Joe Talamo

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Accredit remained perfect on wet tracks as he scored a front-running 1 ¾-length victory under Julien Leparoux to take the 75th running of the $280,500 Churchill Downs Presented by Carewise Health (Grade II) on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

The Churchill Downs, for 4-year-olds and up, was the first of six graded stakes on the Kentucky Derby 135 card.

Accredit took the lead out of the gate and was pressured in the run down the backside by Hewitts and Joe Talamo through fractions of :22.94 and :45.59. Hewitts drew even at the top of the stretch, but Accredit opened a daylight advantage and had enough left to hold off My Pal Charlie in finishing the seven furlongs on a “sloppy” main track in 1:23.24.

The victory was worth $166,954 and increased Accredit’s career earnings to $427,738 with six victories in 16 starts, including a perfect five-for-five on wet tracks.

Accredit returned payoffs of $10.60, $5.40 and $4. My Pal Charlie, ridden by Garrett Gomez, returned $5.40 and $4 with The Roundhouse, ridden by Edgar Prado, rallying for third another 1 ¼ lengths back to pay $5.40 to show.

Accredit is a 4-year-old Florida-bred son of E Dubai out of the Montbrook mare Pocketbook.

CHURCHILL DOWNS QUOTES

JULIEN LEPAROUX (rider of winner Accredit) – “He loved the ‘off’ track. I guess this worked out to be a perfect day for him. Everything went his way. Every time a horse made a run and I asked him for run, he was there for me. He ran a big race for me. I was waiting for Kodiak Kowboy to make his move but my horse just ran big today.”

MIKE MAKER (trainer of winner Accredit) -- “It’s fabulous to win a race like this on Derby Day and sure were glad it rained. Hopefully we can reverse the story about the claim (Maker and Ramsey originally lost Kentucky Derby 135 starter General Quarters in a $20,000 claiming race). Julien (Leparoux) rode a great race. This horse was four-for-four on off tracks and now five-for-five. Every time he runs, we have to watch the weather forecast. He’s a classy horse and there are plenty of spots for classy sprinters. We’ll look at Calder (Summit of Speed) and Saratoga perhaps.”

GARRETT GOMEZ (rider of second-place finisher My Pal Charlie) – “He ran really good. The leader kind of snuck away turning for home. My horse put in a solid run and he ran his race. It’s sloppy and a lot of horses have trouble getting through it and it’s very hard to see so he was able to run a really good race.” On the track conditions: “It’s still a little wet, a little greasy, but it’s in pretty good shape. It’s got a good bottom and it’s safe and that’s our main concern.

EDGAR PRADO (rider of third-place finisher The Roundhouse) – “He ran good. He was right behind the speed, starting picking them up right around the turn. He finished real well. Unfortunately, the speed held on a lot better than I thought. (The track) is real wet but it’s safe and my horse ran on it very well. I was very happy.”

Morning-line favorite I Want Revenge was scratched for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Saturday morning after an undiagnosed problem was detected in the left front ankle of the Jeff Mullins-trained colt.

Dr. Foster Northrop, the attending veterinarian, x-rayed and ultra-sounded the ankle without determining a cause for the inflammation that he said was defused in the ankle above and below the sesamoid.

“On the digital X-rays I’m not seeing any bone lesion at all. It X-rays really pristine, so I do think more soft tissue at this point. Ultrasound, which is basically an X-ray on soft tissue, I’m not seeing a lesion either. So further diagnostics will be done,” Northrop said. “It’s a high-risk area for being injured and we need to be sure there’s not an abnormality with further diagnostics.”

Mullins detected the problem shortly after arriving at Barn 24 on the Churchill Downs backstretch, finding heat in the ankle after removing the Wood Memorial (Grade I) winner’s bandages, washing his legs and giving them a routine check.

“We detected a little pressure and a touch of heat in the left front ankle. We jogged him up and down the asphalt to check for soundness and he actually jogged pretty well. We flexed the ankle and he gave to the flexing of the ankle,” Mullins said. “By that time, Dr. Foster (Northrop) showed up. He jogged him again and he jogged fairly good. Dr. Foster flexed the ankle and he gave to the flexion again.”

Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian for the American Association for Equine Practitioners, also examined I Want Revenge.

“After Jeff and Dr. Northrop looked at him, I came by to look at him a third time, and he didn’t jog that bad, but the inflammation was there in his ankle. Unfortunately, this close to the Derby, there’s not a way to gauge how important that is yet. So we have to err on the side of caution, and I’d like to commend the owners and Jeff for doing what’s right for the horse until we know what’s going on.”

The decision to scratch I Want Revenge, however disheartening, came easily for breeder and majority owner David Lanzman.

“I can’t look back at what might have been. It’s really not going to do me any good. I think I’ve hired the best people in the world to give me the decisions as to what they think we should do,” Lanzman said. “When the words came out that running could hurt the horse, I looked at those doctors and I said: ‘Then this is no debate. What are we talking about? We’ll fight another day.’ ”

Mullins said he had been completely satisfied with I Want Revenge’s preparation for the Run for the Roses while raising the possibility that the colt might have wrenched his ankle while training on a wet track Friday morning.

“To me, in my whole career, I’ve never handled a horse of this caliber before and I’m just not going to take a chance on hurting him.” Mullins said. “I’ve been in this business kind of all my life. Most of the things I’ve learned in this business I learned by hard knocks in more ways than one. Your biggest dream is to get here, but the biggest nightmare is to get to race day and have to scratch. Right now I don’t think it’s sunk in that much, but I’m pretty disappointed.”

I Want Revenge, whom Mullins said was unlikely to run in the Preakness Stakes (Grade I) in two weeks, is the first morning-line favorite to be scratched on the morning of the Kentucky Derby.

“Really, I’m at a loss of words. I’m just glad the horse is OK. It could have been a lot worse. Something could have happened on the track. I’m just glad it happened in the stall, and I believe everyone did the right thing by the horse,” 19-year-old jockey Joe Talamo said. “He’s the one who got us here, so you have to do the right thing by him.”

KENTUCKY DERBY ADJUSTED PURSE
Purse: $2,177,200 (if 19 horses start)
Winner: $1,417,200
Second: $400,000
Third: $200,000
Fourth: $100,000
Fifth: $60,000

Jockey Joe Talamo got his Kentucky Derby Week activity off to a good start Wednesday afternoon as he drove Sugar Baby Love (GER) past Happiness Is in deep stretch to win the $46,406 Grinstead Gallop over the Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs by a half-length.

Talamo, who will ride morning-line favorite I Want Revenge in Kentucky Derby 135 on Saturday, kept Sugar Baby Love in a stalking position along the rail off early leaders Three Graces and Happiness Is. Talamo moved Sugar Baby Love off the rail at the head of the stretch and rallied three wide to collar the leaders at the eighth pole before drawing clear in the final 50 yards.

Owned by Team Valor International and Green Lantern Stables, Sugar Baby Love covered the mile and a sixteenth over a course rated as “good” in 1:43.96. Sugar Baby Love is a 5-year-old daughter of Second Empire (IRE) out of the Salse mare Salzgitter (GB).

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Sugar Baby Love returned mutuels of $8.60, $4.60 and $3. Happiness Is, ridden by Jesus Castanon, returned $7.80 and $5.60 and Lemonette rallied for third to finish another 2 ¼ lengths back under Miguel Mena to pay $5.20 to show in the field of eight fillies and mares.

The victory was the fourth in 13 career starts for Sugar Baby Love and worth $27,060 to increase her earnings to $153,074.

