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

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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.

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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.

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Busy Fri. Work tab.. Scheduled: Destin, Outwork, Majesto, Mohaymen, Mo Tom, Suddenbreakingnews, Whitmore. Possible: Brody's Cause, My Man Sam, Shagaf.

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Whitmore first to go for @RonMoquett and smoothly dispatches mate while on rail in 24, 35.3, 48, 1:00 with g/o in 1:14.

My Man Sam on outside of Majestic Affair with typically easy C. Brown go in 13, 25.3, 49.3, 1:02 and out in 1:14.4.

Link to my little vid: https://twitter.com/steve_byk/status/725991465386532864

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Today's workouts not uploaded yet, but here's where they'll be: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...uYIGbftC230-oh

My Periscope of the frenzied 8:30 session: https://twitter.com/Steve_Byk/status/726027241893711872

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FRIDAY -- Nyquist solid in final Kentucky Derby drill
By Mike Welsch

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temp.: 58

KEENELAND
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temp.: 70

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Friday presented an unusual Kentucky Derby workout daily double for those ambitious enough to undertake the 72-mile trip from Churchill Downs, where the action began with Whitmore at 5:45 a.m., to Keeneland, where it ended with Derby favorite Nyquist breezing one mile prior to the afternoon’s racing program nearly seven hours later.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated, with the skies clear and the track fast at both venues. The weather was expected to go downhill, with heavy rain in the forecast beginning early Saturday morning.

NYQUIST was the star attraction. The undefeated 2-year-old male champion completed his serious work for the Derby at Keeneland on Friday before shipping over to Churchill Downs the following afternoon. With jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard, Nyquist seemed eager to begin and broke off at the mile pole in company with regular workmate and Grade 1 winner Ralis. The pair went in company to the five-furlong pole in 38.92, nearly five seconds faster than Nyquist completed the distance in a similarly orchestrated breeze six days earlier.

The duo continued on even terms through splits of 50.92, 1:03.21, and 1:14.68 to the top of the stretch, where Nyquist began to assert his superiority, readily drawing away from his partner. Nyquist switched leads late near the three-sixteenths marker and went back to his left lead when seemingly losing his focus a bit while about eight lengths clear approaching the wire. Nyquist, who swapped back to his left lead during the latter stages of his Florida Derby victory, completed the mile in 1:41.01 without need of urging from Gutierrez, looking happy and finishing with his ears pricked before galloping out nine furlongs in 1:55.97.

Although the drill was designed as a maintenance work, Nyquist looked sharper this week than last week, and he figures to get a lot out of this drill eight days removed from Derby Day. Nyquist is never a flashy work horse, and Friday’s drill could best be described as a good, solid move that would be hard to find fault with.

The Work of the Day went to OUTWORK, the Wood Memorial winner, who has made a great impression since his arrival from New York earlier this week. That carried over to his final Derby work on Friday at Churchill Downs, which was pushed forward a day due to the wet forecast. With regular rider John Velazquez aboard, Outwork broke a length behind and outside of the stakes-winning Azar at the five-furlong pole, rated kindly through a 25.68 opening quarter and 36.25 three-eighths, then gradually pulled away from his pressured partner, finishing three lengths best in 1:01.16 while just cruising to the wire before galloping out a very sharp and seemingly effortless six furlongs in 1:14.08. A lightly raced but steadily improving colt, he appears to have taken readily to the local surface and to be peaking at just the right time.

WHITMORE – He was the first of the Derby workers to breeze at Churchill Downs, and he did it under the lights, immediately after the track opened for business at 5:45 a.m. Working in company inside stablemate Mean Bone while equipped with blinkers, Whitmore showed surprising speed considering his running style, posting splits of 23.92 and 35.57 before edging two lengths clear without need of much encouragement. He extended his advantage galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.08 in a very useful final move for the steadily improving gelding.

