[Kasept]

Clocker: Girls work while the boys gallop
By Mike Welsch

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Cloudy
Track: Good/fast
Temp.: 64

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fillies took center stage Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, with the majority of the locally based Kentucky Derby hopefuls scheduled to turn in their final works on Friday. Likely Derby favorite Nyquist is at Keeneland, where he was scheduled to work before the first race on Friday.

Three potential Kentucky Oaks starters, including Rachel’s Valentina and Mo d’Amour from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher, worked Thursday over a racetrack that for the second consecutive morning was labeled “good” when it opened at 5:45 a.m. before being upgraded to “fast” after the renovation break. Rain has fallen here over the past couple of days and could continue throughout the weekend.

MO D’AMOUR was the first of the two Pletcher Oaks trainees to breeze, turning in a sharp half-mile in 48.08 seconds in company with maiden stablemate Noble and True shortly after 6 a.m. Mo d’Amour got her final quarter in 23.17, going easily to the wire. Mo d’Amour then galloped out well clear of her partner in 1:00.90 for five furlongs before pulling up six furlongs in 1:13.70.

RACHEL’S VALENTINA, expected to go postward as the slight choice in the Oaks, worked after the break in company with Caribbean. Rachel’s Valentina broke off a length behind and outside her target with Velazquez up, pulled even after an opening quarter in 24.65, then really picked up the pace without much coaxing down the lane. She came home in 22.93 to complete a half-mile in 47.58, finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of her workmate, who was being urged near the rail in a futile attempt to keep pace through the final sixteenth. Rachel’s Valentina galloped out with good energy in 1:00.81 for five furlongs before pulling up six furlongs in 1:14.27.

PAOLA QUEEN, the runner-up in the Gulfstream Oaks, worked six furlongs in 1:13.48, with splits of 25.53, 37.60, and 48.97, finishing willingly under late encouragement. She galloped out extremely well, seven-eighths in 1:27.02, before pulling up a mile in 1:41.07.