Kentucky Derby Update: Baffert Runner Lights Up Derby Work Tab With Bullet Five-Eighths Breeze

Apr 28, 2025

Citizen Bull, the Eclipse Award-winning champion of 2024 as the nation’s top 2-year-old, put the finishing touches on his preparation for Saturday’s $5 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) by working five furlongs in :58.40 under jockey Martin Garcia for trainer Bob Baffert.

Citizen Bull’s work was the fastest of 15 at the distance over a fast track. Churchill Downs clockers caught Citizen Bull in fractions of :11.60, :23, :45.80, :58.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20.

Also working Monday morning was Coal Battle, who breezed three furlongs in :36 under Bethany Taylor for trainer Lonnie Briley.

Baeza, who is the lone also-eligible for the Run for the Roses, worked for five furlongs in 1:02 under jockey Flavien Prat for trainer John Shirreffs. Splits on the work were :13.60, :26.40, :37.80, 1:02 and out six furlongs in 1:16.

Tentatively scheduled to work Tuesday morning are Luxor Café and Admire Daytona (JPN).

ADMIRE DAYTONA – UAE Derby (GII) winner Admire Daytona warmed up in the one-mile chute, then had a light training session on the track prior to schooling in the paddock.

Trainer Yukihiro Kato is expected to arrive Monday afternoon and the colt could breeze Tuesday.

AMERICAN PROMISE – BC Stables’ American Promise went trackside at 6:30 (all times Eastern) Monday morning to jog once around the main track under Tayja Smith and then took a few more laps around the chute before returning to trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ barn.

The flashy chestnut son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify continues to make a favorable impression in the mornings.

“He’s a beautiful horse,” Lukas said of American Promise, who later in the morning grazed behind Barn 42.

Other than looks, American Promise has something more important in his corner coming into the Derby for Lukas.

“The best thing is not having to make a single adjustment,” Lukas said. “Everything has been smooth so far the past six weeks (since winning the Virginia Derby). That is a big plus not to have to worry about anything.”

BAEZA – Trainer John Shirreffs greeted racing’s most recent Eclipse Award winner, Flavien Prat, at Barn 41 Monday morning just before the 7:15-7:30 special training period for Derby and Oaks runners.

The conditioner then gave the Frenchman a leg up on his Kentucky Derby hopeful Baeza, a son of the young sire McKinzie who is the lone also-eligible for this year’s 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby. The pair went trackside through the Lukas Gap near the six-furlong pole and then conducted the business of working five furlongs on a pleasantly mild morning in Louisville.

Clockers caught the bay in splits of :13.60, :26.40, :37.80 and then a final time of 1:02.  He went “out” in 1:16.

“He went good,” offered the rider afterwards. “He felt good and he did it easy.”

Shirreffs was OK with the move. “I know 1:02 is a little on the slow side, but he’s not an especially sharp work horse. We put a good work into him last week (seven furlongs in 1:28 at Santa Anita on April 20) and he’s ready. We just need to get a little lucky and get him into the race.”

Currently Baeza sits at No. 21 on the Derby list and only 20 will be allowed to run in America’s most famous race. Scratch time for the 10 furlongs is this coming Friday at 9 a.m.

BURNHAM SQUARE – Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square jogged to the starting gate where he stood and then backed out before galloping a mile under Mark Cutler for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) and Holy Bull (GIII), Burnham Square was on the track at 7:15 during the special training period for Kentucky Derby and Oaks runners.

CHUNK OF GOLD – Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold galloped about 1 ½ miles Monday morning under trainer Ethan West.

“He was definitely feeling good and wanted to do more,” West said.

Chunk of Gold is expected to school in the paddock mid-week, West said.

CITIZEN BULL/RODRIGUEZ – The duo of Kentucky Derby colts trained by Bob Baffert took different routes Monday morning as they head to the Run for the Roses this Saturday.

