[Kasept]

SATURDAY: Derby Clocker: Maintenance mode for Brody's Cause
By Mike Welsch

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Cloudy/Showery
Track: Fast
Temp. 58

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Exaggerator and Brody’s Cause beat the rain, albeit just barely, turning in their final Kentucky Derby works over a fast track just as a light shower began to fall during the special Derby/Oaks training session shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

While the majority of their competitors pushed their final Derby works up 24 hours to avoid the potential of a wet track, trainers Dale Romans and Keith Desormeaux opted to roll the dice just a bit and stick with their Saturday schedule. Desormeaux’s decision was due in part to the fact that his brother, Kent, was flying in from Southern California on Friday evening to be aboard Exaggerator for the drill.

Brody’s Cause was the first of the pair to go, breaking off at the half-mile pole under regular exercise rider Tammy Fox. Brody’s Cause settled into a nice stride right from the outset, changed leads on cue entering the stretch, and hit the wire in 47.49 while just nudged along some by Fox to continue on into the turn.

The Blue Grass Stakes winner responded readily enough, completing five-eighths in 1:00.49 before galloping out nicely around the bend and into the backstretch, getting six furlongs in 1:13.80 before pulling up seven panels in 1:28.59. Hard to fault this seemingly maintenance-type move, but it was nothing like his final outstanding prep at Gulfstream Park a week prior to his breakthrough win at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Exaggerator seemed a bit eager when released by the pony but readily came to hand for Kent Desormeaux once coming away from the five-furlong marker, completing his opening quarter and three-eighths in 25.47 and 37.42. The Santa Anita Derby winner finished willingly enough under moderate encouragement, completing the distance in 1:02.43 while switching back to his left lead right before the wire.

He galloped out willingly, if not spectacularly, in 1:15.67 before pulling up seven-eighths in a modest 1:29.55. Nothing flashy but certainly nothing that would discourage anyone who already had the California invader high on his go-to list for this year’s Derby.

Two other potential, albeit unlikely, Derby starters also worked on Saturday. Dazzling Gem went immediately after the track opened at 5:45 a.m., going five furlongs in company with stablemate Goblet of Fire in 1:00.64 over a pretty glib surface, finishing a half-length in front of his mate before galloping out in a sharp 1:13.18. He pulled up seven-eighths in 1:27.51.

Cherry Wine was the first to work following the renovation break, breezing five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:00.91, with a relatively strong gallop-out, six panels in 1:13.87, up seven-eighths in 1:27.94.

Several of Friday’s Derby workers visited the track Saturday, including the Todd Pletcher pair of Outwork and Destin, along with Mo Tom, who all were out for easy jogs. Creator made another impressive appearance during his routine gallop, while Lani, who took Friday off, galloped nearly three miles while seeming to weary some the final time around.

There was only one Oaks worker on Saturday, Weep No More, who went a leisurely four furlongs in 49.72 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:03.65 with jockey Corey Lanerie up.