Kentucky Derby Update: Monday, April 19, 2021

Apr 19, 2021

On a brisk Monday morning in Louisville, Winchell
Thorougbreds’ multiple graded stakes-placed colt Midnight
Bourbon
continued his serious preparation for the $3 million Kentucky Derby
presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) with
a swift five furlong move in :59.80,
the fastest of 13 horses at the distance.

    Trained by Hall of Famer
Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon worked in
company with
recent Turfway Park maiden winner Bajan Rum through
fractions of :12.40, :24, :35.60. The TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (GII)
runner-up galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.80 and completed seven furlongs in
1:26, according to Churchill Downs clocker
John Nichols.

    Tuesday will be the
first day on the track for Blue Grass (GII) runner-up
Highly Motivated,
who arrived at trainer Chad Brown’s Barn 25 at 8 a.m. (all times Eastern) from
Keeneland. Brown is scheduled to be at Churchill Downs
Tuesday.

   

BOURBONIC, DYNAMIC ONE, KNOWN AGENDA,
SAINTHOOD
– Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher
sent his four hopefuls for the Run for the Roses out for 1 3/8-mile gallops
Monday morning.

    Pletcher
utilized the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks candidates
to send out
St. Elias Stable’s Known Agenda with Hector Ramos
aboard, Repole Stable, Phipps Stable
and St. Elias Stable’s Dynamic One with Carlos Perez Quevedo aboard and WinStar
Farm and CHC Inc.’s Sainthood with Amelia Green
aboard.

    Calumet Farm’s Bourbonic galloped after 9 o’clock with Ramos
aboard.

Pletcher said Monday morning that no rider
has been confirmed for Sainthood, who comes into Derby 147 off a runner-up
finish in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) at Turfway Park March 27.

 

CADDO RIVER, ESSENTIAL QUALITY, MANDALOUN – Godolphin’s Kentucky
Derby favorite
Essential Quality and Juddmonte
Farm’s Mandaloun jogged at 6:20 a.m.
Monday at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox while stablemate
Caddo River
galloped at 5:15 a.m.

    “(Essential Quality and Mandaloun) both came out of their Saturday works in good
shape,” trainer
Brad Cox said. “We’re gearing up. It’s getting exciting
around the barn and we’re ready for the Derby.”

    Shortleaf Stable’s
Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up Caddo River plans to run in the Kentucky Derby
remain tentative.

   

HELIUM, SOUP AND SANDWICH – D J Stable’s Tampa Bay
Derby (GII) winner
Helium along with Live Oak Plantation’s
Florida Derby (GI)
Soup and Sandwich had a scheduled walk day at trainer
Mark Casse’s Barn 36
at Churchill Downs.

    “We had an easy day
around the barn today,”
Casse’s assistant David
Carroll
said.

    Both horses are
scheduled to work this weekend.

 

HIGHLY MOTIVATED – Klaravich
Stables’ homebred Highly Motivated, runner-up in the Blue Grass
Stakes (GII) in his most recent start April 3, arrived at Churchill Downs at 8
o’clock Monday morning from
Keeneland.

    The Chad Brown
trainee had worked a half-mile in :47.20 Sunday morning that was the best of 27
at the distance.

 

KEEPMEINMIND – Spendthrift Farm, Cypress
Creek
and Arnold Bennewith’s Keepmeinmind jogged two
miles early Monday morning under exercise rider
Enrique Benitez for
trainer
Robertino Diodoro.

    Winner of the Kentucky
Jockey Club (GII) here last fall,
Keepmeinmind had
worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 under Benitez at
Keeneland
on Saturday and arrived at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

    He currently sits No. 22
on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

 

KING FURY – Fern Circle Stables and Three
Chimneys
Farm’s King Fury galloped 1 ½ miles at 5:30 under
exercise rider
Danny Ramsey for trainer Kenny McPeek.

    He needs one defection
to make the field of 20 for the first Saturday in May.

 

MIDNIGHT BOURBON, SUPER STOCK – Winchell Thoroughbreds’
multiple graded stakes placed-colt Midnight Bourbon worked five
furlongs in :59.80 in company with stablemate
Bajan Rum (five furlongs,
1:00.80).

