Robert and Lawana Low’s Fantasy (gr. II) runner-up Arienza worked five furlongs in :59 4/5 over a fast track, matching Kentucky Derby hopeful Archarcharch for the fastest time of 58 at the distance Friday morning at Churchill Downs. However, her trainer said she is still up in the air for the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
With retired jockey Larry Melancon up, Arienza clicked off fractions of :11 4/5, :23 1/5, and :34 2/5.
“It was a good work,” trainer Dan Peitz said. “I got her last three-eighths in :35 and 2, and maybe a tick faster on the final time than what the clockers got her in.
“I am probably leaning toward the Eight Belles (gr. III, on the Oaks undercard). I’ll see how she comes out of the work and how everybody else is doing but if Larry (Jones with Joyful Victory) and Todd (Pletcher with R Heat Lightning) are sitting on go, we may wait.”
In other Oaks work news April 29, Right Time Racing’s Bouquet Booth worked five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 under jockey Robby Albarado after the renovation break.
Fractions for the move were :12 4/5, :25.60, :38 1/5 and :50 3/5, and she galloped out six furlongs in 1:16 3/5.
“Robby let her roll from the sixteenth pole home and we did not want to overdo it six or seven days out,” trainer Steve Margolis said. “She had her major work last week (five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 on April 21).”
Bouquet Booth enters the Oaks off a fourth-place finish in the Central Bank Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland on April 9.
“I am a realist and I know it is a tough spot,” Margolis said. “I know she might be the sixth or seventh choice, but she has proved herself with these type horses and deserves a shot. She is training well and if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t run.”
John Oxley’s Delightful Mary worked five furlongs in company in 1:01 3/5 after the renovation break under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.
Working with Exclusive Love, Delightful Mary was clocked in fractions of :25 3/5, :37 1/5, :49 1/5, and out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5. She is also questionable for the Oaks.
“It was fine. We had two clocks on her and we got her a second faster, but that really doesn’t matter,” trainer Mark Casse said of Delightful Mary, who ran third at Churchill last fall in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) in her only start on dirt. “I was watching some of the other workers and it seemed like some of them struggled with the track, but she didn’t.”
Fleur De Lis Racing’s Suave Voir Faire worked five furlongs in :59 4/5 at the HighPointe Training Center under exercise rider Frederick Carmouche. The move was the fastest of six at the distance over a track rated as fast.
“It was a good move. I got her last quarter in :23 and 4 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13,” trainer Speedy Smithwick said. “I thought the track was a little heavy this morning. I thought it might be more ‘wet-fast.’ ”
Smithwick plans to bring Suave Voir Faire to Churchill Downs most likely on Monday.