Supah Blitz Sizzles in First Churchill Workout; Sir Cherokee, Offlee Wild Work

By Evan Hammonds
and David Schmitz
There was a flurry of activity at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning as the last group of contenders for Saturday's Kentucky Derby had their final workouts over a track that was playing to speed.

Bee Bee Bee Stable and Jacqueline Tortora's Supah Blitz had his first breeze over the track, sizzling a half-mile in :46 3/5. With regular jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. aboard, the fractional times for the Florida-bred son of Mecke were :12 3/5, :24 3/5, and :35 3/5 as he galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.

"The track was playing fast and I was pleased with the workout," said trainer Manny Tortora.

Azalea Stables' and Lansdon Robbins' Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) winner Offlee Wild, who earned a ticket to the Derby with a third-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, breezed five furlongs in :59 1/5, with fractional split times of :23 3/5, :35 3/5, and :47 2/5.

"I was pulling on him early and only let him run the final eighth (of a mile)," said jockey Robby Albarado. "He's strong. It was tough pulling him up. He's awesome. He's ready and right where he needs to be."

"I don't know how he could be doing any better," said trainer T. V. Smith. "I could train him another two weeks and he wouldn't be doing any better."

Arkansas Derby winner Sir Cherokee was vanned to Churchill from the nearby Trackside Training Center and the son of Cherokee Run breezed five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 under jockey Terry Thompson.

"We just wanted to go slow early and finish up strong," said trainer Mike Tomlinson. "He went a little fasted than I thought he would, but it just shows how good is right now. Terry (Thompson) said he felt like he was going lot slower than the final time."

The colt owned by Domino Stud of Lexington posted fractional times of :12 4/5, :25, :37 1/5, and :48 4/5 as he galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.