    “We’re obviously very
excited about who Midnight Bourbon is,” Hall of Fame trainer
Steve Asmussen said. “Physically, he’s an absolutely
beautiful horse. Going over the track now, he’s as good as he’s ever been. He’s
always had a big frame, now there’s just more of him in the right spots.”

    Erv
Woolsey and Keith Asmussen’s upset Arkansas Derby (GI) hero Super Stock had a
scheduled walk day.

 

O BESOS – Barrett Bernard, Tagg Team Racing and West Point
Thoroughbreds
’ Louisiana Derby (GII) third-place finisher O Besos jogged about one mile under Margarito
Fierro at 6:30 a.m. Monday at Churchill Downs.

    O Besos
is scheduled to work Wednesday.

 

STARRININMYDREAMS – Stewart Racing and WinStar Farm’s third-place Lexington Stakes
(GIII) finisher
Starrininmydreams galloped
about 1 ½ miles at 6:30 a.m. under exercise rider
Emerson Chavez.

    Starrininmydreams
sits No. 23 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

 

SHAPING
UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY
– Likely starters
in the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford
Reserve (Grade I) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 1 in order of
preference (with possible jockey and trainer):
Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox);
Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat, Doug O’Neill); Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr.,
Steve
Asmussen);
Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz,
Todd
Pletcher);
Rock Your World (Joel Rosario, John Sadler); Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert); Midnight
Bourbon
(Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen); Mandaloun (Florent Geroux,
Brad Cox);
Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano, Chad Brown); Helium
(Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse); Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse); Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Sainthood (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley); Get Her Number (TBA, Peter Miller); 

 

Possible
starters within the Top 20 on the preference list:
Caddo River (TBA,
Brad Cox);
Dream Shake (TBA, Peter Eurton)

 

Next up
in order of preference:
King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Starrininmydreams (TBA, Dallas
Stewart).

 

LONGINES
KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE
– Undefeated filly Soothsay
was removed from consideration from the $1.25 million Longines
Kentucky Oaks (GI) Monday morning, according to trainer Richard Mandella.

   
The cutoff for the field of 14 for the Oaks is
Kueber
Racing’s three-time winner Coach.

 

AVA’S GRACE – Cypress Creek Equine’s Ava’s
Grace
jogged two miles early Monday morning uinder
Walter Davila for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Monday’s activity was her first on track since
working a half-mile here Saturday morning in :48.60.

 

CLAIRIERE, PAULINE’S PEARL – Stonestreet
Stable’s Clairiere and Pauline’s Pearl
had scheduled walk days at Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s Barn 38 at Churchill Downs following their Sunday
morning works. Both fillies are expected to train Tuesday.

COMPETITIVE SPEED – John Minchello’s Competitive Speed galloped a little more
than a mile after 9 o’clock with
Juan Vargas aboard for trainer Javier
Gonzalez
.

    Gonzalez, who is making
his first trip to Churchill Downs, said Competitive Speed arrived Sunday
morning from Gulfstream Park where he has 10 horses stabled. No rider has been
confirmed for Competitive Speed who is scheduled to work Friday.

 

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL – Phoenix Thoroughbred LTD’s Crazy
Beautiful
galloped 1 ½ miles under Danny Ramsey for trainer Kenny
McPeek during the 7:30-7:45 training window for
Kentucky Derby and Oaks hopefuls.

 

MALATHAAT – Shadwell Stable’s undefeated Malathaat galloped 1 3/8 miles early Monday morning
with
Amelia Green aboard the Ashland (GI) winner for trainer Todd
Pletcher.

 

MILLEFEUILLE – Juddmonte
Farms’ Millefeuille arrived from Payson
Park Training Center in South Florida Sunday night and was on the track Monday
morning at 7:30 to gallop a mile under exercise rider
Ailsa Morrison for
trainer
Bill Mott.

 

SEARCH RESULTS – Klaravich
Stables’ undefeated Search Results is scheduled to arrive at
Churchill Downs Monday afternoon on a flight from New York for trainer
Chad
Brown.

