Kentucky Derby Update: Burnham Square Tops Kentucky Derby Work Tab; Tappan Street Injury Puts Render Judgment Into Field; Four Oaks Hopefuls Work

Apr 26, 2025

Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square topped a list of five Kentucky Derby hopefuls with timed workouts Saturday morning at Churchill Downs under three track conditions.

However, one of the five, WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and Cold Press Racing’s Tappan Street will not be participating in Kentucky Derby 151. The Brad Cox trainee exited his five-furlong work in :59.60 with a right foreleg injury.

The Post Position Draw for the Oaks and Derby will take place Saturday night beginning a little after 7 p.m. (all times Eastern) between the fifth and sixth races on the Spring Meet opening-night program.

First up at 5:30 on a track rated sloppy was BC Stables’ American Promise (five furlongs in :59.40) on his own.

Following the first track maintenance break with the track condition upgraded to good, Burnham Square worked five furlongs on his own in :59.40. Also during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) hopefuls, Baccari Racing Stable, Dream Walkin Farms, MJM Racing and Rocket Ship Racing’s Render Judgment worked five furlongs in :59 in company.

Working over a fast track at 9 o’clock following the second maintenance break, were Tappan Street and Juddmonte’s Final Gambit with the latter working five furlongs in company in 1:01.

Several scheduled works were pushed back a day. On tap now for Sunday morning are Journalism, Rodriguez, Sovereignty, East Avenue, Tiztastic and Publisher.

Also working Saturday morning were a quartet of Longines Kentucky Oaks hopefuls headed by Baoma Corp’s Santa Anita Oaks (GII) winner Tenma, who worked a half-mile on a track rated as good in :48.40 for trainer Bob Baffert.

Other Oaks workers were Bell Racing’s Anna’s Promise (five furlongs in 1:00.40 over good footing in company), Rodeo Creek Racing’s Ballerina d’Oro (four furlongs in :48 over fast footing) and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables’ undefeated Fondly (five furlongs in 1:02.20 over fast footing).

ADMIRE DAYTONA – UAE Derby (GII) winner Admire Daytona jogged in the one-mile chute then galloped Saturday morning.

The colt is scheduled to have a published workout Tuesday.

AMERICAN PROMISE – BC Stables’ Virginia Derby winner American Promise wasted no time going to the track Saturday morning, working five furlongs in :59.40 with jockey Nik Juarez up.

Churchill Downs clockers timed American Promise in fractions of :12, :23.80, :35.40, :47, :59.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Juarez arrived in Louisville at 8:30 Friday night after driving to Kentucky from Oaklawn Park.

“Got here last night, ready to work this morning,” Juarez said. “He was ready to work too and the off track was not a problem.”

Juarez rode American Promise for the first time in the Virginia Derby when the Justify colt won by 7 ¾ lengths. American Promise broke his maiden over a muddy track at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 29.

American Promise is a half-brother to Grade II stakes winner Hoosier Philly who will be shooting for millionaire status Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn Park in the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes. She has earned $974,465.

BAEZA – Trainer John Shirreffs went trackside Saturday morning with his colt Baeza, who had come in from California on Thursday. The son of the young stallion McKinzie, currently No. 21 on the Kentucky Derby points list (only 20 get to run), galloped during the special 7:15 to 7:30 training period for horses bound for the Derby or the Kentucky Oaks.

Baeza turned in a steady gallop  over the “good” Churchill strip under exercise rider Frankie Herrate. “You might remember,” the trainer noted to a bystander, “Frankie galloped Giacomo here for me in 2005.”

Giacomo, with Mike Smith in the boot, is recalled as the 2005 Kentucky Derby winner at the hearty price of 50-1.

Baeza, unfortunately, isn’t likely to make the 2025 Derby field, even though Shirreffs has the Eclipse Award jockey Flavien Prat named as his rider.

“If we don’t make it,” the trainer said, “we’ll work him here Monday. Then we’ve got to look at the Preakness.”

BURNHAM SQUARE – Whitham Thoroughbreds’ homebred Burnham Square worked five furlongs in :59.40 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. up for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Working at 7:15 over a track rated as good, Burnham Square produced fractions of :12.40, :24.40, :36, :59.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12 and seven-eighths in 1:26.20.

“I let him out a little bit at the eighth pole and he got his last eighth in 11 and 1,” said Hernandez, winner of Derby 150 last year on Mystik Dan.

Watching the work from the backstretch was two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Carl Nafzger for whom Wilkes served as an exercise rider for Unbridled in 1990 and as an assistant for Street Sense in 2007.

