Offlee Wild Has First Post-Derby Work

Edited release from Churchill Downs
Azalea Stable's Offlee Wild, winner of the Holy Bull (gr. III) turned in a solid five-furlong workout Friday at Churchill Downs in his first serious training move since his 12th-place finish behind Funny Cide in Kentucky Derby 129.

The T.V. Smith-trained son of Wild Again covered the distance over a "fast" track in 1:01.40 under jockey Robby Albarado. The move was the second fastest of 20 at the distance, although Albarado had orders from Smith to take it easy.

"I told Robby I didn't want any :59's," he said. "I wasn't interested in what he did, just how he did it."

What Offlee Wild did was pleasing to his veteran trainer, who gave the colt some time off after his dull run in the Derby. Smith said the colt had no physical problems, but appeared to have been knocked out by a tough spring campaign.

"I had two different vets go over him and they couldn't find a thing," he said. "They only thing commented about was that he looks a little thin and I said 'I agree with you, needs to put some weight on.' So I lightened up the training on him and he's responded well to it. The horse is really doing well."

Smith has no firm immediate plan for the colt's summer campaign. Offlee Wild will be nominated to several June races for 3-year-olds, including the $100,000 Northern Dancer at Churchill Downs, the Ohio Derby (gr. II) at Thistledown and the Leonard Richards (gr. III) at Delaware Park.