 

WILL’S
SECRET
– Willis Horton’s Honeybee
(GIII) winner
Will’s Secret galloped about 1 3/8 miles Monday at
Churchill Downs under exercise rider
Emerson Chavez.

 

SHAPING
UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS
– Likely starters in the 147th
running of the $1.25 million
Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on
Friday, April 30 in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer):
Search
Results
(Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Brad
Cox);
Crazy Beautiful (Jose Ortiz, Kenny McPeek); Pauline’s Pearl (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen);
Malathaat (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Clairiere (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); Will’s Secret (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart); Millefeuille (Joel Rosario, Bill Mott); Moraz (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy); Ava’s Grace (TBA, Robertino Diodoro); Pass
the Champagne
(Javier Castellano, George Weaver); Maracuja
(Kendrick Carmouche, Rob Atras); Competitive Speed (TBA, Javier Gonzalez); Coach (Luis Saez).  

 

Next up
in order of preference:
Moon Swag (TBA, Brendan Walsh); Army Wife (TBA,
Mike Maker);
Spritz (Chris Landeros, Rodolphe Brisset); Oliviaofthedesert (TBA, Kenny McPeek).

 

STAKES
PROBABLES
– The following are the early
probable stakes race entrants for Kentucky Derby Week, according to assistant
racing secretary and stakes coordinator
Dan Bork:

 

The 6^th
running of the $125,000 William Walker (Listed), run on Saturday, April 24 at 5
½ furlongs on turf, entries close Wednesday, April 21:
Bodenheimer
(trainer Valorie Lund); Cees Get Degrees
(Michelle Lovell); Charles Chrome (Reeve McGaughey);
Field Day (Brad Cox); Gagetown (Brad Cox); The Wolfman (Phil Schoenthal).
Possible:
Unitedandresolute (Tom Amoss)

 

The 3^rd
running of the $120,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes presented by
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, run Tuesday, April 27 at 1 ½ miles, entries
close Thursday, April 22:
Dack Janiel’s (Jack Sisterson); Plus
Que Parfait
(Brendan Walsh); Ry’s the Guy (Ian Wilkes); Strong
Tide
(Mike Lauer); You’re To Blame (Ron Moquett).

 

The 27^th
running of the $125,000 Kentucky Juvenile, run Wednesday, April 28 at five
furlongs, entries close Friday, April 23:
Bohemian Frost (John
Ennis);
Saucy Lady T (James Chapman); Shesgotattitude
(Ennis).

 

The 16^th
running of the $120,000 Opening Verse Overnight Stakes, run Wednesday, April 28
at one mile on turf, entries close Friday, April 23:
Captivating Moon
(Chris Block); Epic Dreamer (Mark Casse); Sayyaaf (Mike Maker); Set Piece (Brad Cox); Spectacular
Gem
(Jimmy Baker).

 

The 11^th
running of the $150,000 Unbridled Sidney, run on Thursday, April 29 at 5 ½
furlongs on turf, entries close Saturday, April 24:
A Bit of Both (Mike
Maker);
Ambassador Luna (James Gulick); Change
of Control
(Michelle Lovell); Foxxy
Belle (Michael Ann Ewing); Into Mystic (Brendan Walsh); Lady
Grace
(Mark Casse); She’sonthewarpath
(Steve Margolis); Wining Envelope (Chris Block); Yes It’s Ginger
(Greg Foley).

 

The 27^th
running of the $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (Grade II),
run Friday, April 30 at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, entries close Monday, April 26:
American
Butterfly
(D. Wayne Lukas); Carotari
(Brian Lynch); Classy John (Dallas Stewart): Diamond Oops
(Patrick Biancone); Firecrow
(Ron Moquett); Just Might (Michelle Lovell); Sombeyay (Peter Miller).

 

The 37^th
Running of the $300,000 Edgewood presented by Newport Racing & Gaming
(Grade II), run on Friday, April 30 at 1 1/16 miles on turf, entries close
Monday, April 26:
Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Brad Cox); I Get It
(Mark Casse); Oliviaofthedesert
(Kenny McPeek); Postnup
(Cherie DeVaux); Queen of the Green
(Jason Barkley). Possible Jouster (Todd Pletcher),
Zaajel (Pletcher).