David Lanzman, IEAH Stables & Puglisi Racing’s I Want Revenge, a dazzling winner of Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial (Grade I) and Gotham (GIII) since his move from synthetic racetracks to traditional dirt, was installed as a solid 3-1 favorite when he faces 19 rivals in Saturday’s 135th renewal of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on Saturday at historic Churchill Downs.

    The 3-year-old son of Stephen Got Even could give IEAH Stables its second consecutive victory in America’s greatest race, following a dominant performance in last year’s Derby by the then-unbeaten Big Brown.  A victory by I Want Revenge would provide California-based trainer Jeff Mullins with his first Kentucky Derby victory in five tries, and give 19-year-old jockey Joe Talamo a victory in the famed “Run for the Roses” in his first attempt.  The Louisiana native would be the youngest jockey to win the Derby since Kentucky-born racing legend Steve Cauthen, then 18, won the 1978 Derby and swept the Triple Crown with Affirmed in 1978.

    But to win the 1 ¼-mile classic I Want Revenge will have to turn back an accomplished and consistent group of rivals headed by Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile, whose four-race winning streak includes a victory in the Santa Anita Derby (GI); Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Dunkirk, a $3.7 million yearling sale purchase who was runner-up in the Florida Derby (GI); Friesan Fire, a son of A.P. Indy whose three consecutive victories include a 7 ¼-length romp in the Louisiana Derby (GII); Papa Clem, winner of the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GII); Godolphin’s Dubai-based stars Regal Ransom and Desert Party, the 1-2 finishers in the $2 million UAE Derby; and Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner General Quarters, the sole runner in the one-horse stable of former Louisville, Ky. educator Tom McCarthy, who claimed his horse for $20,000 a year ago and now stands on the verge of a triumph of America’s most important race and one of the most unlikely victories in the history of the great race.

    The Kentucky Derby again used its unique process of establishing post positions for the 20 horses in which the connections of each horse selected their preferred slot in the starting gate after a blind draw was conducted to establish selection order.  I Want Revenge ended up with the 10th spot in selection order, and co-owner David Lanzman chose post 13 for the colt.

       “We wanted the 14, but they took it right in front of us,” Lanzman said.  “We just wanted to avoid a disaster. We didn’t want (post position) one, two, three, four and we didn’t want 17, 18, 19, 20. So, we couldn’t be happier.”

    Churchll Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia installed Dunkirk and Pioneerof the Nile, who ended up alongside each other in posts 15 and 16 in the auxiliary starting gate, as the 4-1 co-second choices.  Dunkirk, one of three Derby entrants trained by Todd Pletcher, will bid to give his four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer his first victory in the Kentucky Derby.  A win by Pioneerof the Nile would be Baffert’s fourth, but his first since War Emblem in 2002.

    Edgar Prado, who won the 2006 Derby aboard Barbaro, will ride Dunkirk.  Garrett Gomez, last year’s Eclipse winner as America’s top rider, will seek his first Derby victory aboard Baffert’s colt.

    Vinery and Fox Hill’s Farm’s Friesan Fire is the fourth choice in the morning line at 5-1.  Trainer Larry Jones has saddled the last two runners-up in the Kentucky Derby in Fox Hill’s Hard Spun, second to Street Sense in 2007, and the filly Eight Belles, last year’s ill-fated second-place finisher.  

    Lane’s End Stakes (GII) winner Hold Me Back will carry the hopes of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs who is winless in the track’s biggest race, and WinStar Farm, which also owns Derby contenders Advice, the Pletcher-trained winner of Keeneland’s Coolmore Lexington (GII), and Mr. Hot Stuff, third in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) for trainer Eoin Harty.  If all three horses run on Saturday, WinStar would become the first owner to start three horses in a Kentucky Derby since Maine Chance Farm sent out Lord Boswell, Knockdown and Perfect Bahram to finish fourth, fifth and ninth, respectively, behind eventual Triple Crown winner Assault in the 1946 Kentucky Derby.

    A sentimental choice for many Kentucky Derby fans will be General Quarters, who emerged over the winter and spring as a contender for owner-trainer Tom McCarthy with victories in the Sam F. Davis (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs and his recent upset in the Toyota Blue Grass.  Julien Leparoux, coming off a record-smashing Fall Meet riding title at Churchill Downs, will have the mount aboard General Quarters, a son of Sky Mesa that McCarthy claimed for $20,000 out of a maiden race at Churchill Downs nearly a year ago.

    General Quarters is the only horse currently in training for the 75-year-old McCarthy, a retired teacher and a principal at three Louisville area high schools.  A victory by the sole member of McCarthy’s stable would make him the first person to own and train a Kentucky Derby winner since owner-trainer-breeder T.P. Hayes saddled 91-1 shot Donerail for his surprise win in the 1913 Derby.

    If all 20 horses start, the purse for the Kentucky Derby will be $$2,202,200 and the winner’s share will be $1,442,200.    

Post time for the 135th Kentucky Derby is set for 6:24 p.m. (all times EDT) on Saturday.  The race will be televised nationally by NBC Sports from 5-7 p.m.   

The following quotes and comments were collected by the Churchill Downs Notes Team following the draw for post positions for the 135th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), to be run on Saturday, May 2.

ADVICE (Selection No. 13, Post position No. 4, morning line 30-1)
DUNKIRK (Selection No. 6, Post position No. 15, morning line 4-1)
JOIN IN THE DANCE (Selection No. 1, Post position No. 9 morning line 50-1)

Trainer Todd Pletcher on Dunkirk
“We talked about it this morning and our first choice was 15. So we got what we wanted. I was a little hesitant about going in next to Pioneerof the Nile (who picked fifth and selected No. 16) because I know he doesn’t always come out of there the right way. But 15 is a good spot. You’ve got some room there (it is the first opening in the auxiliary gate with space to the inside) and being outside you can fall into a good spot. We’re happy with it.”

On Join in the Dance
“Well, we thought about it a lot – sort of. Then when you know that Rashard’s jersey number is 9, you’ll know why we picked it.” (Rashard Lewis, a 10-year veteran of the NBA who currently plays for the Orlando Magic, wears No. 9 on his basketball jersey. He is one of the horse’s three owners along with Jake Ballis and Reagan Swinbank.)

Elliott Walden, vice president and racing manager of WinStar Farm, on Advice
“We like it. It’ll be fine. We like the selections for all our horses.” (The other two WinStar horses drew on either side of Advice – Mr. Hot Stuff in No. 3 and Hold Me Back in No. 5.)

ATOMIC RAIN (Selection No. 9, Post position No. 14, morning line 50-1)
WEST SIDE BERNIE (Selection No. 20, Post position No. 1, morning line 30-1)

Trainer Kelly Breen on Atomic Rain
“It’s a good post for him, just outside the speed. It should be OK.”

On West Side Bernie
“It is what it is. I’ll get together with Stew (jockey Stewart Elliott) and we may have to change our tactics.”

CHOCOLATE CANDY (Selection No. 3, Post position No. 11, morning line 20-1)

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer
“It’s good; good. I would rather have had the 10, but 11 is the next best thing. We’re happy.”

DESERT PARTY (Selection No. 17, Post position No. 19, morning line 15-1)
REGAL RANSOM (Selection No. 2, Post position No. 10, morning line 30-1)

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor on Regal Ransom
“That’s a good draw. The horse always shows a good turn of foot. He can take a good position early in the race. It depends how fast they go, but if he sits close behind the lead I’ll be really happy.

On Desert Party
“He’s been more calm and relaxed in his races. If he can take a nice position, I’d be happy with that. I’m happy with the draw.”

