Trainer John Ward, Jr. had his highly regarded 3-year-old Monarchos out for a five-furlong workout on Monday. With jockey Jorge Chavez in the saddle, Monarchos had a very easy trial and was clocked in 1:04 1/5 breezing. According to Ward, the colt is right on schedule for his next start, the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) to be run over 1 1/8 miles here on March 10."He went very easy this morning," Ward said. "It was a keep him fit work and just what I wanted. He's doing well and I'll give him one more hard work before he runs in the Florida Derby."Chavez had a good hold on Monarchos in the workout and galloped the gray colt out six furlongs in 1:16 4/5; seven furlongs in 1:31 4/5; and a mile in 1:46 1/5.
A $170,000 purchase at the Fasig Tipton February sale at Calder last year, Monarchos has won both his starts in impressive fashion at Gulfstream as a 3-year-old. He won his maiden victory by six lengths in a seven-furlong race clocked in 1:22 1/5 back on Jan. 13. It is the second fastest clocking for that distance at the meeting and considering the deepness of the track at that date makes the time more remarkable.To prove that race was no fluke, Monarchos came back to beat a nice band of allowance sophomores in a 1 1/16 miles race here on Feb. 3. He won going away.Ward also worked another of his promising 3-year-olds on Monday. Hero's Tribute, who is slated to run in the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, worked five furlongs in 1:04.