“The track was good,” Wilkes said. “It was probably a tick faster, but he did it well in hand and had a strong gallop out. We just have to keep him on the ground now. He’s ready.”

CHUNK OF GOLD – Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold arrived at Churchill Downs Friday at 3 p.m.

The son of Preservationist had a walk day at Barn 45 and is scheduled to hit the track Sunday morning.

CITIZEN BULL/RODRIGUEZ – Trainer Bob Baffert’s duo of Derby colts – Rodriguez and Citizen Bull – were gallopers not workers, Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Both got to stretch their legs nonetheless with exercise rider Eric Garcia handling the Authentic colt Rodriguez and Humberto Gomez aboard last year’s 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull.

Both youngsters traveled approximately a mile and a quarter around the big strip, which went from sloppy to “good” to fast over the course of the morning.

Hall of Famer Baffert said his plan is to work Rodriguez Sunday morning, then Citizen Bull on Monday.

Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who was aboard Rodriguez for his tally in the Grade II Wood Memorial in his most recent outing on April 5, has the call back for Derby 151. Regular rider Martin Garcia will be aboard Citizen Bull, who has four wins in six starts and more than $1.4 million in earnings.

COAL BATTLE – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle walked at Barn 42 Saturday morning and following training hours had a paddock schooling session.

EAST AVENUE – Godolphin’s East Avenue schooled in the paddock then galloped under exercise rider Stephen Dolan for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The Blue Grass (GI) runner-up is slated to breeze Sunday with jockey Manny Franco in the saddle.

FINAL GAMBIT/TAPPAN STREET – WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and Cold Press Racing’s Tappan Street breezed five furlongs in :59.40 but following the work, trainer Brad Cox reported the colt had a condylar fracture in his right foreleg.

His stablemate, Juddmonte’s Final Gambit, completed his final move before the Derby by working five furlongs in 1:01 under jockey Luan Machado. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.80.

FLYING MOHAWK – Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing and Kaleta Racing’s Flying Mohawk had a scheduled walk day following his five-furlong move in 1:00 Friday.

GRANDE – Repole Stable’s Curlin colt Grande, who had drilled five furlongs in 1:01 Friday morning at Keeneland, was sent back to the track at Churchill Downs Saturday by conditioner Todd Pletcher.

“He’s a high energy colt and we’ve got to keep him busy,” the seven-time Eclipse Award winner noted. “He’ll just gallop a mile.”

Grande, who most recently ran second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5, will be handled by Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez in Derby 151. The veteran reinsman was aboard the Kentucky-bred for victories in a straight maiden test and an allowance race at Gulfstream Park this year.

JOURNALISM – The likely Kentucky Derby favorite was scheduled to turn in his final major prep for the Run for the Roses Saturday morning, but when the day dawned trainer Michael McCarthy said “uh, uh.”

“That track out there is a little wetter than I’d like it to be,” he offered. “We’ll wait until tomorrow.”

Journalism, a striking colt by super sire Curlin, is headed to America’s most famous race with four straight victories under his belt, the most recent one the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 5.

So instead of his Saturday work, the bay took exercise rider Marc Witkowski for a mile and a quarter spin around Churchill in a good gallop. Sunday will be a different story.

LUXOR CAFÉ – Fukuryu Stakes winner Luxor Café galloped at 7:15 a.m. under exercise rider Naoto Suzuki.

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 arrived at Churchill Downs Saturday morning.

He’s scheduled to hit the track Sunday morning.

OWEN ALMIGHTY – Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty galloped a mile and a half at 5:30 under exercise rider Antonio Orellana for trainer Brian Lynch.

PUBLISHER/TIZTASTIC – Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s duo of Publisher and Tiztastic galloped Saturday and are scheduled to work on Sunday.

RENDER JUDGMENT – Trainer Kenny McPeek reported Virginia Derby runner-up Render Judgment will be entered in the Derby.

The colt breezed five furlongs in :59 under jockey Julien Leparoux who has the call in the “Run for the Roses.”

SANDMAN – D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman galloped a mile during the 7:15-7:30 training window under Froylan Garcia for trainer Mark Casse.

SOVEREIGNTY – “We’re just going to gallop at 7:15,” noted trainer Bill Mott Saturday concerning his Kentucky Derby charge Sovereignty. “I don’t have a problem with the racetrack; I just decided to wait until tomorrow (to work).”