Rodriguez, who had put in his final drill for the big one the previous morning when he covered five furlongs in 1:00, was just a walker at the trainer’s Barn 33 on a pleasant Louisville morning.

His stablemate, however, had work to do. Jockey Martin Garcia, who will ride the Into Mischief colt who was America’s champion 2-year-old in 2024, took the bay from the barn down through the 5 ½ furlong gap and out onto the big oval right at the beginning of the 7:15 to 7:30 special training session for Derby/Oaks competitors.

He then put the colt through a bullet :58.40 drill that was built around splits of :11.60, :23 and :45.80, then finished up with “out” times of 1:12.40 and 1:27.20.

As the veteran rider came back up through the five and a half gap, he told an onlooker: “He worked really good out there. But he was just messin’ around. He did it easy.”

A later chat with the rider turned up an “on the fly” special. It is notable that all of trainer Baffert’s riders have radio contact with him as they go through their exercises. The conditioner was watching this morning’s move from the frontside and had his version of a walkie-talkie connection in place.

“I thought I was working four furlongs,” Garcia said. “But then when I get into it, Bob tells me I’m going five. So I’d broken off at the half-mile pole, which meant I had to go past the wire and finish up at the seven (furlong marker). We did it and it worked out OK.”

The next time Garcia mounts Citizen Bull will be Saturday when he takes the soph to the starting gate in advance of Kentucky Derby 151. They’ll be the first to load into post 1.

COAL BATTLE – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle put the finishing touches on his Kentucky Derby preparations with a three-furlong blowout in :36 with Bethany Taylor aboard for trainer Lonnie Briley.

“He looks like he did pretty easily,” Briley said of the work that produced fractions of :11.60, :36 and out a half-mile in :50.

The work was the fourth for Coal Battle since arriving three weeks ago from Oaklawn Park where he was third behind Sandman in the Arkansas Derby (GI).

“The closer to the race the tougher it gets,” said the 72-year-old Briley, who will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter. “He will walk tomorrow and then there will be some jogging and galloping. He’s ready.”

EAST AVENUE – Godolphin’s East Avenue returned to the track Monday following his five-eighths move in :59.60 Saturday morning.

The colt jogged under exercise rider Stephen Dolan with trainer Brendan Walsh leading him on their stable pony.

FINAL GAMBIT – Juddmonte’s Final Gambit jogged about a mile Monday morning under exercise rider Joel Osorio for trainer Brad Cox.

FLYING MOHAWK – Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing and Kaleta Racing’s Flying Mohawk had a light gallop Monday morning under trainer Whit Beckman’s assistant/exercise rider Maurilio Garcia.

GRANDE – The Wood Memorial runner-up got some exercise under Juan Suarez with trainer Todd Pletcher looking on during the 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. special Derby/Oaks training period Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

The handsome son of Curlin galloped approximately a mile and three-eighths in the middle of the track, then took a trip over to stand in the starting gate in the chute.

“It’s looking like we might get some rain and some funky weather over the next few days so I wanted to get him to the gate when we’ve got dry land,” the conditioner said.

The 57-year-old Pletcher has signed on his good buddy, 53-year-old John Velazquez, to handle Grande on Derby Day this coming Saturday. Between them, the two have nine Eclipse Awards and they both have been enshrined in racing’s Hall of Fame. Oh, and they also won the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming.

JOURNALISM – The likely Kentucky Derby favorite took it easy Monday morning and merely walked the shedrow at Barn 35. The husky Curlin colt had put in his final Derby drill Sunday when he covered five furlongs in 1:01.40 to earn his day off.

Trainer Michael McCarthy was feeling fine about the circumstances surrounding his charge.

“He came out of it (the work) very well,” he noted. “We’re all good this morning. He just walking and that’s enough.”

Journalism will be ridden in Derby 151 by the veteran Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli, who worked his way through a flying escapade from his west coast headquarters to Louisville this past Saturday and Sunday in order to put his colt through his paces. After working his way through a canceled work session Saturday, canceled connections and a five-hour hang out in the Atlanta airport that afternoon, a return to Louisville for the Sunday exercise and another plane ride back to Los Angeles that morning, the high-energy rider rang the bell at Santa Anita by winning the day’s stakes. Adventure, thy name is Rispoli.

