Friesan Fire blazes five furlongs in a bullet :57 4/5
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width=325 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid" align=right>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>
Friesan Fire lit up the morning at Churchill (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>It was a frenetic Monday morning at Churchill Downs, with no fewer than nine Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls turning in their final major moves in advance of Saturday's Run for the Roses. Trainer Larry Jones had said he did not expect FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) to work as fast in his final Derby drill as Hard Spun did two years ago.
He was right. Louisiana Derby (G2) star Friesan Fire worked five furlongs in a bullet :57 4/5, the fastest of 26 works at the distance, with jockey Gabriel Saez up. Hard Spun had worked in :57 3/5 under jockey Mario Pino on the Monday of Derby Week, just five days before his sterling runner-up effort in the 2007 Derby.
"A fifth of a second off," Jones said, adding with a laugh, "that's good, people would have said I worked him too fast."
Working immediately after the renovation break over a fast track, Friesan Fire reeled off fractions of :11 1/5, :22 1/5, :33 3/5, :45 1/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"I was very happy with it," Jones said. "Gabe said he thought he went in about a minute. If I could have written the perfect script, I would have had him gallop out in 1:12, but he has been watching those tents every day (on the backside) and I wanted to put the blinkers on to keep him more focused."
Jones, whose horses have run second in the past two editions of the Kentucky Derby, was asked if he felt the Derby gods might smile on him this year.
"I feel blessed to have run in the past two Kentucky Derbys and have horses run well," Jones said referring to Hard Spun and Eight Belles. "If the gods want to smile on me, I'm gonna grin from ear to ear."
Jones said Friesan Fire would walk Tuesday, jog Wednesday and then gallop up to Derby 135.
"Wednesday is going to be an easy day," Jones said. "He may go to the paddock and the gate and walk around and see some folks. We're fine (after this work); he wasn't blowing at all when he came back."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width=325 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid" align=left>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>
Chocolate Candy passed the scene of a scary accident during his work (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>El Camino Real Derby (G3) victor CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]), most recently runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), drilled the second-fastest five furlongs in :59 1/5. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer made a beeline from Barn 42 to the clocker's stand on the Churchill Downs backside just before 8:30 a.m. (EDT) and the end of the track's renovation break, getting on the scene in time to watch Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith backtrack Chocolate Candy from the six-furlong gap to the eighth-pole, then turn and ease on in to a five-furlong workout.
As the work began to unfold on the backstretch near the five-eighths pole, a two-horse collision near the finish line occurred and sent track sirens wailing. It also sent Hollendorfer -- and everyone else at the track -- into moments of high anxiety. Fortunately for the Chocolate Candy connections the unhappy incident did not disrupt their business and the tall bay proceeded to carve out splits of :12, :23 3/5, :35 3/5 and :47, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 4/5.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"We both saw the horses down," Smith said afterward. "Luckily, it happened over by the outer rail. He (Chocolate Candy) just looked that way for a second, but he turned back and kept on going. We both were able to focus and complete what we had to do."
A slightly shaken Hollendorfer was happy to have the work and the incident behind him.
"We were lucky we got to finish the work," he said heading back to the barn. "So many things can happen. It is worrisome.
"I had told Mike 'Just like Santa Anita' (a reference to a :59 1/5 work turned in by the pair at the California track on April 12). He hit it right on. Now I think my horse has a chance to run well here. He can handle this track and now we know he can run well here. Handling the track is key and he's show us he can."
Smith had little doubt about that subject.
"Sure, he'll handle this track," the rider said. "He'll handle anything. He's a nice colt. His work today felt just like the one at Santa Anita. He's ready to go."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width=325 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid" align=right>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>
Pioneerof the Nile was on cruise control (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Regular exercise rider Joe Steiner guided Santa Anita Derby conqueror PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire Maker) through a five-furlong work in 1:01, also moments after the track reopened following the renovation break. The Bob Baffert colt posted the 11th-fastest time at the trip. Baffert watched the work from the front side of the track and, as is his custom, was in touch with the rider via radio.
