Kentucky Derby Notes: Friday, April 28

(from Churchill Downs)
A daily update on the candidates for the May 6 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.

A.P. WARRIOR - Stan Fulton's A.P. Warrior galloped 1 ½ miles Friday morning at Hollywood Park under exercise rider Steve Willard. Trainer John Shirreffs said the son of A.P. Indy is scheduled to work Sunday morning at Hollywood Park and ship to Louisville on Tuesday.

Corey Nakatani will have the mount in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) on May 6.

BARBARO - Lael Stable's unbeaten Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Barbaro got a feel for the Churchill Downs track on Friday as he galloped 1 ½ miles with exercise rider Peter Brette in the saddle for trainer Michael Matz. "Everything's great," said Matz.

The son of Dynaformer arrived at Churchill Downs on Thursday following a van ride from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

BLUEGRASS CAT/KEYED ENTRY/SUNRIVER - The prospect of rain in the weekend forecast had trainer Todd Pletcher thinking about changes in his schedule for workouts by his trio of Kentucky Derby contenders.

WinStar Farm's Bluegrass Cat, Aaron and Marie Jones' Sunriver, and Sunlight Stables, Saylor and Lucarelli's Keyed Entry had all been scheduled to post their final pre-Derby works on Sunday, but Pletcher will look to move those works up a day.

"Right now, I'm leaning toward working them all on Saturday," said Pletcher.

Sunriver galloped 1 3/8 miles on Friday under retired jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. Keyed Entry galloped 1 ¼ miles under exercise rider Jacob Roberts and Bluegrass Cat also galloped 1 ¼ miles under exercise rider Luis Castillo.

Patrick Valenzuela is scheduled to ride Keyed Entry in the Kentucky Derby, but mounts on the other two horses remain open.

BOB AND JOHN/POINT DETERMINED/SINISTER MINISTER - Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert was on hand at Churchill Downs on Friday to watch the Lanni Family Trust's Sinister Minister, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I), gallop 1 ¼ miles under exercise rider Mick Jenner.

The son of Old Trieste is scheduled to work on Saturday.

Baffert's other Derby contenders, Stonerside Stable's Wood Memorial (gr. I) winner Bob and John and the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust's Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) runner-up Point Determined, galloped 1 ¼ miles at Santa Anita. The latter two are scheduled to work at Santa Anita on Sunday and ship to Louisville on Tuesday.

BROTHER DEREK - Cecil Peacock's probable morning line favorite for the Kentucky Derby 132, Brother Derek, made his first trip to the track at Churchill Downs after the renovation break Friday morning.

Under exercise rider Louis Ortega, Brother Derek jogged once around and then galloped once around as trainer Dan Hendricks looked on trackside just down the backstretch from the six-furlong gap.

"He looked fine," Hendricks said. "Louis said he handled the track fine."

Brother Derek arrived a Churchill Downs around noon on Thursday and Hendricks arrived early Thursday evening. "He shipped well, without any problems and seems to be very comfortable," said Hendricks of what would be his first Kentucky Derby starter.

The Benchmark colt is scheduled to gallop in the morning and has a work scheduled for Monday morning with Derby rider Alex Solis coming in.

CAUSE TO BELIEVE - Peter Redekop and Peter Abruzzo's Cause to Believe was on the track before 6:30 Friday morning under exercise rider DaRon Long.

Cause to Believe jogged in the mile chute, walked through the paddock and then galloped 1 ½ miles.

Galen May, who is overseeing the training of Cause to Believe and two other runners from trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, said that Hollendorfer was scheduled to fly in to Louisville from his Northern California base later Friday.

Would that signal a work for Saturday?

"I would almost think so," May said. "He is about due. He worked last Saturday and Jerry usually likes to work about every six days."

Russell Baze will ride cause to Believe in the Derby.

DEPUTY GLITTERS - Joseph Lacombe Stable Inc.'s Deputy Glitters arrived at Churchill Downs at 6 p.m. Thursday from trainer Tom Albertrani's home base at Belmont Park.

The Deputy Commander colt jogged two miles before the renovation break according to assistant Andy Rehm.

Deputy Glitters had worked five furlongs in 1:01.46 at Belmont Park on Wednesday and Rehm said the colt probably would work the middle of next week adding "it would be nothing crazy, because the main work is done."

Jose Lezcano will have the Derby mount.

FLASHY BULL/JAZIL - Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's Derby hopeful duo – Shadwell Stable's Jazil and West Point Thoroughbreds Flashy Bull – arrived at Churchill Downs from Lexington via van Thursday afternoon.

"They're fine," McLaughlin said. "They're old pros now."

The former D. Wayne Lukas assistant returns for a run in the Kentucky Derby with a pair of live longshots after finishing second by three quarters of a length in last year's Derby with 71-1 outsider Closing Argument.