FLYING PRIVATE (Selection No. 19, Post position No. 20, morning line 50-1)

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas
“I went outside. There are four or five horses inside of me that aren’t speed horses. I feel like we’ll be able to get a better position. In reality, probably 100 yards out of the gate, we’ll probably be in the 14 or 15 post. I don’t think it’s so bad, but I really didn’t have much of a choice.”

FRIESAN FIRE (Selection No. 11, Post position No. 6, morning line 5-1)

Trainer Larry Jones
“I was surprised the six was still left. I thought there would be more speed horses to draw inside. Right now we are in good shape. We had the five last year with Eight Belles and worked out a great trip. He should be laying anywhere from third to fifth early and suck back behind the speed and hopefully get a clear run when the real running starts.”

GENERAL QUARTERS (Selection No. 8, Post position No. 12, morning line 20-1)

Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy
“I was really worried we wouldn’t get in the middle where we wanted to be, but it all worked out. Post 12 ought to be just fine. I’m hoping we’re sitting 3-4-5 going into the first turn right behind the speed horses.”

HOLD ME BACK (Selection No. 12, Post position No.  5, morning line 15-1)

Trainer Bill Mott
“We would have had to go, I think, to 17 or inside.  Who knows? I didn’t want to be in the one, two or three. Sometimes you take a lot of pressure down in there going into the first turn. You can have a good trip from anywhere and a bad trip from anywhere. It’s a little hard to determine until the gate opens. We’re satisfied with the draw.”

I WANT REVENGE (Selection No. 10, Post position No. 13, morning line 3-1)

Trainer Jeff Mullins
“I kind of left it up to the owners to pick. I’m just going to concentrate on getting him ready and getting him there safe. Ideally we wanted most of the speed inside of us. That’s what we tried to do, but there’s maybe one outside of us. But we’re here to play and hope our horse stays healthy and everyone has a nice trip. I haven’t given (jockey Joe Talamo) any instructions so far, so I don’t think I’ll start now.”

David Lanzman, managing partner of I Want Revenge
“We could see where it was going; we could see the direction it was going. We wanted the 14, but they took it right in front of us. We just wanted to avoid a disaster. We didn’t want one, two, three, four and we didn’t want 17, 18, 19, 20. So, we couldn’t be happier.”

MINE THAT BIRD (Selection No. 7, Post position No. 8, morning line 50-1)

Trainer Chip Woolley
“Everything is super. We were hoping for six through nine, and wound up with eight. Where we’re at, he’ll get a chance to settle without being jostled too much on the far inside going into the first turn.”

MR. HOT STUFF (Selection No. 16, Post position No. 3, morning line 30-1)

Trainer Eoin Harty
“It’s good, sure. We’ll save lots of ground.”

MUSKET MAN (Selection No. 18, Post position No. 2, morning line 20-1)

Trainer Derek Ryan
“Well, he broke his maiden going from the two hole, so it should be OK. And anyway, we can’t change it.”

PAPA CLEM (Selection No. 4, Post position No. 7, morning line 20-1)

Trainer Gary Stute
“It went perfect. Lucky No. 7 is what we were hoping for. I was hoping more of the speed would be inside us, but I think it will work out. Then again, if he blows out (three furlongs) in 34-and-change tomorrow morning, I might have wished we put him even farther inside.” Note: Papa Clem will work 3 furlongs Thursday at 6:15 a.m.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (Selection No. 5, Post position No. 16, morning line 4-1)

Trainer Bob Baffert
“It all depended on the draw. When I got the five-draw, I said I’m going to go to 16. If I had had a higher number, I might have gone inside with him. He hasn’t had that dirt experience, so there will be less dirt on the outside than there will be on the inside.”

SUMMER BIRD (Selection No. 14, Post position No. 17, morning line 50-1)

Trainer Tim Ice
“I’m happy with the post. Once he breaks, he should be able to drop over toward the inside and get good position into the turn.”

Churchill Downs is providing daily updates on your favorite contenders for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands.  Get the latest information below!

ADVICE / DUNKIRK / JOIN IN THE DANCE – It now appears trainer Todd Pletcher will start three horses in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby 135 – Advice, Dunkirk and Join in the Dance.

After consulting with the various owners of his four potential Derby starters, the five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer decided to go with three and drop one – that horse being Take the Points, who is owned by the Starlight Partners stable of Jack and Laurie Wolf.

“Around noon today Mr. Wolf and I had a discussion in which we weighed all the factors,” Pletcher said. “When we looked at it from all angles, we decided the best way to go with Take the Points was the Preakness. That race gives him two extra weeks, a shorter distance (mile and three-sixteenths) to work with and a track where we think his tactical style will work to best advantage. In the end, we just thought it was the right choice.”

The trainer also noted that he had finalized riding assignments for his three Derby horses, with Edgar Prado on Dunkirk, Rene Douglas on Advice and Chris DeCarlo on Join in the Dance.

Tuesday morning, Pletcher had sent his three workers from Monday – Advice (:47.20), Join in the Dance (1:00.20) and Take the Points (1:00.20) -- back to the track for easy jogs of a mile around the big oval.

Dunkirk, the $3.7 million yearling who flew in from Florida on Tuesday morning to bed down in Pletcher’s Barn 38, was once considered a possible outside-looking-in type on the graded stakes earnings’ list.  But now he is assured a spot in the starting field for the 10-furlong race, and is likely to be one of the solid betting interests.

ATOMIC RAIN / WEST SIDE BERNIE – The minute after he heard that Atomic Rain was a likely Kentucky Derby starter, trainer Kelly Breen had the colt put on a van at Monmouth Park in New Jersey and had him headed for Churchill Downs.

“They left Monmouth at 12:30, and it’s about a 13-hour trip,” Breen said, “so they should get here about two in the morning.”

Atomic Rain, a bay son of Smart Strike-Paradise Pond, by Cox’s Ridge, is owned by George and Lori Hall, who already have a Derby starter in West Side Bernie. Atomic Rain finished fourth when West Side Bernie was second to I Want Revenge in the Grade I Wood Memorial last out.

Atomic Rain has yet to win since breaking his maiden at Monmouth last June, but finished second to Old Fashioned in the Grade II Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct last November. This season at three, he was second, beaten a neck, in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, ran seventh in the Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay, and then third in a Gulfstream allowance test before his Wood Memorial outing.

Breen said that Joe Bravo, who has been aboard Atomic Rain his past two starts, will have the mount in the Derby. Bravo had his first and only previous Derby mount in 2005, when he finished 16th aboard Spanish Chestnut.

West Side Bernie was out early Tuesday morning, taking a mile and a half gallop around the Churchill Downs oval with Breen aboard.

“We thought we’d beat the weather,” Breen said, “so we got him out early today. He’s doing fine, coming up to the race the right way.”

This will be Breen’s first Kentucky Derby, but his rider for West Side Bernie, Stewart Elliott, won the race aboard Smarty Jones in 2004. Elliott rode West Side Bernie for the first time in the colt’s most recent start, the Grade I Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4.

The Bernstein colt closed ground in the stretch and finished second behind I Want Revenge in the nine-furlong Wood.

“Bernie ran really well that day,” Breen said. “He kicked it in late, maybe a little too late. The extra eighth of a mile in the Derby should be what he needs.”

CHOCOLATE CANDY – All was well with the Chocolate Candy crew at Barn 42 Tuesday morning. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, assistant trainer Galen May and exercise rider Lindsey Molina had nothing but good things to say about their colt, who had turned in a nifty :59.20 prep Monday morning in his final major exercise for Kentucky Derby 135.

“He came out of it good, ate up and just walked the shedrow this morning,” Hollendorfer said. “We’re all good.”

The veteran trainer, currently the nation’s sixth-leading conditioner with more than $2.2 million in earnings, will jog his Candy Ride colt Wednesday, gallop him Thursday and Friday, then walk him the morning of Kentucky Derby 135.

