4/21: Derby Works & Notes
 

Post renovation works..

I Want Revenge: 1:01.3 -- Went very nicely; Leaping and bucking when entering track; Quickly wanted to get away from pony; Looks good physically. Talamo said he felt great under him...

Pioneerof the Nile: 1:00.3 -- Hard to deny how good he looks in person; Dappled out all over hind end; Smooth work and appeared comfortable on track but I couldn't see how much urging he might have been under..

Chocolate Candy: 1:42.0 -- Surprising Whittingham-style work as he goes a 7f to 7f mile. Absolutely tired and blowing hard after, but I'd assume that's exactly what Hollendorfer wanted.

Flying Private: 1:01.1 -- Didn't see him. Saw Lukas though. Appears highly tanned and rather distinguished.

The Bad news: 2 apparently fatal breakdowns as Bobby Barnett and Hal Wiggins both lose horses this a.m. The Wiggins was an Arky bred reportedly that was a last out winner. Went down at end of a drill right at the wire shortly after the Derby workers finished. So much for accredited 'safe'... Also just had a runaway off the track into the barn area.

More later after some trainer talks.

Uhg...hate to hear that. Thanks for the updates...keep them coming.

The guy has won several Kentucky Derby's and butchered several more very talented horses .... the least you can do is spell his last name right.

You getting on Byk about spelling is like me telling cannon he needs to drop a few lbs.:D

It was just payback for the spelling smack he was running on me last year when I spelled Denis of Cork - Dennis of Cork.

Well he had a bromance with Denis of Cork. It's to be expected.

I got my first look at the TGH patterns for the derby last night to look for horses that have run a race where they were given a zero or a negative number in a route, as I remembered that apparently no horse has won the derby without running a TGH number of zero or below in a 2 turn race, which is somewhat akin to Jon White's Beyer over a hundred idea.

Quality Road, Dunkirk, West Side Bernie, Musket Man, IWR are all horses that fit this criteria. I was surprised to see that "Just a Coincidence" for his third in the Wood received a -0.5 which meets the criteria.

Is there any chance this horse gets in from where he is on the earnings list?

The TGH pattern is actually impressive as the last 4 races since January are all improving steadily. I am not saying he is likely to win but a third or fourth to round out the exotics might not be out of the question......

did you get a chance to look at what the "rags" said also?

Baffert usually works his horses fast for atleast one work before a big race, I would surmise this was not Pioneerof the Nile's last serious work before the derby: 1:00.3

Also Pioneer's fastest works are in company, he was alone today so not a bad work, I would guess the next work will be in company to get him going.

Don't use Rags...TGH is a better product

ok

Don't worry about the time so much here as the track was pretty dull today. He actually went another quarter to make it a full 7f effort. The work was very solid and Baffert was really pleased with it. Next week's outing will be a slight blowout so this was his 'major' work according to Baffert.

Baffert said something to that effect today in his typically jocular fashion... He said had he been in company with a target they'd make Pioneer the Derby favorite off the work.

steve - did you see musket man or derek ryan ?

Not yet.. Will get to them tomorrow most likely. Musket Man is barned with the Godolphin pair, so I'll try to get to Ryan and Rick Mettee. Today was heavily skewed to the Pioneer and Revenge works, (which ended up on top of each other), and then Chocolate Candy.

I can see this coming a mile away.. POTN will drag me in and come Derby evening I will once again vow never to bet a syn only horse until one wins.:zz:

how did Chocolate Candy look ?

Ahem...

Chocolate Candy: 1:42.0 -- Surprising Whittingham-style work as he goes a 7f to 7f mile. Absolutely tired and blowing hard after, but I'd assume that's exactly what Hollendorfer wanted.

I think Colonel John breezed 5fs in 57 and change last year for his final work.