The Hall of Fame conditioner has previously indicated that his Into Mischief colt, owned and bred by the folks of Godolphin, was going to turn in his final Derby drill Saturday morning, but checked to Plan B for his double stakes winner on an overcast and chilly morning in Louisville.

Instead, the bay and exercise partner Javier Cardona, took a tour of the paddock, then galloped a mile and one half around the big Churchill oval.

Regular rider Junior Alvarado is slated to handle the homebred come Derby Day.

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

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE –

ANNA’S PROMISE – Bell Racing’s Anna’s Promise completed her final move prior to the Oaks with a five-furlong move in 1:00.40, working to the outside of the John Ortiz-trained Covert Law.

Anna’s Promise worked during the 7:15 a.m. training session reserved for Derby and Oaks contenders and breezed through quarter-mile splits of :12.80, :24.80 and :36.40. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.60.

BALLERINA d’ORO – Rodeo Creek Racing’s Gazelle (GIII) winner Ballerina d’Oro completed her major Longines Kentucky Oaks preparation with a half-mile move in :48 with exercise rider Kriss Bon in the saddle.

“I thought it was a really good move,” trainer Chad Brown said. “She got over the surface well.”

Flavien Prat has the call in the Oaks.

BLESS THE BROKEN – Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stable’s Bless the Broken, back at Churchill Downs for the first time since finishing second in an allowance race on Nov. 15, galloped at 7:15 under Genis Bracho for trainer Will Walden.

Bless the Broken arrived from Keeneland before noon Friday morning.

DREXEL HILL/SIMPLY JOKING – Trainer Whit Beckman’s Kentucky Oaks duo of Drexel Hill and Simply Joking had a scheduled walk day at Barn 21 following their Friday works.

FIVE G – Gatsas Stables’ Five G arrived at Churchill Downs at 4:20 Saturday morning following a van ride from trainer George Weaver’s winter base at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida.

FONDLY – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables’ Fondly worked five furlongs 1:02.20 over a fast track with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for trainer Graham Motion.

Working on her own, Fondly produced fractions of :24.60, :37.60, 1:02.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.20

Undefeated in two starts, Fondly won the Virginia Oaks in her most recent start with Ortiz aboard for the first time.

“I like her a lot,” Ortiz said. “She was good this morning and very comfortable. She’s got a great mind and very professional.”

Fondly will be the least experienced filly in the Oaks with just the two starts.

“It is not something I do with every horse, but her half-brother (Antiquarian) won the (1 1/8-mile) Peter Pan (GIII),” Motion said. “She has stepped up in distance every time and I think she can handle it.”

Motion, who will return to Louisville Wednesday, said Fondly would have gate and paddock schooling next week prior to the Oaks.

GOOD CHEER – Godolphin’s Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) favorite Good Cheer had a scheduled walk day at trainer Brad Cox’s Barn 22 following her five-eighths move in 1:00.40 on Friday.

LA CARA – Tracy Farmer’s La Cara visited the starting gate and then galloped a mile and half under Kevin Donnis for trainer Mark Casse during the 7:15-7:30 training window.

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

QUIETSIDE – Fantasy (GII) winner Quietside arrived at Churchill Downs Friday afternoon from Keeneland and is stabled in John Ortiz’ Barn 3.

TENMA – The Nyquist filly Tenma, a four-time graded stakes winner, put in her final work out for next Friday’s $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) Saturday morning on a Churchill strip listed as “good” when she went through her drill.

Trainer Bob Baffert had rider Martin Garcia up for the move and watched her go through it from the clocker’s stand near the five-eighths pole on the track’s backside.

“He’s good; he can really work one,” said Baffert in reference to the rider who has worked with him on and off for over a decade and will be aboard his colt Citizen Bull in next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby 151. “For a while there, I thought he had a clock in his head. I told him I wanted him to go in :48 (for the half mile) today, so let’s see how he does.”

Garcia put his filly to the test approaching the three-eighths pole, then took her a furlong past the wire. Baffert clicked his watch at :48.40 at the conclusion and said he was pleased. Subsequently, the track’s clockers gave Tenma an official :48.40 and noted an “out” time of 1:01.

Tenma will be one of the favorites for this 151st edition of the Oaks and Baffert has named California’s leading rider, Juan Hernandez, to do the driving that afternoon.

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

KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS MORNING WORKOUTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

THURSDAY, APRIL 24 THROUGH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 – 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.          The 151st runnings of the $1.5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) will be held Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, respectively. Opening Night of Derby Week and the 43-day Spring Meet is Saturday at 5 p.m.

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, May 1 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