 

The 66^th
running of the $300,000 Eight Belles presented by Smithfield (Grade II), run on
Friday April 30 at seven furlongs, entries close Monday, April 26:
Abrogate
(Steve Asmussen); Dayoutoftheoffice
(Tim Hamm); Euphoric (Bernie Flint); Slumber Party (Kelly Breen);
Sun Path (Brad Cox); Windmill (Larray Jones). Possible: Joyful
Cadence
(John Ortiz).

 

The 18^th
running of the $400,000 Alysheba presented by
Sentient Jet (Grade II), run on Friday, April 30 at 1 1/16 miles, entries close
Monday, April 26:
Attachment Rate (Dale Romans); Chess Chief
(Dallas Stewart); Maxfield (Brendan Walsh); Roadster
(Bob Baffert): Sonneman
(Steve Asmussen); Visitant (Bill Morey).

 

The 36^th
running of the $500,000 La Troienne presented by
TwinSpires.com (Grade I), run on Friday, April 30 at 1 1/16 miles, entries
close Monday, April 26:
As Time Goes By (Bob Baffert);
Dunbar Road (Chad Brown); Envoutante
(Kenny McPeek); Paris Lights (Bill Mott); Sanenus (CHI) (Michael McCarthy); Shedaresthedevil (Brad Cox). Possible: Finite
(Steve Asmussen).

 

The 30^th
running of the $500,000 American Turf presented by Derby City Gaming (Grade
II), run on Saturday, May 1 at 1 1/16 miles on turf, entries close Tuesday,
April 27:
Fire At Will (Mike Maker); Holy Vow (John Ortiz); Lucky
Law
(Patrick Biancone); Palazzi (Mark Casse); Winfromwithin
(Todd Pletcher).

 

The 97^th
running of the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU, run on
Saturday, May 1 at one mile, entries close Tuesday, April 27:
Excellent
Timing
(Chad Brown); Gretzky the Great (Mark Casse);
Jackie’s Warrior (Steve Asmussen); Prevalence
(Brendan Walsh); Whiskey Double (Steve Asmussen).
Possible:
Dream Shake (Peter Eurton); Dreamer’s
Disease
(Robertino Diodoro). 

 

The 36^th
running of the $500,000 Longines Distaff Turf Mile
(Grade II), run on Saturday, May 1 at one mile on turf, entries close Tuesday,
April 27:
Abscond (Eddie Kenneally); Blowout
(Chad Brown); Got Stormy (Mark Casse); Princess
Grace
(Mike Stidham).

 

The 35^th
running of the $500,000 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery
(Grade I), run on Saturday, May 1 at seven furlongs, entries close Tuesday,
April 27:
Bell’s the One (Neil Pessin); Gamine
(Bob Baffert), Sconsin
(Greg Foley). Possible: Finite (Steve Asmussen);
Hibiscus Punch (Justin Nixon); Unique Factor (Peter Miller).

 

The 86^th
running of the $500,000 Churchill Downs presented by Ford (Grade I), run on
Saturday, May 1 at seven furlongs, entries close Tuesday, April 27:
Charlatan
(Bob Baffert); Hog Creek Hustle (Vickie
Foley);
Lexitonian (Jack Sisterson);
Tap It To Win (Mark Casse). Possible: Bango (Greg Foley); Shashashakemeup
(Peter Miller).

 

The 35^th
running of the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade I), run on
Saturday, May 1 at 1 1/8 miles on turf, entries close Tuesday, April 27:
Arklow (Brad Cox); Colonel Liam (Todd Pletcher); Digital Age (Chad Brown); Ivar (BRZ)
(Paolo Lobo); Masteroffoxhounds (Richard Baltas); Ride a Comet (Mark Casse);
Smooth Like Strait (Michael McCarthy). Possible: Flavius (Chad
Brown),
Spooky Channel (Brian Lynch).

 

EDITORIAL PHOTOS
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Please credit all photos to Churchill Downs/Coady Photography.

 

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