, and he reportedly arrived at Churchill Downs on April 13. The Courier-Journal report says he was sent to a Lexington clinic on the 13th for an X-ray as a precautionary measure.
Trainer Kelly Breen told the newspaper that West Side Bernie had rebounded from the bout. "Right now he's back, up to full rations, he's eating, looking good, training good," Breen said. "He galloped a mile and seven-eighths (Sunday), a mile and three-quarters (Monday). He's really doing well. He's pulling the crap out of me on the track," said Breen, who gallops the horse himself.
Colic is a broad subject that describes abdominal discomfort or pain in Thoroughbreds that can have a variety of causes. One source says there are ten main types of colic, ranging from the mild and inconsequential to the life-threatening or fatal. Mild to moderate colic can be treated with medication; severe pain can sometimes be managed with medication, sometimes with surgery; and extremely severe pain almost always requires surgery. The source of the condition is often intestinal but sometimes shows up in the stomach.
The exact nature of West Side Bernie's colic wasn't described in the referenced source. Sometimes the etiology is never determined. Among other things, regular exercise and a tightly controlled feeding and watering regimen are considered beneficial for a horse recovering from colic.
Today's Workouts at Churchill Downs
Track rated fast.
Flying Private breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 (7/19) under Derby jockey Robby Albarado.
I Want Revenge breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 (8/19) under Derby jockey Joe Talamo.
Pioneerof the Nile breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 (4/19) under exercise rider Joe Steiner.
Chocolate Candy breezed a mile in 1:42.00 (1/1) under Derby jockey Mike Smith.
Mike Welsch of DRF said he caught Pioneerof the Nile galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 on what was described as a deep track, I Want Revenge in 1:15, and Flying Private in 1:16. He reported that Chocolate Candy went the final quarter-mile of his work in :26 and change and that trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was pleased with the work.
In addition, Flat Out, whose connections want in the Derby, but who will probably not make the field, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 (16/19).
At Oaklawn Park
Track rated fast.
Win Willy breezed four furlongs in :51.20 (1/1).
Comments
By Mike Welsch
Reed Palmer
I Want Revenge and Joe Talamo work five furlongs in 1:01.62 at Churchill on Tuesday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As inevitably happens when several trainers choose to work their Kentucky Derby starters on the same morning, they also choose to send them out at almost exactly the same time. Such was the case here at Churchill Downs on Tuesday when four potential Derby runners all worked within approximately a five-minute span following the renovation break. Three of the four - Pioneerof the Nile, I Want Revenge, and Flying Private - worked simultaneously, with Chocolate Candy completing the hectic session several minutes later.
Churchill Downs
Cloudy, track fast, 48 degrees
The racetrack was officially termed fast but was on the deep side while continuing to dry out after being inundated by heavy rains for two days. The track was also noticeably slower after the break than earlier in the morning when most of the faster workouts were recorded.
Work of the day
Pioneerof the Nile (six furlongs in 1:13.52): Any questions regarding Pioneerof the Nile's ability to adapt to dirt after racing exclusively on synthetic surfaces throughout his career should have been erased after watching him glide across the track immediately after the break. With exercise rider Joe Steiner aboard, Pioneerof the Nile showed off his long, smooth stride while going effortlessly from start to finish, cutting out a series of 12-second eighth-mile splits without urging before finishing up with good energy to the wire and around the turn. He then proceeded to gallop out strongly down the backstretch before pulling up near the three-eighths pole. The final time might have been a bit misleading because of the somewhat tiring nature of the racetrack and the fact he worked without company. But make no mistake, Pioneerof the Nile has the look of a horse coming up to the Derby in peak form.
I Want Revenge (five furlongs in 1:01.62): With jockey Joe Talamo aboard, the Wood winner broke off approximately two lengths behind stablemate Gato Go Win and finished up about a neck in front of his mate while well within himself at the wire. Completed his final furlong in a modest 12.83 before drawing away from his company and galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.25 under just very moderate urging. Appeared to be a good maintenance move and an improvement over his first local work the previous week.
Chocolate Candy (one mile in 1:42.06): Like Talamo, jockey Mike Smith flew in from California for this work, which was very important considering Chocolate Candy has never raced or even breezed over dirt. Chocolate Candy began at an even clip, posting fractions of 24.79, 49.77, and 1:14.96 for the opening quarter, half, and six furlongs, but began to labor some nearing the wire and around the turn back to where he began at the seven-furlong marker. Completed his final quarter in a moderate 27.10 before galloping out 1 1/8 miles in 1:57.23. Was a tired horse at the end but must take into account the fact he was working over a relatively deep track. Should have gotten plenty of foundation out of this move.
Flying Private (five furlongs in 1:01.20): Worked with stablemate Lord and T., who provided little opposition once turning into the stretch, at which point Flying Private, with new rider Robby Albarado aboard, left him in the dust. Completed his final quarter in 25 under mild urging before galloping out six furlongs in a modest 1:16.
Flat Out (five furlongs in 1:03.26): The only potential Derby starter to work before the break when the racetrack was on the faster side, and he actually did his best running after his work, galloping out an additional eighth in 12.53 after plodding through the final quarter of the actual drill in 25.86. Not expected to make the Derby lineup.
The weariest person by the end of next week may turn out to be Rachel Alexandra's exercise rider, who certainly had her hands full getting the Kentucky Oaks favorite around the course without knocking anybody over on Tuesday. Rachel Alexandra is a joy to watch as she goes through even a routine morning gallop, pulling her rider out of the saddle while breezing around at a lively clip with her neck bowed to the outside and obviously enjoying herself every step of the way. Can't wait to watch her final scheduled Oaks prep here on Monday morning.
Hint - matchups are out in Vegas.