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, who flew overnight from California to be aboard for the Monday work, once more will be in the tack when they “Run for the Roses.”

DESERT PARTY / REGAL RANSOM – Shortly before dawn and well before rain arrived, trainer Saeed bin Suroor sent the two Godolphin colts out to gallop a mile and a quarter.

Bin Suroor said the colts are happy, healthy and in good form.

After starting their careers in the United States last summer, the colts were sent to Dubai for the winter racing season. Desert Party beat Regal Ransom in the first two of the preps for the $2 million U.A.E. Derby, but Regal Ransom won the main event by a half-length.

“One week before the race, I told the boys in the stable, 'Listen, there might be a surprise in the UAE. Derby,’ ” bin Suroor said. “I was right.  At the same time, Desert Party, who is always happy and does everything you ask him in a professional way, wasn’t really happy when I saddled him for the race. He was really quiet before the race. I thought that wasn’t his day. I checked him for two days after the race and he was very quiet, but later it seemed that he was coming back really good to his form. Now he’s really a different animal.”

Bin Suroor said his colts have flourished in the month since their most recent race.

“When they were in Dubai they improved all the time, but since the last race they look much better than ever,” bin Suroor said. “We come here with some confidence. We’re looking to see our horses run a big race.”

This is the fifth time that Godolphin – the racing operation headed by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum – sent horses to Louisville for America’s biggest race. The top finish was a sixth by China Visit in 2000.

“This is the hardest race in the world,” bin Suroor said, “and the best race in the world, a mile and a quarter for 3-year-olds. It’s hard to win. You need a special horse. Tough. Class. Speed. Everything in one horse.
 “We tried coming from Dubai four times. Now, I think we have better horses than what we saw in Dubai. We’re trying this year and it looks to me that our horses are doing much, much better than ever.”

FLYING PRIVATE – Robert Baker and William Mack's Flying Private walked the shedrow at D. Wayne Lukas' Barn 44 a day after working a half mile in :47.40. Robby Albarado, who has the mount for Derby 135, had been aboard for the work.

This colt has been compared to Charismatic, Lukas' Derby winner in 1999, in that he figures to be a longshot on Saturday. Charismatic won at odds of 31-1.

Lukas pointed out that in addition to Charismatic, his Thunder Gulch in 1995 was a 24-1 longshot.

“Flying Private’s strength is his pedigree and he's truly a mile-and-a-quarter horse,” said Lukas, whose other Derby winners were Winning Colors in 1988 and Grindstone in 1996.

FRIESAN FIRE – It wasn’t Derby Fever that had the attention of Friesan Fire on Tuesday morning at Barn 45.

“He was on his toes before he knew Zenyatta was here,” trainer Larry Jones said referring to the arrival of the undefeated champion mare who is housed seven stalls down from Friesan Fire. “He is quite taken with her.”

Friesan Fire, worked five furlongs in :57.80 on Monday under jockey Gabriel Saez, walked the shedrow Tuesday and will return to the track Wednesday.

“Wednesday will be a goof-off day,” Jones said. “He will go to the gate, paddock, jog and maybe ‘lope’ around there, whatever he wants to do for about 20 minutes.”

Jones said that the Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm colt never has had problems with either the gate or paddock.

“I just want to stand him in the gate,” Jones said. “At the Fair Grounds (for the Louisiana Derby), he was on the outside and loaded last and they sprung the latch. I just don’t want him to think it is like that all the time.”

In the Louisiana Derby, Friesan Fire romped by 7 ¼ lengths on a sealed, sloppy track. With rain in the forecast for the rest of the week, the chance for an off track remains a possibility.

“We are not hoping for rain. We want a fast track,” Jones said. “We know we are OK because he ran well at the Fair Grounds in the Louisiana Derby. Churchill Downs gets very good when it is wet. If it rains, we won’t spend the day panicking.”

GENERAL QUARTERS – Owner/trainer Tom McCarthy sent Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) winner General Quarters out for a mile and half gallop under regular exercise rider Julie Sheets before the renovation break Tuesday morning.

“He’s doing good, couldn’t be any better,” McCarthy said as a steady rain beat down on Barn 37.

General Quarters never has raced on an off track, but McCarthy does not think it will be a problem for the son of Sky Mesa.

“Whenever he gallops on an off track, Julie says he just floats over it,” McCarthy said. “He was here all last summer when there was a lot of rain and handled it fine.”

Julien Leparoux, who will ride General Quarters in Derby 135, stopped by the barn and had a five-minute chat with McCarthy. Leparoux has not been aboard General Quarters, who was ridden in the Blue Grass by Eibar Coa.

HOLD ME BACK – WinStar Farm’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) runner-up Hold Me Back jogged a mile Tuesday morning. He turned in his final breeze Sunday.

Hold Me Back has picked up all three of his career victories on synthetic surfaces and his only off-the-board result was on the dirt in the Remsen at Aqueduct. Trainer Bill Mott said the colt moves beautifully over the dirt in training and that it is too early to say he prefers one surface to another.

“We’re not about to say our horse can’t run on the dirt just off one race,” Mott said.  “We’re going to give him the chance on Saturday and then we’ll see.”

Kent Desormeaux has the riding assignment on Saturday.

I WANT REVENGE – Just after the renovation break and minutes before torrential rains fell at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning, I Want Revenge took good advantage of a fresh and fast race track during a four-furlong workout in :47.20 under jockey Joe Talamo.

The Wood Memorial (Grade I) winner turned in fractions of :11.40, :23.20 and :35.40 during his final serious prep for a start in the Kentucky Derby.

“We got a great race track today, and we got to let him do what he normally does. I think we accomplished what we wanted to do today,” trainer Jeff Mullins said. “We just wanted to see him moving forward and into the work and happy. He worked this morning like he normally does.”

The workout was the fastest of 49 recorded at the distance. Managing partner David Lanzman’s homebred colt galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80.

“Like Dave was saying to his kids: This is the final hurdle before the big show. But we have four more hurdles to go until Saturday,” Mullins said. “Every day you have to wake up and hope that he’s in good health and stays that way until Saturday.”

Talamo also expressed satisfaction with the tune-up.

“I’m pretty confident, especially today. Like Jeff said, I feel like we accomplished pretty much what we wanted to do,” said Talamo, a 19-year-old Louisiana native who had worked I Want Revenge at Churchill Downs twice prior to Tuesday’s bullet move. “We caught a real good race track today. The last couple of times, it was a little deep because of rain the day before. But it was great. He finished up real well; just the way we wanted him to.”

The Southern California-based jockey had gained a world of confidence in I Want Revenge during their eventful journey in the Wood Memorial, in which he broke dead last and was blocked behind a wall of horses in mid-stretch before jetting through a hole on his way to a courageous victory.

“From the Gotham and even before that, we knew he was a pretty good horse. Obviously, in the Wood, that answered a lot of questions for everyone. To overcome a trip like that is just incredible,” Talamo said. “He’s so mature for his age. It’s hard to explain. He does everything so easily.

“He’s definitely one that has a few gears on him, which helps in a race like the Derby, because there’s a lot of stop and go – hopefully not, but it does happen. But he’s definitely one of the contenders.”

Preparing for his first ride in the Derby, Talamo has sought out the advice of several prominent jockeys, past and present.

“I’ve talked to a few guys, Gary Stevens, Robby Albarado, Jerry Bailey, that’s just to name a few. They’ve all pretty much given me the same advice: Don’t cry when ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ comes on,” Talamo said.

Talamo will particularly take Stevens’ words to the starting gate with him for his initial Derby experience.

