DERBY NEWS (4/26): Filly in, Rule out; Lucky, Noble's work best..
 

Minutes away from 5 anticipated final works: NOBLE'S PROMISE, LOOKIN AT LUCKY, AMERICAN LION, LINE OF DAVID and INTERACTIF all scheduled to work...

Expect many gallops as well despite the track being very muddy...

Early this morning, RACHEL ALEXANDRA went an easy half mile in :50.0, her final spin preparing for her second start of the year in the La Troienne.

MORE AFTER THE DRILLS...

FULL WEEKEND RECAP ON 'ATR' TONIGHT AS DERBY WEEK COVERAGE KICKS OFF...

No Endorsement again? Ruh-roh.

Endorsement galloped this morning.

This muddy track not as fast as the rain-soaked editions the last couple of mornings, and LOOKIN AT LUCKY shades Noble's Promise for Work of the Day going 5f in 1:00.4 under a snug hold. Splits of :12.0, :24.1, :36.0, :48.1, 1:00.4. Out 6F 1:15.1, but Baffert wasn't looking for a gallop out. Baffert will again be very pleased...

NOBLE'S PROMISE (:48.4) worked with Fist of Rage (:49.0) with an :24.3 opening and out 5F 1:02.2 with a spirited gallop out. Derby is the wrong race for him, but he certainly looks in very good form moving towards Saturday as least...

AMERICAN LION turned in a what felt like a slightly disappointing drill getting 5f in 1:02.3. With the WinStar team of Harty, Cauthen and Casner watching from the Media Center balcony, the Illinois Derby winner cut out fractions of :12.3, :25.2, :37.3, 1:02.3 and a 6f gallopout of 1:16.2 while being ridden a bit.

LINE OF DAVID labored over the heavy surface in his 6f effort, which went in 1:15.0. He was urged early and often and felt the whip from the quarter pole. Splits were :11.4, :23.3, :35.3, :48.1 and 1:01.1.

INTERACTIF went a half in :47.3 starting a length behind a workmate and finishing a length in front at the wire. He opened the quarter in :23.4 and galloped out in 1:01.4. It didn't look like the 'wow' work Todd Pletcher said the Wertheimer and Frere homebred would need to go postward Saturday.

Weather Predictor:
Friday 4/30: Mostly cloudy and windy with gusts between 20-40 mph.
Saturday 5/1: Cloudy with very severe thunderstorms possible, winds 20-30 mph.

Devil May Care owner John Greathouse confirms the filly for the Kentucky Derby. John Velazquez will ride. Devil May Care will be cross-entered in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) as well.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thorou...s/129965071272

How did AL look Steve?

Thanks

Cross-entering in both the Derby and Oaks is poor form considering there are horses on the grounds for both races that want in the Derby/Oaks but will be out because of the lack of an AE list.

Meh.. Kind of ordinary. Hard to believe it could be viewed too gleefully by the WinStar team. I was kind of hoping for something that said 'ready'.

The one proviso is that the track was pretty funky out there. You could noticeably hear the slogging/thudding sound horses have getting over a dead, heavy surface. But the reality is that Lucky and Noble's were fine getting over it, so you just have to draw your own conclusions... The videos should be out soon I'd imagine.

Maybe he didn't like the track....Of course the long range forecast looks iffy. Ice Box gallop?

DERBY NEWS (4/26): Rule OUT; Filly will DERBY ONLY, not cross enter..
 

RULE officially out per Jill Byrne.. DEVIL MAY CARE wqill enter Derby only..

ICE BOX was chipper and alternately galloped, jogged, hobby-horsed around once at the end of the Derby/Oaks session.. And yeah, I was trying to give American Lion the benefit of the doubt on the track too, but watch it later and see what you think...

Him or Lion for me so good to hear he is well.

So Jackson Bend is in?

Yes

Do we think that Interactif will be coming out soon?

May know shortly.. Briefing going on now.

Steve, how did Endorsement look in his gallop?

Was on the backstretch... I didn't get to see it. Clockers I spoke with didn't like the way he went.

Speaking of clocking... Mike Welsch, Gary Young and Joe Petruccione among the stopwatch patrol you will hear from on 'At the Races' this week...