Pioneerof the Nile cruised through fractions of :11 4/5, :23 4/5, :36 and :48 3/5. He was allowed to gallop out a long way and was timed in 1:13 2/5 for the six furlongs.
"He went really nice," Baffert said. "There was a lot of wind. He left the half-mile pole, went five-eighths and he galloped out pretty strong all the way around there. He was moving really well and looked comfortable over the track."
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Pioneerof the Nile has won all four of his starts on synthetic surfaces in California since being moved to Baffert's care late last year. The son of 2004 Kentucky Derby runner-up Empire Maker has trained well on dirt, but the Derby will be his debut on dirt.
"He's got a long stride as it is, but he really moves better over the dirt, I think," Baffert said. "His stride is just tremendous."
Baffert was pleased with the way the colt performed in his final breeze before the Derby.
"He did it pretty effortlessly," Baffert said. "I think he wanted to go a little faster; I wouldn't let him. I was really happy with the work. I'm really excited about the work."
Steiner gave the Santa Anita Derby winner high marks, too.
"It was a comfortable, smooth move," Steiner said. "He just kind of coasted around there and we let him gallop out on his own. He felt perfect."
Steiner, who has been a jockey for nearly 25 years, said he likes the way the colt is approaching the race.
"Mentally, he's focused, he's confident, he's calm," Steiner said. "The way you want a horse to act, he's shown everything. He's like a dream to gallop. He's very kind.
"I think the key at this point is being focused and confident. He's handling all the media and all that stuff around him. It doesn't faze him. And physically, he's right on. With the combination of the two, now it's up to luck."
Steiner said Pioneerof the Nile feels the same way to him on the dirt track at Churchill Downs and the synthetic surfaces in California.
"You couldn't ask a horse to be doing any better than this," Steiner said.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width=325 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid" align=left>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>
Flying Private sped a quick half-mile (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>A trio of Todd Pletcher-trained Kentucky Derby possibles went through their final serious drills on Monday morning, putting a "put me in coach" spin on activities at Pletcher's Barn 38. Pletcher took up a post in the grandstand and oversaw the works, which began shortly after the renovation break ended at 8:30 a.m. when Hall of Fame jockey-turned-jockey-agent-and-sometimes-exercise-rider Angel Cordero Jr. guided JOIN IN THE DANCE (Sky Mesa) through a five-furlong workout timed in 1:00 1/5. The Tampa Bay Derby (G3) runner-up turned in the fifth-fastest move at the distance.
Join in the Dance now moves up to the 20th spot on the graded earnings list, with the defection of Quality Road (Elusive Quality), and could be a solid pace factor.
"He's an enthusiastic work horse, so it was good to see him settle and work well today," Pletcher said. "He should be ready now."
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Next from the Pletcher barn, just after 9 a.m., came two other Derby candidates, Lexington S. (G2) winner ADVICE (Chapel Royal) and Sham S. (G3) runner-up TAKE THE POINTS (Even the Score).
Advice went off first with exercise rider Kevin Willey up and covered four furlongs in :47 1/5, then galloped out an extra furlong in 1:00. He is already solidly "in" the Derby lineup based on graded earnings, should his connections -- the WinStar Farm crew of Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt -- decide they'd like a third horse in Derby 135. The Kentucky farm already has Hold Me Back (Giant's Causeway) and Mr. Hot Stuff (Tiznow) scheduled to run in the 10-furlong classic, so the thought of wheeling Advice back in two weeks off his Lexington tally has been debated.
"I got him (Advice) finishing up that work in :23 and one," Pletcher said. "It was a good move for him."
Shortly after Advice took care of business, exercise rider Horacio De la Paz had Take the Points ready to rumble five-eighths and he was joined once again by the unstarted potential star (he's by Storm Cat out of champion Serena's Song) Schramsberg, with Cordero on board. The pair had worked in company last week and they went at it again with the unraced chestnut youngster starting out a length or two in front as they went by the five-furlong marker.