“He said just keep both feet on both sides and your mind in the middle,” Talamo said.

Mullins said I Want Revenge would walk the shedrow Wednesday, jog a mile and gallop a mile on both Thursday and Friday, and jog a mile on Saturday.

MINE THAT BIRD – Trainer Chip Woolley was feeling philosophical at Barn 42. His Kentucky Derby colt, Mine That Bird, had come out of his final work for the race Monday in good fashion and had merely walked the shedrow Tuesday. The Birdstone colt had “eaten up” and was a happy camper, and so was his conditioner.

“It’s down to racin’ luck and what happens,” the 45-year-old native of New Mexico said, sounding like a man who realized he’d done all the heavy lifting and that much of what would happen next would be in the hands of the racing gods.

“I’m just so tickled that me and my horse and my owners are now going to be part of the history of the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “We’re going to do it and they won’t ever be able to take that away from us.

“I just wanted my horse to be ready to give the best effort of his life, and I believe we’re there. He’s never been better and now we’re going to see just what he can do. When the race is done we’ll know where we’re at with him. But we’re going in ready to give it our best and we can’t ask for more than that.”

Calvin Borel, who won the 2007 Derby on Street Sense, worked Mine That Bird Monday in 1:02 and has the call on Saturday.

MR. HOT STUFF – Owned by WinStar Farm, Mr. Hot Stuff made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs racing strip Tuesday morning at 7, beating the rains that hit the area by getting in both a leg-stretching of a mile and one half under exercise rider Paul Turner and a quick bath back at Barn 41 before the skies opened.

Half of the WinStar connection ownership connection, Bill Casner, looked on trackside with trainer Eoin Harty as their handsome, near-black youngster went through his exercise.

Mr. Hot Stuff, of course, is a full brother to another WinStar runner, the more-heralded Colonel John, who last year – like his brother – came from California for the race. Circumstances this time are a bit different, however. Colonel John was one of the “buzz” horses for the 2008 Derby, finally going off the second-betting choice. Little brother Mr. Hot Stuff comes to town with a much lower-key resume and figures to be one of the outsiders in Derby 135.

John Velazquez has the call on Mr. Hot Stuff for the Saturday classic.

MUSKET MAN – Musket Man was out early Tuesday morning. With exercise rider Salvador Dominguez aboard, Musket Man schooled at the gate and then galloped a mile and a half around the fast main track.

“He just stood in the gate a while,” trainer Derek Ryan said after bicycling back to Barn 41 behind Musket Man. “He’ll gallop up to the race now.”

Musket Man, who has won the mile and a sixteenth Tampa Bay Derby (Grade III) and the mile and an eighth Illinois Derby (Grade II) in his past two starts, has already breezed twice at Churchill Downs since he got to Kentucky two weeks ago. He went six furlongs in 1:13 flat on April 18, and then five furlongs in 1:01.60 last Saturday with jockey Eibar Coa aboard. The Derby will be his fifth start of the year.

There have been questions about Musket Man getting the Derby distance with what is essentially sprint breeding, but his half-sister, whom Ryan also trained, won short and long on dry and muddy tracks, on turf and synthetics.

“She just liked to win, and he’s the same,” Ryan said. “I’ve been hearing about his distance ‘limitations’ since his first start last October. Well, so far he’s won at six and seven furlongs, a mile and a sixteenth, and a mile and an eighth. I think he’ll handle another furlong.”

Musket Man is owned by the partnership of Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, and they’ve watched the $15,000 yearling purchase win five of six career starts and earn $572,600 since he debuted on Oct. 25 at Belmont.

PAPA CLEM – Bo Hirsch’s Papa Clem galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Mundo Gonzalez before the renovation break and before the rain Tuesday morning.

“He will gallop Wednesday and Thursday I’ll breeze him,” trainer Gary Stute said. “Rafael (jockey Bejarano) is supposed to be here to work him. He’ll blowout a good quarter down the lane and out to the seven-eighths.”

Papa Clem’s lone race on an off track was a runner-up finish to Friesan Fire in the Grade II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds  and Stute would prefer not to see an off track on Saturday.

“I’d rather not see an off track because Friesan Fire beat me so easy,” Stute said of Papa Clem finishing 7 1/4 lengths back. “The first time he sees something, he is a little hesitant. It should help him for this time if it rains.”

PIONEEROF THE NILE – Trainer Bob Baffert said the Empire Maker colt owned by Zayat Stables came out of a fine work in fine shape.

Pioneerof the Nile breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Monday morning. Tuesday was a quiet morning.

“He walked the shedrow today and will jog tomorrow,” Baffert said. “He looks fantastic.”

Garrett Gomez has the riding assignment on Saturday.

SQUARE EDDIE – Kentucky Derby 135 lost a candidate Tuesday morning when trainer Doug O’Neill said that the Smart Strike colt Square Eddie had been withdrawn from consideration for the race.

“We thought he’d come out of his work (:50.20) Sunday in good shape,” O’Neill said at Barn 17 on Tuesday morning, “but then Monday we felt some heat in his left front shin. We called Dr. (Mark) Cheney and took some X-rays. The X-rays didn’t show anything, but that heat is there and Dr. Cheney said it might be best not to take any chances; that we were probably looking at a sign of possible problems.

“In the end, we decided to err on the side of caution. Mr. (Paul) Reddam said ‘Do what’s in the best interests of Eddie,’ and that’s what we’ve done.”

Square Eddie had suffered a small fracture in his left front leg following a workout in February in California and had been backed off training and racing until he returned to action April 18 at Keeneland in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II), where he made a swooping move to the front in the stretch, but then fell back to finish third.

The Canadian-bred now will be shipped back to California “either next Monday or Tuesday,” according to O’Neill.

“We’re just on chill mode with him now,” he said. “There’s no real plan from here; we’ll let him tell us how he’s doing and when we can start back with him.”

SUMMER BIRD – Trainer Tim Ice braved the approaching storm Tuesday morning and took Summer Bird to the track when the track reopened at 8:30 a.m. The Birdstone colt was still galloping under jockey Chris Rosier when the rain came pelting down.

“It didn’t bother him a bit,” Ice said. “He trained all winter down at Oaklawn and it rained a lot there, too. I thought he trained well here today, and I’m very happy with the way he’s coming up to the race.”

Summer Bird, who has had just three career starts – all on a fast track – has a pedigree that says he’ll run on any surface.

“He trained as good on wet tracks as dry tracks in Arkansas,” Ice said, “maybe even better. I don’t think track condition will affect him at all.”

Summer Bird made his first start March 1, broke his maiden March 19, and then ran third behind Papa Clem in the Grade II Arkansas Derby on April 11. The money he earned in that race, shot him right into the top 20 on the earnings list and guaranteed him a Derby berth.

This will be the 34-year-old trainer’s first Derby, and first Grade I stakes runner. A former assistant to Morris Nicks, Cole Norman and Keith Desormeaux, Ice went out on his own less than a year ago, in late May of 2008. But he’s been around the track most of his life.

“I first went to the track when I was 13, with my stepfather Frank Rapp,” Ice said. “He took me to Waterford Park (now Mountaineer in Chester, W.Va.) where he trained a couple of horses. Not long after that, we moved to Louisiana where I grew up near Louisiana Downs.”

Ice still lives in Bossier City, La., with his wife Heather.

WIN WILLY – One day after his final Kentucky Derby breeze, Win Willy just walked under the shedrow in Barn 45 for trainer Mac Robertson.

The colt by Derby winner Monarchos was credited with a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.40 on Monday with exercise rider Eli Lopez aboard.