"It's great to be back. Born and raised in Lexington, it's been a lifelong dream to be a horse trainer and then the Kentucky Derby is icing on the cake. To win it would be a dream come true."

While neither Wood Memorial runner-up Jazil or Fountain of Youth runner-up (gr. II) Flashy Bull are expected to be among the favorites for the May 6 race, McLaughlin doesn't expect to see similar odds to last year on his two horses this year.

"There are always big prices with a 20-horse field, so it's hard to say. I doubt with a syndicate owning Flashy Bull that they will let him go off at 70-1. Jazil is one of the only closers, along with Steppenwolfer, so I doubt he'll be 70-1 either."

McLaughlin will work the pair in company Saturday morning after the break for track renovation.

"They're going to work five-eighths together about 8:40 tomorrow morning. Angel Cordero will sit on Jazil and Desi (exercise rider Desmond Farrell) will be on Flashy Bull."

With a number of this year's expected entrants looking to be near the lead, McLaughlin thinks the pace scenario should set up well for the late-running Jazil.

"There's an awful lot of pace. Jazil we think it will favor him coming from way back. We just have to weave through 19 other horses while they're backing up."

Flashy Bull is currently 21st on the graded earnings list with $109,000 and would be bumped from the race if B. Wayne Hughes' Mister Triester unexpectedly attempts a "Run for the Roses."

"We are planning on him being in the race," McLaughlin said of the son of 1994 champion Holy Bull, who sired last year's Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo. "We have Mike Smith to ride him."

Smith earned his first Kentucky Derby victory aboard Giacomo.

LAWYER RON - The Estate of James Hines Jr.'s Lawyer Ron galloped 1 ½ miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Betsy Couch.

Trainer Robert Holthus said the Langfuhr   colt would work five furlongs after the renovation break Saturday under Derby rider John McKee.

"I am also going to work Red Raymond at 7 in the morning, but I don't think he is going to get in," Holthus said.

Owned by Thomas Franks, Red Raymond stands 23rd on the graded earnings list of horses considering the Run for the Roses.

PRIVATE VOW/STORM TREASURE - Mike McCarty's Private Vow and Storm Treasure galloped 1 ½-miles on Friday for trainer Steve Asmussen. Exercise rider Carmen Rosas was aboard the 3-year-old colts.

The two colts are scheduled for their final pre-Derby works on Monday.

Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Private Vow in the Kentucky Derby, but the mount on Storm Treasure remains open.

SACRED LIGHT - Amerman Racing Stables' Sacred Light visited the starting gate and galloped 1 ¾ miles under exercise rider Martin DeRubin Friday morning at Hollywood Park.

Trainer David Hofmans said Sacred Light would leave Los Angeles at 4 a.m. (PDT) on Saturday and should arrive at Churchill Downs around noon (EDT).

Aaron Gryder is listed to ride the son of Holy Bull in Kentucky Derby 132.

SEASIDE RETREAT - Trainer Mark Casse reported that William S. Farish Jr.'s Seaside Retreat was "jumping around the barn" the morning after working a bullet five furlongs in :59.40 Thursday morning.

"On a scale of one to five, his work yesterday was a five," Casse said. "He was awesome yesterday."

Patrick Husbands will ride the son of King Cugat in the Derby.

SHARP HUMOR - Purdedel Stable and WinStar Farm lessee's Sharp Humor jogged two miles after the renovation break with exercise rider Faustino Orantes up.

The Dale Romans trainee is scheduled to work Saturday after the renovation break with Derby rider Mark Guidry up.

SHOWING UP - Lael Stable's Showing Up, the unbeaten winner of the Coolmore Lexington (gr. II), galloped 1 ½ miles at Belmont Park under assistant trainer Robin Smullen.

Trainer Barclay Tagg said the son of Strategic Manuever would probably work on Monday.

STEPPENWOLFER - With exercise rider Jody Pieper up, Robert and Lawana Low's Steppenwolfer galloped 1 5/8 miles shortly after 7 a.m. Friday.

Trainer Dan Peitz continued to express satisfaction in the Aptitude colt's training.

"I would just like to see him do a tad better than his dad," Peitz said, referring to the runner-up to Fusaichi Pegasus in the 2000 Kentucky Derby. "He will work right after the break in the morning and Robby Albarado will be up."

SWEETNORTHERNSAINT -. With co-owner Ted Theos looking on, Sweetnorthernsaint galloped 1 ½ miles before the renovation break with exercise rider Ernesto Ferdinand up.

"He is by far the best one," said Theos, who owns 10 horses and owns Sweetnorthernsaint in partnership with Joseph Balsamo. "I have never run a horse at Churchill Downs. I am flying back to Maryland tomorrow and then will drive back with my wife next week."

Trainer Michael Trombetta said Sweetnorthernsaint would work Saturday before the break with two-time Derby winning rider Kent Desormeaux up.