Kentucky Derby Update: Friday, April 22, 2022

Apr 22, 2022

Derby season is here and Churchill Downs was bustling with
excitement Friday morning as 10 Derby and Oaks contenders logged their
penultimate work prior to the first weekend in May. Half of those workers were
from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn – Oaks contenders Goddess of
Fire (five furlongs, 1:00.80); Nest (four furlongs, :49.80); and Shahama (five
furlongs, 1:00.80) and Derby contenders Charge It (five furlongs, 1:00.40) and
Mo Donegal (four furlongs, :50.20).

Other Derby and Oaks contenders that worked Friday were
Barber Road (six furlongs, 1:16.40); Beguine (five furlongs, 1:01); Cocktail
Moments (five furlongs, 1:01.20); Turnerloose (five furlongs, 1:01.20) and
Zozos (six furlongs, 1:12.40).

The Pletcher squad began their works at 6 a.m. (all times
Eastern) with the trio of Oaks breezes. Red Oak Stable’s Gulfstream Park Oaks
(GII) runner-up Goddess of Fire worked on the inside of KHK Racing’s UAE Oaks
(GIII) winner Shahama through fractions of :13.20, :25.60 and :37.40. The duo
galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20 and completed seven furlongs in 1:26.
Their stablemate, Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael
House’s recent Ashland (GI) heroine Nest, worked an easy half-mile outside of
Inventing through eighth-mile clockings of :13.20, :25.40 and :37.80. They
galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.60.

“Nest went a nice half in about :50 and galloped out
nicely,” Pletcher said. “We were looking for a little bit more from Goddess of
Fire and Shahama. Goddess of Fire hasn’t run since the Fair Grounds Oaks and
Shahama hasn’t run since the UAE Oaks. So, we were looking for a little bit of
a stronger work from them. They galloped out well and I was pleased with how
they went.”

About 90 minutes later, Pletcher’s Derby duo of Whisper Hill
Farm’s Florida Derby (GI) runner-up Charge It and Donegal Racing’s Wood
Memorial (GII) winner Mo Donegal worked in separate sets. Charge It was the
first of the two to work and went in company outside Cezanne through fractions
of :12, :25.40, :37.60. They galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.80 and seven
furlongs in 1:25. Charge It completed his move with a one-mile time of 1:38.60.
Mo Donegal breezed outside of My Prankster through composed early fractions of
:13 and :26.20. They galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.20.

“With Charge It, we were looking for a good, solid breeze,”
Pletcher said. “He went a minute and four-fifths with a super big gallop out.
We were really happy with that. With Mo Donegal, with the Wood just 13 days
ago, we were just looking for an easy half in :50. He had a nice gallop out as
well. All the horses got over the track well. The track still had a little
moisture in it from yesterday but they all handled it well.”

Jockey Irad Oritz Jr. was at Churchill Downs to work both
Nest and Mo Donegal on Friday for Pletcher.

“Nest is improving race by race,” Ortiz said. “We really
loved her since Day 1. Hopefully, we can get lucky that day. Mo Donegal is a
really good horse. He is nice and quiet. He does everything we ask him to do.
It looks like he should like the distance. It shouldn’t be a problem with him.
With a mile-and-a-quarter for 3-year-olds, he’s the type of style you want for
that day.”

Pletcher’s third Derby contender, Pioneer of Medina,
galloped at 8:15 a.m.

At 7:30 a.m., WSS Racing’s Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up
Barber Road worked solo with jockey Reylu Gutierrez in the saddle. The son of
Race Day easily galloped through opening splits of :13.60, :26.60, :39.60 and
:51.80. He completed his seven-furlong gallop out in 1:29.

Shortly before Barber Road worked, Barray and Joni Butzow’s
TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (GII) runner-up Zozos breezed with jockey
Florent Geroux in the saddle outside of stablemate Fulsome through swift
quarter-mile times of :24 and :48.40. The duo galloped out around the clubhouse
through seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

“It was another really strong move,” trainer Brad Cox said.
“He galloped out really well around the turn and is really doing well over this
track. He’s a quick horse as he showed in the Louisiana Derby but he settles
into his works nicely.”

Twenty minutes following Zozo’s move, Cox also worked Ike
and Dawn Thrash ’s Rachel Alexandra (GII) winner Turnerloose five furlongs in
1:01.20 inside of Grade I-winner Juju’s Map.

Saturday is expected to be another busy morning at Churchill
Downs. Arkansas Derby (GI) winner Cyberknife is slated to work at 5:15 a.m.
Other known Derby and Oaks workers include Smile Happy, Tiz the Bomb and Un Ojo
.

Friday at 6 p.m., “ Inside Churchill Downs” will cover the
Friday morning works along with give fans an update on the latest Derby and
Oaks news and notes. Fans can listen live on ESPN 680/105.7 in the Louisville
area or online at www.espnlouisville.com.

Saturday is the first morning for the exclusive Oaks/Derby
training window from 7:30-7:45 a.m. Fans can watch the livestream on the
Kentucky Derby’s social media channels.

DAWN AT THE DOWNS: DERBY, OAKS MORNING WORKOUTS OPEN TO
PUBLIC – Between Saturday, April 23 and Wednesday, May 4, Churchill Downs will
be open free-of-charge daily from 7-10 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.

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

Kentucky Derby Morning Works presented by TwinSpires.com
will begin Monday and air on www.kentuckyderby.com/works, Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube. Fans in attendance will be able to watch the show on the track’s Big
Board and infield televisions. The first two days of Kentucky Derby and Oaks
training (Saturday and Sunday) also will be livestreamed on the Kentucky
Derby’s social media channels, but without commentary.

Guests can enter Churchill Downs through the Paddock Gate
and should park for free in the nearby White Lot for convenient entry. Guests
will be directed to Sections 115-117 to watch the morning workouts.

No outside food and beverage is allowed. Churchill Downs’
Paddock Grill will be open each morning with breakfast food and beverage
options.

Also, the Churchill Downs Store will be open daily featuring
all of the best official race merchandise, collectibles, drinkwear, party
supplies, gifts, apparel and gear for men and women in advance of the Kentucky
Derby.

On Sunday, May 1 and Monday, May 2, fans can enjoy a premium
breakfast in Millionaires Row or the Stakes Room for Dawn at the Downs. Tickets
start at $41 and can be purchased on www.KentuckyDerby.com/tickets. 

The 148th runnings of the $1.25 Longines Kentucky Oaks
(Grade I) and $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) will
be held Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7, respectively. Opening Night of Derby
Week and the 44-day Spring Meet is Saturday, April 30.