“I’m not certain the time is right,” Robertson said, “because he was out there with a bunch of other Derby horses when the accident happened and there was a lot of confusion. But the time doesn’t really matter.  He went along nice and even the whole way, and I was very happy with the way he finished up the work, he looked really strong galloping out. I was very happy with the way he came back and cooled out. He’s doing great today.”

Robertson, one of several first-time Derby trainers, said he’ll be leading the rain dance party this week.

“I hope it rains and keeps on raining,” the trainer said. “I hope it rains so much they think about canceling the races, but they can’t because it’s Derby Day.”

Win Willy, whose pedigree drips with off-track form, shows just one start over a track other than fast. That was the Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 14, a race he won by more than two lengths going away. The track was officially listed as “good” that day.

“I don’t know what they called it, but I called it muddy,” Robertson said. “Deep muddy. And my horse just loved it. That’s why I’m hoping for a wet track, because I know some of the others won’t like it a bit.”

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CHOCOLATE CANDY – The Sid and Jenny Craig Trust’s Chocolate Candy tuned up for his engagement in Kentucky Derby 135 by working a mile over a track rated as “fast” in 1:42 with jockey Mike Smith up.

Churchill Downs clockers caught the Candy Ride colt in fractions of  :12.60, :24.80, :37.20, :49.80, 1:02.20, seven-eighths in 1:28.60 and galloping out the mile and one-eighth in 1:57.

Both Smith and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer expressed satisfaction with the work.

“I liked it, it was a nice maintenance work,” Smith said. “He did everything I asked of him. He didn’t turn a hair. If he had gone a mile in 1:42 and was gasping and not coming back as well as I liked, I’d be a little worried. I am as happy as I can be. He handled the turns, which is an important part of it.”

Hollendorfer, who also had two other workers here Tuesday morning, said, “It was a nice work. I wanted to see how he handled the turns and he handled them well. The track was a little off, but I was very happy with the work.”

Hollendorfer was headed back to California after the works but planned to return Saturday.

“He will work again either Monday or Tuesday,” Hollendorfer said. He’ll have a blowout of a half-mile or five-eighths.”

Rene Douglas worked Hollendorfer’s other two horses: Rendezvous (five furlongs in 1:00.60, which was second fastest of 19 at the distance, in preparation for Saturday’s Derby Trial) and Sugar Mint (IRE) (a best of 36 half-mile in :47.60 for the Louisville Distaff or Humana Distaff).

DESERT PARTY / REGAL RANSOM – With regular exercise rider Bob Chapman up, Regal Ransom and then Desert Party galloped a mile and a quarter before the morning renovation break.

FLAT OUT – Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 under exercise rider Walter Aguilar before the renovation break.

The Florida-bred son of Flatter covered the distance in fractions of :13, :25.40 and :37.60.  He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.30 and seven-eights in 1:28.80.

“I was satisfied with the work, just what I wanted,” trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey said.

But, Scooter, don’t all trainers say that?

“Yes, but this one really turned out the way I wanted,” Dickey said.

Flat Out would need a couple of defections of probable starters in the next week to gain a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

“I see the list is down to 22,” Dickey said. “We’ll see how he comes out of this work and then work him back. Whoever we decide on being the rider, we’ll have him work him.”

Flat Out has two career wins to his credit, including a victory in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.

FLYING PRIVATE – Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack’s Flying Private had a get-acquainted session with jockey Robby Albarado on Tuesday morning, working five furlongs in company in 1:01.20 after the renovation break.

Churchill Downs clockers recorded fractions of the work in :12, :24, :36.20 and out six furlongs in 1:16.

Flying Private worked in company with stablemate Lord and T.

“It was a very good work and I liked the way he handled the turns,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “He came off the turn very well and finished strong. Robby did a good job with the test drive.”

Albarado also was happy with the work.

“I had watched him run numerous times,” Albarado said. “This was my first time on him and I thought it went well. Wayne just wanted a nice maintenance work and he had some company. He gets a little lax when he works by himself. Overall, I think we accomplished what we wanted this morning.”

GENERAL QUARTERS – Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) winner General Quarters galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with exercise rider Julie Sheets up.

Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy is looking at Thursday or Friday as the final pre-Derby work for General Quarters.

“It depends on the weather and how he gallops tomorrow,” McCarthy said. “If it warms up and the track dries out well, I’d probably go Thursday and that would give him an extra day before the Derby.”

Julien Leparoux has the Derby riding assignment.

I WANT REVENGE – David Lanzman, IEAH Stables and Puglisi Racing’s I Want Revenge, winner of the Wood Memorial (GI), turned in his second work since his arrival at Churchill Downs as he breezed five furlongs in company with stablemate Gato Go Win after the break for track maintenance.

The son of Stephen Got Even covered the distance in 1:01.60 under Joe Talamo, the 19-year-old Louisiana native who is scheduled for his first Kentucky Derby ride aboard trainer Jeff Mullins’ colt in the big race on Saturday, May 2.

I Want Revenge broke off about two lengths behind his workmate and was clocked in fractions of :12.40, :25, and :37.20.  The Kentucky Derby contender had narrowed Gato Go Win’s advantage to a length after three-eighths of a mile and was a neck in front of his stablemate when the pair passed the finish line.  I Want Revenge galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.20.

“I thought it was a great work,” Talamo said.  “I think it was exactly what we wanted. We had another horse in front of him to give him something to look at the last part.  We sat right off of him and finished the last part, just like we wanted and galloped out good and strong.  I give him an A-plus.”

I Want Revenge worked over a muddy track in his first serious training move at Churchill Downs.  Talamo was also aboard for that move and said the track was not much different on Tuesday, although it was officially listed as fast.

“I didn’t think it was too fast today – it was still kind of ‘mushy’ on top,” he said.  “Last week it rained a lot the day before and it wasn’t sloppy, but it was a little bit cuppy.  And today it was the same thing – like about three or four inches on top were kind of ‘mushy.’ So it was kind of the same track, but I felt like he got over it great.  I put him right behind that other horse and he got a lot of dirt in his face, and he took it like nothing.”

Mullins said I Want Revenge would have one more piece of serious training over the Churchill Downs strip before the Derby.

“He’ll have an easy half (mile) next Tuesday,” he said.  “We just want to keep him on the ground.  We won’t ask him for much.  We’ll just let him open his lungs up and stretch his legs.  We won’t ask him to do a whole lot.”

MINE THAT BIRD – Double Eagle Ranch and Bueno Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird was scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday night after completing a two-day van trip from Sunland Park near El Paso.

Trained by Bennie Woolley Jr., Mine That Bird will be housed in Barn 42, Stall 22 and be ridden in Derby 135 by Calvin Borel, who won the roses in 2007 aboard Street Sense.

MUSKET MAN – Eric Fein and Vic Carlson’s Musket Man was one of the first horses on the track Tuesday morning, galloping 1 ¾ miles under exercise rider Salvador Dominguez.

Trainer Derek Ryan said that Musket Man would probably have his final work on Saturday and may visit the starting gate prior to the Derby.

Eibar Coa has the mount.

PAPA CLEM – Bo Hirsch’s Papa Clem walked the shedrow at Barn 10A for a second consecutive day after a five-furlong work on Sunday.

“He will go back to the track in the morning,” trainer Gary Stute said. “He will probably work again Saturday and I’ll probably have Larry Sterling handle the work. He worked him for me in Arkansas.”

Rafael Bejarano will ride Papa Clem in the Kentucky Derby.

PIONEEEROF THE NILE – Zayat Stables LLC’s Pioneerof the Nile brought a smile to the face of three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert with a sharp five-furlong work over a “fast” track just after the break for track maintenance.