This coming Saturday he’ll take Journalism out of the No. 8 gate and point him toward glory.

LUXOR CAFÉ – Fukuryu Stakes winner Luxor Café galloped Monday morning after warming up in the one-mile chute for about 20 minutes.

Trainer Noriyuki Hori is expected to arrive in Louisville on Monday and the horse could breeze Tuesday.

NEOEQUOS – C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables and Stefania Farms’ Neoequos had an easy gallop at 7:15 a.m. for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

OWEN ALMIGHTY – Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty had a scheduled walk day at trainer Brian Lynch’s barn.

PUBLISHER/TIZTASTIC – Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s duo of Publisher and Tiztastic had a walk day in Barn 38 following their half-mile works in :49 and :50.20, respectively.

RENDER JUDGMENT – Baccari Racing Stable, Dream Walkin Farms, MJM Racing and Rocket Ship Racing’s Render Judgment galloped at 7:15 under retired jockey Robby Albarado for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Render Judgment’s co-owner, the late country music star Toby Keith, always dreamed about having a horse run in the Kentucky Derby, according to his family. They posted on Keith’s X account, “It was Toby’s dream… Render Judgment is going to the Kentucky Derby. He worked so hard to finally have one there. Toby will have the best seat in the house to watch.”

SANDMAN – D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman had a scheduled walk day at trainer Mark Casse’s barn.

“We are on the same schedule as the Arkansas Derby when we gave him Monday off,” Casse said of the 2 ½-length winner of the Grade I race at Oaklawn Park on March 29.

SOVEREIGNTY – The double stakes-winning son of Into Mischief earned himself an “off” day by putting in a solid 1:01.80 workout Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Bill Mott gave the thumbs up at Barn 19 Monday morning when asked about his bay charge.

“He came out of his work just fine,” the Hall of Fame conditioner stated. “It’s all good. He’ll walk today, then the plan is to go back to galloping tomorrow.”

Sovereignty will be reunited with his regular rider Junior Alvarado for Kentucky Derby 151 this Saturday and they’ll start their mile and a quarter challenge from post 18.  They are tabbed the second favorite at 5-1 in what will be the 151st edition of the Run for the Roses.

THE $5 MILLION KENTUCKY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE (GI) – The field for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Citizen Bull (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 20-1); Neoequous (Flavien Prat, Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1); Final Gambit (Luan Machado, Brad Cox, 30-1); Rodriguez (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert, 12-1); American Promise (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1); Admire Daytona (JPN) (Christophe Lemaire, Yukihiro Kato, 30-1); Luxor Café (Joao Moreira, Noriyuki Kato, 15-1); Journalism (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy, 3-1); Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes, 12-1); Grande (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 20-1); Flying Mohawk (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman, 30-1); East Avenue (Manny Franco, Brendan Walsh, 20-1); Publisher (Irad Ortiz Jr., Steve Asmussen, 20-1); Tiztastic (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen, 20-1); Render Judgment (Julien Leparoux, Kenny McPeek, 30-1); Coal Battle (Juan Vargas, Lonnie Briley, 30-1); Sandman (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse, 6-1); Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 5-1); Chunk of Gold (Jareth Loveberry, Ethan West, 30-1); Owen Almighty (Javier Castellano, Brian Lynch, 30-1); AE: Baeza (Flavien Prat, John Shirreffs, 12-1).

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE –

ANNA’S PROMISE – Bell Racing’s Anna’s Promise jogged around 7:25 a.m. for trainer Carlos David.

BALLERINA d’ORO – Rodeo Creek Racing’s Gazelle (GIII) winner Ballerina d’Oro jogged at 7:15 a.m. for trainer Chad Brown.