MY MAN SAM – He joined Whitmore working early under the lights at Churchill, going a maintenance half-mile in typical Chad Brown style in company with regular workmate Majestic Affair. The pair completed the distance in 49.45 with a 24.01 final quarter, with neither being asked at any point and with My Man Sam galloping out extremely well, five furlongs in 1:02.15. He, too, has made a great appearance and has really been on his toes since arriving from Keeneland last week.

FELLOWSHIP – The first Derby horse to breeze during the chaotic Derby-Oaks session at Churchill, he went a quick half-mile over a freshly manicured track in 22.95 and 47.09 and finished a head better than his partner, a recent maiden special weight winner, while going easily. He galloped out five-eighths in 1:00.24. It was a pretty typical move for a very good work horse who regularly shows more speed in the morning than he does in the afternoon. He still needs one defection to draw into the Derby field.

SUDDDENBREAKINGNEWS – Perhaps flying under the radar just a bit, he’s had a good week, and he looked very solid again Friday morning at Churchill. He responded willingly to late urging after three furlongs in 35.08 to complete a sharp five-eighths in 59.46. He continued on nicely into the turn, galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.18 while equipped with a shadow roll.

MO TOM – He’s looked perhaps the best of all the Derby candidates during training hours over the past week, turning in a series of long and strong gallops. He galloped a mile or so into what appeared to be a maintenance half-mile drill on Friday at Churchill, completing the distance in 48.99 off a 24.31 quarter split while in hand at the wire. He did duck out briefly less than a sixteenth of a mile past the wire and did not gallop out quite as strongly as expected, going five-eighths in 1:02.41 and up six furlongs in 1:16.09.

TOM’S READY – Worked right in the middle of the rush at Churchill, breaking off two lengths behind workmate Forever d’Oro. He held a head advantage at the wire after five furlongs in 59.40, according to track clockers, while finishing on the outside under mild pressure in a pretty useful-looking drill for this Derby longshot.

OSCAR NOMINATED – He shipped over to Churchill from Trackside to work five furlongs with stablemate Hint of Roses in 1:00.80, with a three-furlong fraction of 35.82, finishing a length best while appearing to tire some approaching the wire.

SHAGAF – He’s done extremely well since shipping to Churchill and had another good morning on Friday. I picked him up at the three-eighths pole and took him to the wire in 35.44 without need of encouragement, readily overtaking and pulling away from an Oaks worker who’d broken off in front of him at the half-mile marker. He galloped out strongly into and around the turn, as he had in his work just five days earlier.

DESTIN – He was given a fairly stiff work in company with Stradivari at Churchill on Friday. He will be coming into the Derby off an eight-week layoff. With Javier Castellano aboard, Destin went in fractions of 24.95 and 36.44 and completed the five furlongs in 1:01.27, sticking his head in front at the wire while under urging outside his workmate. Destin then continued to breeze another quarter-mile under additional prodding from Castellano, completing seven furlongs in 1:27.23. It was a decent move, although he did not appear to finish with quite the same energy as he had in his previous two works, both at Palm Beach Downs.

MOHAYMEN – A high-spirited colt, he waited until things quieted down late in the session at Churchill before beginning his breeze but was on the muscle nonetheless, leaping in the air and fighting his rider, who had a hard hold, before breaking off a bit rankly at the half-mile pole. The early-season Derby favorite, he settled in nicely once under way, turning in a brisk four furlongs in 47.51 with a two-furlong fraction of 24.04. He never was really being extended, finishing with his ears pinned before easing up a bit quickly on the gallop-out, going five-eighths in 1:01.19 and pulling up six furlongs in 1:16.81.

MAJESTO – He waited to breeze until well after the Derby/Oaks training window at Churchill had closed so he could secure the services of Castellano, who had guided him to a second-place finish in the Florida Derby. Working over a pretty chewed-up track after making a brief stop to visit the paddock, Majesto went five furlongs in 1:01.32, coming home in 24.83 with Castellano nudging him along steadily through the final sixteenth. Like Destin, he went out an additional quarter-mile under considerable prodding from his rider, completing seven-eighths in 1:28.45 in a somewhat-disappointing move in light of the high energy level and spirited gallops he’d turned in the previous two mornings.