Joe Steiner was in the saddle as the son of 2003 Kentucky Derby runner-up and Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Empire Maker covered the distance in 1:00.80.  The time was the fourth-fastest of 19 at the distance over a surface that seemed to be playing slower as the morning wore on.

Pioneerof the Nile, who made the recent Santa Anita Derby (GI) his fourth consecutive stakes victory, covered the distance in fractional times of :12.20, :24.20, and :36.40.   He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Baffert said the work was actually longer than the five furlongs credited to the colt by Churchill Downs clockers.

“He looked good – he skipped right over it,” said Baffert.  “I ended up working him seven-eighths and let him gallop out strong.  I got him in :26-and three, and he galloped out all the way down the backside.  So it was a good little work and it was not really hard on him.”

Baffert is pleased with the way Pioneerof the Nile is getting over the sandy loam surface at Churchill Downs.  He has raced exclusively on turf and synthetic surfaces in his eight career starts.

“It was nice and relaxed – I didn’t want to do too much,” Baffert said. “It looked like he skipped over it, because I know the track, with the rain, was a little bit deep.  I had some other horses work and some horses struggled over it.  But he has taken to it great, so far.  I like what I see.”

Baffert said Pioneerof the Nile would work one more time before the May 2 Derby, most likely on Monday or Tuesday of next week.  Eclipse Award-winning jockey Garrett Gomez will ride the colt in the “Run for the Roses.”

Pioneerof the Nile has a record of 5-0-1 in eight races and has earned $1,234,200.

SQUARE EDDIE – J. Paul Reddam’s Square Eddie arrived at Churchill Downs around mid-afternoon on Tuesday following a van ride from Lexington’s Keeneland, where he had been stabled since running third in last Saturday’s Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who was back at his Southern California base, said he would come to Louisville on Sunday.

O’Neill said that no riding assignment has been finalized for Square Eddie.

WEST SIDE BERNIE – George and Lori Hall’s West Side Bernie galloped a mile and five-eighths with trainer Kelly Breen in the saddle before the renovation break.

Stewart Elliott has the riding assignment on West Side Bernie.

CHOCOLATE CANDY – The Sid and Jenny Craig Trust’s Chocolate Candy visited the paddock and then galloped a mile and a half over a muddy Churchill Downs track Monday morning with exercise rider Lindsey Molina up.
Galen May, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, said Chocolate Candy would work Tuesday morning, most likely after the break.
“We are going to work all of them tomorrow,” May said referring to Rendezvous, who is being pointed to Saturday’s Grade III Derby Trial, Sugar Mint (IRE), a candidate for the Humana Distaff (Grade I) or Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (Grade II).

DESERT PARTY/REGAL RANSOM – The Godolphin duo of Regal Ransom and Desert Party jogged Monday morning with exercise rider Bob Chapman handling the duties on both.
    Regal Ransom was the first colt out shortly after the track opened at 6 o’clock and Desert Party follows about an hour later.
    Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor, is due to be back in Louisville on Wednesday. Henry Spiller is overseeing morning training in Mettee’s absence.

FLAT OUT – Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out galloped a mile and three-quarters under exercise rider Walter Aguilar early Monday morning.
     Trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey remains hopeful Flat Out can get into the Derby field despite having only $32,500 in graded stakes earnings. If Flat Out does not make the Derby field, Dickey said “there are three or four options out there, but we haven’t made a decision.”

FLYING PRIVATE – Grand Slam Farm LLC’s Flying Private galloped Monday morning under exercise rider Taylor Carty for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
    Lukas said the son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus would likely work Tuesday morning, “weather permitting.”
    Robby Albarado is scheduled to ride Flying Private in Kentucky Derby 135.
    
GENERAL QUARTERS – Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy sent Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) winner General Quarters out for a mile and a half gallop under exercise rider Julie Sheets.
“He had a slow gallop over a muddy racetrack,” McCarthy said. “I didn’t see too many going fast out there this morning.”
Julien Leparoux has the Kentucky Derby riding assignment on General Quarters.

GIANT OAK – The Virginia H. Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak, runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs and the recent Illinois Derby (GII), is out of consideration for Kentucky Derby 135.
    Trainer Chris Block told Churchill Downs officials on Monday that the homebred son of Giant’s Causeway would get some time off before focusing on a summer campaign that could include a return to the grass.  Block’s colt won his racing debut over that surface.
    Giant Oak was considered by many to be a major contender for the “Run for the Roses” after his strong effort in last fall’s Kentucky Jockey Club, but he had a star-crossed winter at Fair Grounds that included a fifth-place finish in the Risen Star (GII) and a fourth-place run in the Louisiana Derby (GII).  He returned home to his Chicago base to run second to Musket Man in the Illinois Derby (GII), but Block said he continued to be concerned by the colt’s mental outlook.  So Giant Oak will get some time off for freshening
    “Physically he’s ready, mentally he’s not,” said Block by telephone.  “He just hasn’t gone forward mentally enough.  What I’d be scared to death of is the experience of the Derby is tough on some of those 3-year-olds who aren’t mentally prepared.  I’m afraid we’d take major steps backwards.  We’d love to be there, but in the best interests of him, I think we’ll wait it out and look for something else.”
    Block said a Kentucky Derby bid was tempting, but the ultimate decision to skip the race was not a difficult one.
    “It was pretty easy after we considered everything,” he said.  “We waited to see how he came out of the Illinois Derby, and he came out of it good.  He’s been good mentally since the race, but we kind of looked back over our experience of the last three or four races and I thought the only really solid performance was the race last fall there at Churchill.  Things didn’t go well in New Orleans where we could get a real good read, and I’m not sure we learned a ton more in the Illinois Derby that would make us think that we’re worthy of running with those top 10 in the Kentucky Derby.”
    Giant Oak has a career record of 2-2-0 in seven races with earnings of $218,396.    

I WANT REVENGE – IEAH Stables, David Lanzman and Puglisi Racing’s I Want Revenge had a leisurely stroll through the barn area while some maintenance work was being done on the track Monday morning.
“Just doing a little trail riding,” said Bobby Troeger, assistant to trainer Jeff Mullins.
After “trail riding” was complete, I Want Revenge jogged in the mile chute and then galloped a mile under former jockey Joe Deegan.
I Want Revenge is scheduled to work Tuesday morning after the renovation break with jockey Joe Talamo coming in for the work.

MUSKET MAN – Eric Fein and Vic Carlson’s Musket Man jogged early Monday morning with exercise rider Salvador Dominguez up.
    Trainer Derek Ryan, who never has started a horse at Churchill Downs, said Musket Man “probably would work Saturday, weather permitting.”
    Eibar Coa has the Derby riding assignment on Musket Man.

PAPA CLEM – Arkansas Derby (Grade II) winner Papa Clem walked the shedrow at Barn 10A on Monday morning, a day after working five furlongs in 1:04.60 on Sunday.

PIONEEROF THE NILE – Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile galloped a little more than a mile and a half with exercise rider George Alvarez up after the renovation break.
    “He goes well over everything, but today was his first time on slop,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He’s got a big, long stride. He seems to be more focused here than at Santa Anita.”
    Baffert, who has won the Kentucky Derby three times, plans to work Pioneerof the Nile on Tuesday morning.
    “I might wait until Wednesday, but the track was OK today and I don’t see a problem,” Baffert said. “He’s pretty ready. Then he would come back next Monday or Tuesday.”
    Baffert’s most recent Kentucky Derby win was in 2002 with War Emblem. He enjoyed his first Kentucky Derby success in 1997 with Silver Charm and won again the following year with Real Quiet.
    “Coming in that gate and seeing the Twin Spires with a contender, it’s like ‘Here we are!’ There are a lot of great memories,” Baffert said. “I am going to have fun. You’ve got to appreciate it, because you never know when you will be back.”
    Baffert said the key question with any Kentucky Derby horse is whether they can handle the mile and a quarter distance.
    “The distance is what separates a lot of them and that is one thing I love about this horse is the distance will not be a problem,” Baffert said. “People ask me to compare horses but he is maybe like Real Quiet, I knew he’d get the mile and a quarter.”