BLESS THE BROKEN – Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stables’ Bless the Broken galloped a mile and a half under Genis Bracho during the 7:15-7:30 training window for trainer Will Walden.

Bless the Broken comes into Friday’s Oaks off a victory in the Bourbonette Oaks (Listed) at Turfway Park on March 22 when she was partnered for the first time by John Velazquez.

“He said she was there for him every step of the way and when she asked her (to go) she gave,” Walden said of Velazquez, who was the sixth rider Bless the Broken had had in seven starts. “He pretty much committed to the Oaks after that and anytime you can get a Hall of Famer to ride along, it’s a positive.”

DREXEL HILL/SIMPLY JOKING – Trainer Whit Beckman Oaks duo of Drexel Hill and Simply Joking both jogged Monday morning.

Simply Joking was the first of the two to train at 5:30 a.m. with her stablemate following about 15 minutes later.

Both fillies were ridden by trainer Whit Beckman’s assistant/exercise rider Maurilio Garcia. Beckman, who went to see his Keeneland string Monday morning, is scheduled to be back at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

FIVE G – Gatsas Stables’ Five G galloped a mile and a quarter under Raul Alejandro during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Derby and Oaks horses for trainer George Weaver.

Five G is a New York-bred daughter of Vekoma, a millionaire who was trained by Weaver and co-owned by Gatsas and in 2024 was the leading first-crop sire in North America.

“It’s very exciting,” Weaver said of training a daughter of Vekoma and one who was bred by Gatsas. “It’s not surprising (the success of Vekoma). He was a good horse and he was bred to be a good horse and I thought he would be a great sire. He is well on his way.”

FONDLY – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables’ Fondly galloped a mile and a half under William Humphrey at 7:15 for trainer Graham Motion.

GOOD CHEER – Godolphin’s Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) favorite Good Cheer galloped at 7:15 a.m. under assistant/exercise rider Katie Tolbert.

After training, Tolbert, along with trainer Brad Cox’s other local assistant, Trace Messina, accompanied the Oaks favorite to the paddock.

LA CARA – Tracy Farmer’s La Cara galloped an energetic mile at 7:15 for trainer Mark Casse with Kevin Donnis in the boot.

QUICKICK – Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ Quickick visited the paddock and galloped a mile and a half under Rafael Rustrian for trainer Tom Amoss during the 7:15-7:30 training period.

QUIETSIDE – Fantasy (GII) winner Quietside galloped at 7:15 a.m. for trainer John Ortiz.

TENMA – The dark bay or brown daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist took a spin around Churchill Downs Monday morning with exercise rider Eric Garcia at the controls. After the gallop the duo then shifted over to the track’s chute and then spent some time in the starting gate.

The racy filly with four victories in graded stakes on her ledger and more than $500,000 in the bank, will be handled for trainer Bob Baffert by Juan Hernandez, California’s leading jockey. They’ll break from post 9 in the 14-horse field.

THE $1.5 MILLION LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS (GI) – Here is the field for the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Early On (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1); Simply Joking (Florent Geroux, Whit Beckman, 10-1); Fondly (Irad Ortiz Jr., Graham Motion, 30-1); Drexel Hill (Ben Curtis, Whit Beckman, 30-1); Quickick (Umberto Rispoli, Tom Amoss, 30-1); Ballerina d’Oro (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, 10-1); La Cara (Dylan Davis, Mark Casse, 6-1); Five G (Manny Franco, George Weaver, 12-1); Tenma (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert, 12-1); Take Charge Milady (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 12-1); Good Cheer (Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 6-5); Anna’s Promise (Junior Alvarado, Carlos David, 30-1); Bless the Broken (John Velazquez, Will Walden, 30-1); Quietside (Jose Ortiz, John Ortiz, 8-1).

KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS MORNING WORKOUTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH WEDNESDAY – Continuing through Wednesday, Churchill Downs will be open free-of-charge daily from 6:45-10 a.m. so guests can watch the nation’s top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds train toward their engagements in this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks during Dawn at the Downs.

