4/23 DERBY/OAKS DAWN PATROL: Asmussens drill early; Jones late..
 

Steve Asmussen's Derby starters DADDY NOSE BEST and SABERCAT were out early Monday, while Larry Jones sends MARK VALESKI and Oaks miss BELIEVE YOU CAN shortly. Napravnik in town for the Jones pair. OPTIMIZER working now as well for DWL..

Sorry to be slow getting back...

Work of the morning easily belonged to Oaks runner BELIEVE YOU CAN who was smooth and strong under Rosie Napravnik quickening after her target to stop the watch in :59.0 after early splits of :23.4, :35.1 and :47.1. The Brereton Jones homebred daughter of Proud Citizen galloped out in 1:13.2 and looked in peak form in her first drill since besting SUMMER APPLAUSE in a thrilling Fair Grounds Oaks.

Believe You Can, foe Young and Lovely (:59.4), as well as Derby barnmate MARK VALESKI (:59.3) and his mate Hamiltonian (1:00.0) later, were the top 4 workers at 5/8ths at Churchill Monday with the next closest clocking in at 1:01.0 or more. Even more so than the Derby, the Oaks is shaping up as likely to have a very strong pace with perhaps 10 of its' possible 14 identifiable as pace setters, pressers or stalkers..

Since we went in the Oaks direction, the only other galloper of note was Fantasy winner MAMMA KIMBO who will work Tuesday morning. (BODEMEISTER works as well). I loved Mamma Kimbo's performance in the Fantasy and was looking forward to seeing her in the flesh for the first time. She has a big motor in the back with a sleeker front end. By Discreet Cat, not sure the 9f is going to be to her liking though Canadian-bred dam Bag Lady Jane (Devils Bag) won a stake going 8.5f and second dam Deputy Jane West (Silver Deputy) was a Canadian Oaks winner as part of her Champion 2yo and 3yo career.

As an aside, the female family of Mamma Kimbo is incredibly noteworthy going back to famed broodmares The Squaw and How. How, by Princequillo, won the 1951 Coaching Club American Oaks, Kentucky Oaks and Ladies Handicap ahead of a shed career that produced Pocahontas, the 1965 Broodmare of the Year who dropped both Chieftan (Bold Ruler) and Tom Rolfe (Ribot). How's full sister Cherokee Rose was also a CCAO winner and as a dam produced Fast Turn (Turn-To) who got 1971 Horse of the Year Ack Ack when mated with Battle Joined. Ack Ack was the sire of Broad Brush who forwarded the imperiled Domino line.

In addition to Mark Valeski's solid but unspectacular drill the other Derby worker of the morning was OPTIMIZER who looked quite good in an easy maintenance move. The Lukas hopeful, who now needs just one defection to make the Derby gate, went evenly without any urging in :24.1, :36.3 and :48.3. All who have watched the English Channel bay agreed he looked the best he has since returning from Arkansas..

Joggers included PROSPECTIVE, BODEMEISTER and DULLAHAN. As discussed on ATR this morning, Bodemeister will not make observers 'ooh' or 'ahh' going by as he drags himself around in the morning. West Coast and Oaklawn binoc crowd say it's just his way in the a.m. and he's one of those horses who is different in the p.m. Dullahan showed good energy going through his jog and displays that high knee action of a turf goer. Prospective appeared to simply be getting out of the stall..

Expecting a newsworthy Tuesday with Mamma Kimbo and Bodemeister on the worktab and Bob Baffert arriving..

I have a confession to make --

I think it would be kind of cool if Lukas won the Derby one more time...