Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Oaks Update: Thursday, April 24

December 10, 2019

CALIFORNIA CHROME (No. 1) - Steven Coburn and Perry Martin's California Chrome is scheduled to work Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Trained by Art Sherman, California Chrome is scheduled to ship to Louisville on Monday and be ridden in Kentucky Derby 140 by Victor Espinoza.

VICAR'S IN TROUBLE (No. 2)/GENERAL A ROD (No. 15)/HARRY'S HOLIDAY (No. 20) - Skychai Racing, Terry Raymond and Jana Wagner's Harry's Holiday was one of the first horses on the track after it opened at 5:45 a.m. to gallop under exercise rider Joel Barrientos for Mike Maker.

Maker has yet to name a rider for Harry's Holiday in the Derby.

J. Armando Rodriguez's General a Rod, who worked five furlongs Wednesday in 1:03.20, walked the shedrow Thursday morning as did Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Vicar's In Trouble.

DANCE WITH FATE (No. 3) - Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable and Ciaglia Racing's Dance With Fate is scheduled to work Saturday morning on the turf at Santa Anita for trainer Peter Eurton.

Winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most recent start, Dance With Fate is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Monday. Corey Nakatani has the Derby mount.

WICKED STRONG (No. 4) - Centennial Farms' Wicked Strong, winner of the Wood Memorial (GI) in his most recent start, is scheduled to work Friday at Belmont Park for trainer James Jerkens.

SAMRAAT (No. 5) - My Meadowview Farm's Samraat, winner of his first five races and runner-up in the Wood Memorial (GI) in his most recent start, is scheduled to work Friday at Aqueduct for trainer Rick Violette.

DANZA (No. 6)/INTENSE HOLIDAY (No. 8)/WE MISS ARTIE (No. 10)/VICEREMOS (NO. 19) - Trainer Todd Pletcher's quartet of Kentucky Derby hopefuls galloped after the morning renovation break.

Pletcher, who will remain at Churchill Downs through the Derby, said the four colts would work Sunday, "if the weather cooperates" and that a decision on Vinceremos' Derby participation would not come until early next week after he watches the colt train and work.

Vinceremos, who finished 14th in the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most recent start in his only foray onto Polytrack, is owned by WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables. Ovel Merida was aboard Vinceremos on Thursday morning.

Arkansas Derby (GI) winner Danza, who is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, was partnered by Ezequiel Perez; Starlight Racing's Risen Star (GII) winner Intense Holiday had Isabelle Bourez aboard; and, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Spiral (GIII) winner We Miss Artie was ridden by Nick Bush.

HOPPERUNITY (No. 7)/CHITU (No. 12)/BAYERN (No. 23) - Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman's Rebel (GII) winner Hoppertunity walked the shedrow a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.20.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Hoppertunity will be attempting to become the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby without a start as 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882.

"Hey, I had him entered in a race at 2 and scratched him because I had another one there," Baffert said. "He was ready to run, so that should count."

Tanma Corporation's Chitu galloped after the renovation break with Dana Barnes up and Kaleem Shah's Bayern galloped at the same time with Jorge Alvarez up.

RIDE ON CURLIN (No. 11) - Daniel Doughtery's Ride On Curlin, runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (GI) last out, galloped after the renovation break for trainer Billy Gowan under exercise rider Bryan Beccia.

"He's doing just as good as we had him in Arkansas," Gowan said. "He's held his weight well, stayed sound and is galloping around with his ears up. He likes this track."

Ride On Curlin is scheduled to work Saturday, weather-permitting.

TAPITURE (No. 13) - Ron Winchell's Tapiture stood in the starting gate and then galloped shortly after 7 o'clock with exercise rider Abel Flores up for trainer Steve Asmussen.

RING WEEKEND (No. 14) - St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds' Ring Weekend, winner of the Tampa Derby (GII), is scheduled to work Friday at Fair Hill (Md.) Training Center for trainer Graham Motion.

MEDAL COUNT (No. 16) - Spendthrift Farm's Medal Count galloped under exercise rider Faustino Aguilar for trainer Dale Romans after the renovation break.

The Blue Grass (GI) runner-up is slated to work Saturday, weather permitting.

CANDY BOY (No. 17) - C R K Stable's Candy Boy galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Jelani Grant at 6:30 a.m. Thursday for trainer John Sadler.

"It was an easy first day, just letting him get his feet wet," Sadler said of Candy Boy, who arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday, walked Tuesday and jogged Wednesday.

Sadler said Candy Boy would gallop again in the morning and is scheduled to work Saturday with three-time Kentucky Derby-winning rider Gary Stevens slated to be aboard. Stevens has the Derby mount.

UNCLE SIGH (No. 18) - Wounded Warrior Stables and Anthony Robertson's Uncle Sigh is scheduled to work Friday morning on the Belmont Park Training Track around 9:30 according to trainer Gary Contessa.

Contessa said Uncle Sigh would leave New York by van early Saturday morning with a Saturday evening arrival at Churchill Downs anticipated. Contessa will fly to Louisville on Sunday. Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Uncle Sigh in the Derby.

COMMANDING CURVE (No. 21) - West Point Thoroughbreds' Commanding Curve galloped after the renovation break for trainer Dallas Stewart with exercise rider Emerson Chavez aboard.

Commanding Curve sits at 21st on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard Presented by Twinspires.com," and Stewart said that if he makes the Derby field jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will ride.

PABLO DEL MONTE (No. 22) - Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and trainer Wesley Ward's Pablo Del Monte is scheduled to work Saturday or Sunday at Keeneland.

SOCIAL INCLUSION (No. 24) - Rontos Racing Stable's Social Inclusion worked three furlongs in :34.41 over a fast track at Gulfstream Park Thursday morning.