WEST SIDE BERNIE – George and Lori Hall’s West Side Bernie galloped a mile and three-quarters with trainer Kelly Breen up.
    West Side Bernie, second to I Want Revenge in the Wood Memorial (Grade I) in his most recent start, is slated to be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Stewart Elliott, who piloted Smarty Jones to victory in the 2004 Derby.
    As for a work schedule, Breen said, “I don’t think he will breeze until next week.”

KENTUCKY DERBY 135 ARRIVAL SCHEDULE – Two prospective Kentucky Derby starters are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday according to Director of Stalls Mike Hargrave.
    Double Eagle Ranch and Bueno Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird is due in tomorrow night after vanning from Sunland Park. Trained by Bennie Woolley Jr., Mine That Bird will be stabled in Barn 42, Stall 22.
    J. Paul Reddam’s Square Eddie, third in last Saturday’s Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland, is scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon and will be housed in Barn 17.
    Anticipated to arrive on Wednesday is Drs. K.K. and Vilasini Jayaraman’s Summer Bird, trained by Tim Ice. Summer Bird will be going to Barn 42, Stall 11.
    Coming Thursday are WinStar Farm’s Mr. Hot Stuff and Jer-Mar Stable’s Win Willy.
    Trained by Eoin Harty, Mr. Hot Stuff will be going into Barn 41 and Win Willy, trained by Mac Robertson, will be housed in Barn 45.
    Another WinStar runner, Hold Me Back, is at Keeneland and will move into Bill Mott’s Barn 19 when he ships to Churchill Downs.
    Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm’s Friesan Fire, trained by Larry Jones, is expected to arrive Friday afternoon and will be stabled in Barn 45.
    Not expected to arrive until April 28 are Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s Dunkirk, who will go into Barn 34 with trainer Todd Pletcher’s string, and Edward P. Evans’ Quality Road, trained by James Jerkens. No barn assignment has been made for Quality Road.

J Paul Reddam’s Square Eddie, who started the year near the top of almost anyone’s list of contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), makes a late return to the road to Churchill Downs when he faces 10 rivals in Keeneland’s $300,000 Coolmore Lexington (GII).

The 1 1/16-mile race on the synthetic Polytrack surface will be the first start for Square Eddie since January.  Twelve 3-year-olds were entered in the Coolmore Lexington, but Team Valor’s Barry Irwin was unhappy with the outside post draw by Hull and said that colt would scratch and run in next week’s Derby Trial (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

The Doug O’Neill-trained Square Eddie won last fall’s Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland before he turned in a strong runner-up finish behind eventual 2-year-old champion Midshipman in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) over the Pro-Rid surface at Santa Anita.  Square Eddie opened the year with a runner-up finish to the then-unknown The Pamplemousse in Santa Anita’s San Rafael (GII).

But Square Eddie went to the sidelines with sore left front shin and his chance to run in the Kentucky Derby appeared slim as he was out of training for a month.  But he bounced back quickly and Square Eddie comes into the Coolmore Lexington off a pair of strong six-furlong works at Hollywood Park.

“Three months ago, I would not have been surprised to be here; two months ago, yes,”
said O’Neill.  “His past two works have been exceptional, signaling to us that he is ready to get back at it.”

Edgar Prado will ride Square Eddie, who will carry co-high weight of 123 pounds with El Crespo, winner of the Palm Beach (GIII) on the Gulfstream Park turf.  They are the only graded stakes winners in the field.
O’Neill hopes that Square Eddie will run well enough in his return to racing to earn at trip to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby in two weeks.

“I would want to see a really good effort and have him come out of it in good shape,” O’Neill said. “Then we would huddle with Team Reddam.”

The field for the Coolmore Lexington, from the rail out, includes: Jeranimo (Brice Blanc, 117 pounds), Omniscient (Robby Albarado, 117), Pitched Perfectly (Alan Garcia, 117), Brave Victory (John Velazquez, 117), His Greatness (Rene Douglas, 117), Masala (Eibar Coa, 117), Conservative (Kent Desormeaux, 117), Square Eddie (Prado, 123), El Crespo (Javier Castellano, 123), Parade Clown (Julien Leparoux, 117), and Advice (Garrett Gomez, 117).

The race will be telecast from 5-6 p.m. (all times EDT) on ESPN2.

OLD FASHIONED UNDERGOES SURGERY, RETIRED FROM RACING – Fox Hill Farm’s Old Fashioned, at one time the early favorite for Kentucky Derby 135, was retired from racing this week after undergoing knee surgery.  

The Larry Jones-trained son of Unbridled’s Song suffered a slab fracture in a runner-up finish to Papa Clem in last Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.  He underwent surgery this week at Rood & Riddle equine hospital near Lexington.   

Old Fashioned won his first four races, a string that included easy wins in the Remsen (GII) and Southwest Stakes (GIII).  He suffered his first loss in a runner-up finish to Win Willy in the Rebel (GIII) at Oaklawn Park, and followed that effort with his run in the Arkansas Derby.
    
I WANT REVENGE WORKS AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Wood Memorial (GI) winner I Want Revenge, who could be the betting favorite in the May 2 Kentucky Derby, got a feel for the Churchill Downs track on Tuesday when the colt worked an easy four furlongs  for trainer Jeff Mullins.

The son of Stephen Got Even covered the distance in :50 over a muddy surface under 19-year-old jockey Joe Talamo, who flew in from California for the move.

“I think it was pretty much what we wanted,” said Talamo.  “He didn’t really need much coming out of his last race and he’s plenty fit.  He handled it great.  Actually, for all the rain we had I thought it felt pretty good.”

“He just needed to do enough to keep himself safe,” said Mullins.  “He’s been tearing the barn down and we had to do something with him.  If they get to feeling too good, they might get themselves hurt.”

Several Kentucky Derby contenders entered the grounds at Churchill Downs this week, including Thursday’s arrival of Pioneerof the Nile and Chocolate Candy, the 1-2 finishers in the Santa Anita Derby (GI).  Papa Clem made the trip from Oaklawn Park to Churchill Downs on Tuesday.  Other Kentucky Derby contenders at Churchill Downs include Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner General Quarters; Illinois Derby (GII) winner Musket Man; Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up West Side Bernie; the Dubai-based duo of Regal Ransom and Desert Party, the 1-2 finishers in the $2 million UAE Derby (GII); and Churchill Downs-based Flat Out, winner of the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn.

Before his departure for Kentucky, Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile turned in an impressive four-furlong work on Wednesday at Santa Anita.  The Bob Baffert-trained son of Empire Maker covered the distance in :46.20 – the fastest of 29 moves at the distance.

“I didn’t think he went that fast,” said Baffert.  “It’s probably the best he’s ever worked.

MAFAAZ CHANGES BARNS, WILL NOT RUN IN DERBY 135 – Mafaaz, winner of the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes at Britain’s Kempton Park, will remain in the United States but will not compete in the Kentucky Derby.

The win at Kempton earned Mafaaz a first-ever guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, but his status for the Derby became cloudy after he finished eighth to General Quarters in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland.  Late in the week the colt was moved from the care of British trainer John Gosden to Kiaran McLaughlin, but his new trainer said Thursday that plans were uncertain for Mafaaz, but the colt would not run in the Kentucky Derby.