Belmont '16 Notebook: Gettysburg to run; Asmussen to train

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by casp0555

Thanks for posting Steve!

Mike Welsch's Tuesday ATR Report (After Motion): http://stevebyk.com/broadcast/hour-2...graham-motion/

[tanner12oz]

Who is in the lead after the first quarter? Danzig candy? Outwork?

[Alabama Stakes]

Candy is loose.

[10 pnt move up]

lots of fast-slows finishes in these derby preps...derby will probably be more of the same.

[Kasept]

Clocker: Lani his own worst enemy
By Mike Welsch

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Track: Good/Fast
Weather: Cloudy
Temp.: 67

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As if there aren’t enough variables in the equation to get a horse ready to be at his best on Kentucky Derby Day, you can now add weather to the mix. Overnight rain hit here Tuesday, and with more in the forecast as the week progresses, it is likely to have a major effect on training and workout schedules through the weekend.

Despite heavy rain the previous evening, the main track was harrowed and in excellent shape when it opened for training at 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday. The track was labeled “good” to start off before being upgraded to “fast” in time for the special Derby/Oaks training session nearly three hours later.

The lone Derby worker of the morning was UAE Derby winner LANI, who has been a bit of an enigma since his arrival in Louisville. The Japanese invader appeared to have turned the corner with a couple of long and aggressive gallops the previous two mornings. But he was back to his old antics before and during what had been a scheduled six-furlong work but which ended up being shortened to three-eighths, timed in 37.52, due to his reluctance to cooperate with regular rider Yutaka Take, who flew into town specifically for this breeze.

Lani appeared to be out of sorts from the moment he came onto the racetrack and seemed to dig his toes in as he galloped slowly past the finish line and made his way into the clubhouse turn. Take was ultimately able to drop Lani down on the rail nearing the six-furlong pole, but the son of Tapit refused to extend himself while inadvertently hooking in with Destin, who had just begun his routine gallop. Take prodded Lani on numerous occasions to get him to accelerate but failed until Lani reached the three-eighths pole and finally separated himself from Destin.

Lani completed an eighth of a mile to the top of the stretch in 14.43 seconds, then finally stretched out down the lane under vigorous urging from his rider, lugging in briefly from a sharp right-handed stick near the eighth pole before completing a final quarter in 23.09 while remaining on his left lead throughout. He eased up midway on the clubhouse turn after galloping out a half-mile in 50.93.

“He was a little shy to start, but after the quarter pole, we got a good gallop for two furlongs,” Take said.

This was the third time, and the second time in the last four days, that Lani has shown a reluctance to extend himself when put down on the rail to breeze. Needless to say, that is not what anyone wants to see just 1 1/2 weeks out from Derby Day.

Among the gallopers to catch the eye this morning were OUTWORK and the Chad Brown-trained duo of SHAGAF and MY MAN SAM. Outwork has made a very favorable impression in his first two gallops over the track and gives the appearance of a horse who continues to improve and is peaking at the right time. Both Shagaf and My Man Sam came out of their works on Sunday showing a good deal of energy. My Man Sam was the more aggressive of the pair, jumping back to his left lead briefly at midstretch while obviously wanting to do more than his rider would allow.

MO TOM, who may have breezed this morning if it hadn’t rained, looked as good as always, galloping before dawn rather than during the Derby/Oaks session. Mo Tom galloped two miles, picking up the pace, as usual, the second time around. He covered mile No. 2 in 1:55 and change before pulling up near the six-furlong pole, reversing direction, and jogging nearly another mile back to his barn.

MOHAYMEN got very aggressive again once he turned down the backstretch, throwing his head a couple of times before dragging his rider from the three-eighths pole to the wire in 42 seconds while kept well out near the middle of the track.

DESTIN again appeared to lose focus on several occasions once he lost Lani as a partner midway on the second turn, despite being equipped with blinkers, and he got very warm by the time he completed the gallop.

VENUS VALENTINE was the only Oaks worker of the morning, breezing immediately after the track opened for training. The Grade 2 winner went four furlongs in 49.20 while responding readily to late urging before galloping out willingly into and around the turn.

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THURSDAY, DRF Live (Welsch): Outwork, Shagaf and My Man Sam all made good impressions once again galloping this morning as did Mohaymen, who was a lot more settled than the previous day. Destin got very hot again while Mo Tom, somewhat uncharacteristically, also got a little warm while not on the bridle as much today as in previous mornings. Lani, coming off his slightly aborted work the previous morning, spent nearly 25 minutes on the track, much of the time galloping over three miles at a fairly lively clip.

With more rain in the forecast, at least a half dozen or more of the Derby contenders are likely to work here Friday with Nyquist scheduled to breeze at 12:15 before the first race at Keeneland.

[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.

Of the Derby horses to gallop on Thursday, MAJESTO, OUTWORK, MY MAN SAM, SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS, and SHAGAF all left very favorable impressions.

Majesto, the lone Derby contender to train outside of the special Derby/Oaks session, which runs from 8:30-8:45 a.m. daily, was allowed to really stretch his legs for a second consecutive day, flying through the second mile of his two-mile gallop at far better than a two-minute-per-mile clip. He covered the last five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:07 and change.

Outwork really looks a picture of health and is into his daily gallops. Originally scheduled to have his final Derby work on Saturday, Outwork’s breeze probably will be moved up a day by Pletcher because of weather issues. Stablemate DESTIN also probably will have his work Friday. Regular rider John Velazquez is expected to be aboard Outwork for the drill, with Javier Castellano lined up to work Tampa Bay Derby winner Destin.

MOHAYMEN is also on the docket to breeze Friday, and after coming out a bit later than the others, he appeared to be a lot more settled and relaxed than the previous morning. Still, he was a bundle of energy and moved at better than a two-minute clip himself coming through the wire the final time.

After being uncooperative with jockey Yutaka Take on Wednesday, resulting in his work being shortened from six furlongs to three furlongs, LANI went right back to the track Thursday and was like the Energizer Bunny – going round and round the one-mile oval and never seeming to stop. He made three or four passes at a fairly accelerated pace while handling his business quite willingly. Lani was among the first Derby or Oaks horses to hit the track during Wednesday’s special session and was far and away the last to exit about 25 minutes later.

MO TOM, who has had a very good week, did get a little warm during his training session Thursday and was not into the bit quite as much as in previous days. He, too, is scheduled to work Friday.

EXAGGERATOR did not go to the track. He merely walked after arriving from the West Coast the previous day, although he did school in the paddock shortly after 10 a.m., making a great appearance while playing and showing off to the handful of onlookers there.