"He went very well," owner Ronald Sanchez said. "I got him in :34 and 2 and out in :47 and 3. Right now, we are just waiting."

Should the connections of all horses under Derby consideration on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com" leaderboard enter, Social Inclusion would be the fourth also-eligible.

BIG BAZINGA (No. 25) - Derby Dreamers Racing Stable's Big Bazinga galloped 1 ½ miles after the renovation break under Loren Diego.

Trainer Katerina Vassilieva is expected to be in Louisville Friday, according to assistant Amber Mayers. Big Bazinga is scheduled to work Saturday.

KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE - Thursday, April 24, 2014

UNTAPABLE (No. 1) - Winchell Thoroughbreds' Untapable galloped before 6:30 over a fast track Thursday morning at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Angel Garcia aboard in preparation for next Friday's Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

SUGAR SHOCK (No. 2) - Trainer Doug Anderson opted to beat the weather and sent On Cloud Nine's Sugar Shock out for a half-mile breeze in :48.40 Thursday morning after the renovation break.

With new rider Calvin Borel aboard for the first time, Sugar Shock recorded fractions of :12.20, :24.20, :36.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80 on her own. The move was the eighth fastest of 32 at the distance.

"I thought it was excellent," Anderson said. "I decided to do it today instead of waiting and maybe being in the mud tomorrow. Calvin thought she worked well."

With Thursday's work, Sugar Shock's major preparation is done for the Oaks.

"She has done quite a bit before she got here and I think she is pretty fit," Anderson said. "She's going good and I may just give her a strong gallop the day before (the Oaks)."

FASHION PLATE (No. 3) - Arnold Zetcher and Michael Tabor's Fashion Plate, winner of the Las Virgenes (GI) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) in her two most recent starts, is scheduled to work Saturday morning at Santa Anita according to trainer Simon Callaghan.

Fashion Plate is scheduled to fly to Louisville on Monday.

IN TUNE (tie-No. 4)/MY MISS SOPHIA (tie-No. 4)/GOT LUCKY (No. 8) - Trainer Todd Pletcher's trio of Kentucky Oaks hopefuls galloped after the morning renovation break.

Amy Mulen was aboard Wertheimer and Frere's In Tune; Humberto Zamora partnered Mathis Stable's My Miss Sophia and Britney Trimble was on Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Philip Steinberg's Got Lucky. Pletcher has not finalized his riders for the Oaks. He plans to work all three on Saturday, weather permitting.

ROSALIND (No. 6) - Landaluce Educe Stables' Rosalind put in a post-renovation break gallop for trainer Kenny McPeek under exercise rider Danny Ramsey.

McPeek said the dead-heat Ashland Stakes (GI) winner will work Saturday, weather permitting.

ROOM SERVICE (No. 7)/AURELIA'S BELLE (No. 9) - Trainer Wayne Catalano's two Kentucky Oaks hopefuls - Gary and Mary West's Room Service and James Miller's Aurelia's Belle - worked seven furlongs together in 1:28.60 after the renovation break over a fast track.

Aurelia's Belle, with Florent Geroux up, started about a half-length in front of Room Service and Shaun Bridgmohan and finished that way as they raced through fractions of :13, :26.20, :38.60, :50.80, 1:03.20, 1:15.40 and galloped out a mile in 1:42.80.

Aurelia's Belle, who will be ridden in the Oaks by Channing Hill, is battle tested racing on dirt while Room Service has made five of her six starts on grass and in her most recent effort dead-heated for the victory in the Ashland Stakes (GI) over Polytrack at Keeneland.

"I thought they worked well," said Catalano, who was not ready to commit to the Oaks with Room Service.

"I honestly think she is better on the turf," Catalano said. "But I want to get feedback from the jock, feedback from the owners and from the horse and we will talk it over."

RIA ANTONIA (No. 10) - Christopher Dunn and Loooch Racing Stable's Ria Antonia walked the shedrow at trainer Bob Baffert's barn a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.60.

KISS MOON (No. 11) - Carl Pollard's Kiss Moon galloped after the renovation break with Otto Thorwarth up for trainer David Vance.

Second in the Fantasy (GIII) in her most recent start, Kiss Moon will be ridden in the Oaks by Victor Espinoza, according to Espinoza's agent Brian Beach.

FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD (No. 12) - The Estate of Clarence Scharbauer Jr.'s Fiftyshadesofgold galloped 1 ½ miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Sara Escudero for trainer Bret Calhoun.

The filly, who is under consideration for the Oaks and next Friday's Eight Belles (GIII), is scheduled to work Friday after the break with Escudero up, according to Dennis "Peaches" Geier, assistant to Calhoun.

UNBRIDLED FOREVER (No. 13) - Charles Fipke's Unbridled Forever worked five furlongs after the renovation break in a bullet 1:00.80 under exercise rider Pedro Velez.

The Dallas Stewart-trainee recorded splits of :12.20, :24.40, :36.80, :48.80 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14. Robby Albarado has the mount in the Oaks.

SWEET REASON - Trainer Leah Gyarmati confirmed that the Treadway Racing Stable's Sweet Reason has been taken out of consideration for the Oaks.

THANK YOU MARYLOU (No. 14) - Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Thank You Marylou galloped a little after 6 o'clock for trainer Mike Maker with exercise rider Joel Barrientos aboard.

Julien Leparoux, who rode Thank You Marylou in her past two starts, has the Oaks mount on the filly according to his agent Steve Bass.

EMPRESS OF MIDWAY (No. 15) - Daniel Kramer's Empress of Midway galloped after the renovation break under Humberto Gomez for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Jack Sisterson, assistant to O'Neill, said the filly is scheduled to work Friday with the time TBA depending on weather. Showers are predicted to start after midnight with rain anticipated through training hours.