Horses train on Churchill Downs’ main track daily from 5:15-10 a.m. There is an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:15-7:30 a.m. following the 6:45-7:15 a.m. renovation break. Those horses will be identified by special saddle towels that include their names: yellow saddle towels for Derby horses and pink saddle towels for Oaks contenders.

Guests can park for free in the Yellow Lot off Longfield Ave. (all vehicles must be removed by 10:30 a.m.) and enter Churchill Downs through the Clubhouse Gate. Guests will be directed to Sections 115-117 to watch the morning workouts.

Churchill Downs’ Paddock Grill will be open each morning with coffee and breakfast sandwich options. No outside food and beverages are allowed. Also, the Churchill Downs Store with Kentucky Derby 151 merchandise will be open each morning.

On Sunday and Monday, fans can enjoy a premium breakfast in Millionaires Row or the Stakes Room for Dawn at the Downs Dining. Tickets and more information can be found at KentuckyDerby.com/DawnDining.

A stream of the workouts is available at www.KentuckyDerby.com from 6:45-7:45 a.m. through May 1

KENTUCKY DERBY MORNING WORKS SHOW OFFERS BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS TO DERBY, OAKS TRAINING – The Kentucky Derby Morning Workouts Show presented by TwinSpires.com will air until Thursday and offer fans an exclusive look at the final preparations of Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders.

Airing daily from 6:45-7:45 a.m, the one-hour program will be streamed live on the Kentucky Derby Facebook, X and YouTube accounts. The show will highlight the 15-minute exclusive training window from 7:15-7:30 a.m. for horses preparing for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) and the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Hosted by Churchill Downs’ expert handicappers Joe Kristufek, Kaitlin Free, Tony Calo and Kevin Kilroy, the show will include insight, commentary and exclusive interviews from notable figures such as former leading rider Rosie Napravnik, Churchill Downs track announcer Travis Stone, TwinSpires.com handicapper James Scully and Churchill Downs racing analyst Megan Burgess.

All Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders are required to be on-site by Saturday, April 26. The show will continue through Thursday, May 1, showcasing every contender’s final training sessions leading into Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks.

For more information, visit www.kentuckyderby.com

KENTUCKY DERBY NEWSFEED MEDIA PORTAL –The Kentucky Derby Newsfeed will be providing a media portal to access high quality video and audio files. Files are 1080 59.94p and will be uploaded on a daily basis.

This service is available via any web browser. To access, type the following into your web browser address bar: kyderby.hammondcg.com

When you get to the media portal page, you will be prompted to enter credentials to access and download training footage, b-roll, color, interviews and press conferences.

Username: kyderby2025

Password: D3rby2025

Please tag your footage with the following: CREDIT: CHURCHILL DOWNS

For further information, inquires or to report technical difficulties, please contact Jesse B. Kelsey, Vice-President of Hammond Communications Group, Inc. at (859) 492-5768 or at jkelsey@hammondcg.com.

COADY MEDIA – To access photographic imagery of morning workouts, scenic shots, races and more, please visit:

https://www.coadyplus.com/gallery/Churchill-Downs-Spring-2025-Media/G0000mObeZBZmx8U/C0000PLb2ljPK8UQ

Please credit photos: Churchill Downs/Coady Media

Churchill Downs Racing Communications/Notes Team

Darren Rogers | Senior Director, Communications & Media Services| (502) 636-4461 (office) | (502) 345-1030 (mobile) | Darren.Rogers@KyDerby.com | @ DerbyMedia

Kevin Kerstein | Ky Racing Communications | (502) 635-4712 (office) |

(610) 420-6971 (mobile) | Kevin.Kerstein@KyDerby.com| @HorseRacingKK

Gary Yunt | Notes Team Captain | (502) 636-4460 (office) |

(303) 981-5629 (mobile) | Gary.Yunt@KyDerby.com|@DerbyNotesGuy

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