Take the Points, who now sits in the 21st spot on the graded earnings list, took dead aim on his workmate around the turn and by the time he'd gone by the wire in 1:00 1/5, he was well clear and drawing out on the less-experienced colt, who was given a final time of 1:01 3/5.
"I was happy to see the work by Take the Points," Pletcher said. "He picked up his workmate and went right on by. He looked good doing it."
The trainer said decisions on who might -- and might not -- be entered in the Derby on Wednesday morning would be made Tuesday. Possible jockey assignments will be fixed then, too.
"We'll see how they come out of these works tomorrow morning," the trainer said. "We're happy with the overall activity today and it sets us up for lots of possibilities."
Lane's End S. (G2) runner-up FLYING PRIVATE (Fusaichi Pegasus) worked four furlongs in :47 2/5 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas after the renovation break . Robby Albarado, who has the mount for Derby 135, was aboard for the move that featured fractions of :23 4/5 for the quarter and :35 4/5 for three-eighths.
"He went well," Albarado said. "It was just a maintenance work with company. Wayne wanted to get a good finish and that's what we got."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width=325 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid" align=right>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>
Win Willy's exercise rider was aboard for a weighty reason (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Rebel S. (G2) upsetter WIN WILLY (Monarchos) came out on the track after the break and covered five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 for five furlongs. With exercise rider Eli Lopez aboard, Win Willy cruised through splits of :13 1/5, :25 3/5 and :37 4/5, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5. "He looked good, went along nice and smooth," trainer Mac Robertson said. "It looked like he finished strong, which is what I wanted to see."
Robertson said he deliberately used his regular exercise rider, who weighs 140 pounds, rather than jockey Cliff Berry because that particular plan had worked before with Win Willy.
"Coming into the Rebel (on March 14 at Oaklawn), Eli breezed him three times, in what looked like slow times," Robertson said. "He went three-quarters in 1:15 4/5, then a half in :50, and a half in :51 2/5. But that set him up perfectly for the race, and he won big (by 2 1/4, going away).
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"Then, coming into the Arkansas Derby ([G2] on April 11), I had the jockey up in the breezes. It was just different for the horse. With Cliff up, he breezed a half in :48 2/5, and then a bullet half in :48 flat just before the race. And then, of course, he ran fourth in the race.
"So I just thought I'd go back to what worked for us earlier in the year, and had Eli breeze him at Oaklawn last week (a half in :51.20) and then again today.
"We've done all we can do, and now he's gonna belong in there, or he isn't."
MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone), expected to be Canada's first champion two-year-old in the Kentucky Derby starting gate since Talkin Man in 1995, drilled five furlongs in 1:02 under jockey Calvin Borel.
Mine That Bird was ponied to the five-eighths pole easily, broke off slowly for Borel, and was asked to run through the lane at the trainer's instructions. Churchill Downs clockers caught the Chip Woolley trainee in splits of :13, :25 2/5, :37 2/5 and :49 4/5, and a six-furlong gallop-out time of 1:13 1/5.
"Things went super," Woolley said afterward. "I'm really happy with my horse. It's pretty much exactly what I wanted -- he started slower and finished up super-strong. He came back to the barn really playing. That's as good as you are ever going to see him feeling. He's not an animated horse."
Mine That Bird will walk the shedrow Tuesday and "lope" up to the race the rest of the week. Woolley said his gelding may school in the starting gate Wednesday, but will not be schooling in the paddock during racing days this week.
Monday's exercise was delayed approximately 40 minutes because of an on-track accident that temporarily forced the track's closure. Woolley said Mine That Bird was just about to be bandaged and ready to go out when the closure announcement was made.
"Luckily we weren't all the way ready at the time," he said. "It's unfortunate for the horses and horsemen involved any time something like this happens. We just had to be patient."
It was a big morning for Borel, who also worked Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra just moments before being hustled to the Woolley barn via golf cart to partner with his Derby 135 mount.
