Homeboykris, currently the No. 20 horse in terms of graded earnings for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), worked six furlong in 1:14 4/5 April 21 at Churchill Downs with Julien Leparoux aboard.
It was the first work in Louisville for the gelded son of Roman Ruler , who arrived from his Florida stable just one day prior. He had been working steadily at Gulfstream Park before shipping to Kentucky for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, a co-owner of Homeboykris, was in attendance to watch the work. The Dodgers are currently in nearby Cincinnati for a three-game series against the Reds.
"I liked the work,” Dutrow said. “I’m very happy with him. I have been high on this horse since the beginning. Julien worked him a couple of times in Florida and he was happy with the work, and said he got over the track very well.”
If he makes the Derby, Homeboykris will be racing for the first time since finishing second in a Feb. 27 allowance contest at Gulfstream. In his only other start of the season, he was fifth in the Jan.23 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III). Homeboykris banked nearly all of his $250,500 in graded earnings by winning the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old.
"All the owners with this horse are on Cloud Nine to be here and Homeboy, if he runs his race and gets a good trip, he can beat a lot of these horses,” Dutrow said.
There is a possibility that Homeboykris would not draw into the Derby, which is limited to 20 starters, if the other 19 3-year-olds ahead of him on the graded earnings list all go and the Todd Pletcher-trained filly Devil May Care is entered in the Derby instead of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). Devil May Care has $363,000 of graded earnings and in the aforementioned scenario, would bump Homeboykris off the list.
Pletcher said earlier this week that a decision on Devil May Care, as well as a couple of his other Derby hopefuls, would be made after they have their final works this weekend.
