Rick Dutrow

Michael Dubb’s Candy Cane split horses in deep stretch to win the $54,972 Unbridled Sidney for fillies and mares by a neck over Ivory Empress on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
    
Trained by Rick Dutrow and ridden by Garrett Gomez, Candy Cane covered the five furlongs on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in :57.45. The victory was worth $30,480 and increased Candy Cane’s earnings to $249,919 with a record of 34-8-11-1.

    Gomez had Candy Cane in fifth place in the run down the backside off a four-horse speed duel among Knockout Bertie, Selva, Trusty Temper and Valentine Fever. Gomez angled Candy Cane to the hedge in the run to the far turn and stayed there waiting for room until the sixteenth pole.

When an opening appeared, Gomez moved Candy Cane outside of Selva and inside of the fast-closing Ivory Empress for the winning move.

Candy Cane returned $7.20, $4.60 and $3. Ivory Empress, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $8.40 and $4 and finished a length ahead of Selva, who finished third under Robby Albarado and paid $2.80. It was a nose back to Knockout Bertie, who was followed in order by Valentine Fever, Trusty Temper and Pina Colada.

Candy Cane is a 6-year-old Michigan-bred daughter of Indian Charlie out of the Key to the Mint mare Peppermint Promise.

Earlier on the card, jockey Corey Lanerie got his 200th riding victory at Churchill Downs when he piloted Moments Away ($8.80) to a triumph in the third race. Lanerie is a 35-year-old native of Lafayette, La.

    Racing resumes Sunday with an 11-race Mother’s Day program that begins at 12:45 p.m. (EDT).

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will host the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 1 and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30. The track will conduct its 2010 Spring Meet from Saturday, April 24 through Sunday, July 4. Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Churchill Downs tickets are available at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com or by calling (502) 636-4400. Additional information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at ChurchillDowns.com.

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MARY’S FOLLIES HEADS TO FLORIDA AFTER MRS. REVERE VICTORY – Paul Pompa Jr.’s Mary’s Follies did not stick around Louisville long after her 1 ½-length score in Saturday’s Grade II Mrs. Revere in stakes-record time over the Matt Winn Turf Course under Kent Desormeaux.

“I’ve got a van picking her up Sunday and taking her straight to Gulfstream Park,” trainer Rick Dutrow said by phone Saturday night. “I am going to let her regroup and get over this one and train up to her next one.”

Mary’s Follies is now 2-for-2 on the turf with her other grass win coming in the Boiling Springs (GIII) at Monmouth in June. Prior to the Mrs. Revere, Mary’s Follies had finished sixth in the $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion (Grade II) at Philadelphia Park on Oct. 3.

“She had been training real good since her last race, which was kind of surprising since she ran such a dull race,” Dutrow said. “She had been training very, very good and we felt like we couldn’t turn down the opportunity last time because that purse was so big and she had run good over that Philadelphia track.

"We felt like we had to take a shot, which was very stupid. But she came out of it the right way and she fired a bullet (Saturday).”

Whatever Mary’s Follies’ next race will be, it figures to be on the lawn.

“I haven’t looked for a race yet, but we will definitely point for a grass race,” Dutrow said. “Even if it comes off, she likes the mud.”

EINSTEIN, MACHO AGAIN HEAD CLARK HANDICAP NOMINEES – Stronach Stable’s Einstein (Brz) and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again, winners of the past two major handicap races for older horses here, head a list of 23 nominations for the 135th running of the $400,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) to be run Nov. 27.

Trained by Helen Pitts-Blasi, Einstein is the defending champion in the Clark. Should Einstein run in the Clark, he would be coming back to the races in less than three weeks after finishing 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) on Nov. 7 at Santa Anita, the worst showing in his 29-race career.

Macho Again won the Grade I Stephen Foster Handicap here in June and defeated Einstein in the process. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Macho Again has not run since finishing fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park.

Other Grade I winners nominated to the Clark are Mitchell Ranch, Frank Lewkowitz and Joe Rice’s Bullsbay, winner of the Whitney at Saratoga as well as the Grade III Alysheba here, and Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Furthest Land, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI).

Three horses that won Grade II events in their most recent starts are also among the nominees. They are Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame, winner of the Fayette (GII) at Keeneland on Oct. 31; Darley Stable’s Etched, winner of the Meadowlands Cup (GII) on Oct. 16; and Jill Baffert and George Jacobs’ Misremembered, winner of the Indiana Derby (GII) at Hoosier Park on Oct. 3.

Weight assignments for the Clark will be announced Friday.

DEFENDING CHAMPS WON’T MEET AGAIN IN RIVER CITY HANDICAP –When the nominations came out for the 32nd running of the River City Handicap (GIII), there were two prominent names among the 27 nominees: Amerman Racing Stables, LLC’s Demarcation and Green Lantern Stables’ Karelian.

Those two dead-heated for the victory in last year’s running of the River City, so the possibility existed of the same horses dead-heating in the same race a year later.

However, it’s not going to happen.

“Karelian’s not running. We’re running Wicked Style in there,” said Jack Bohannan, assistant to trainer Rusty Arnold.

“I’m not sure which race we’ll go in,” said Paul McGee, trainer of Demarcation who is nominated to both the River City and the Clark Handicap. “(Owner) Mr. (John) Amerman is up in the air on it too.”

Demarcation won the Grade III Ack Ack on dirt here on Nov. 6 for his first victory since last year’s River City that is run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Wicked Style, owned by Ashbrook Farm, ran third in the Fayette (GII) at Keeneland over Polytrack in his most recent start on Oct. 31. In three turf starts in 2009, Wicked Style has two victories and a second-place finish.

Three graded-stakes winners on the turf in 2009 are among the nominees headed by Rahy’s Attorney, winner of the Nijinsky (GII) and King Edward Handicap (GII) at Woodbine this summer. The others are Brave Tin Soldier, winner of the Cliff Hanger (GIII) at the Meadowlands in October and the mare Tizfiz, who took the San Gorgonio (GII) at Santa Anita in January.

Weights for the River City will be announced Friday.    

NOMINATIONS OUT FOR CLOSING WEEKEND STAKES – Grade I winners Swift Temper and Unbridled Belle top the list of 18 fillies and mares nominated to the 94th running of the Falls City Handicap (GII) to be contested on Thanksgiving Day.

Swift Temper took the Ruffian in September at Belmont Park and three times this year has gotten the best of Unbridled Belle, a five-time graded-stakes winner who won the Grade I Beldame in 2007.

Weights for the Falls City, which is run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, will be announced Friday. Miss Isella won last year’s Falls City, a race in which Swift Temper finished fourth.

Closing day of the 21-day meet on Nov. 28 is “Stars of Tomorrow II” and will feature 12 races exclusively for 2-year-olds. Highlighting the day will be the 83rd running of the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and the 66th running of the Golden Rod (GII) for fillies.

The Kentucky Jockey Club, won last year by Beethoven, drew 37 nominations including the top three finishers from the opening day Iroquois: Thiskyhasnolimit, Uh Oh Bango and Soaring Empire.

The Golden Rod, won last year by Rachel Alexandra, attracted the top three finishers from the opening day Pocahontas in Sassy Image, Decelerator and All Due Respect among the 23 nominations.

BARN TALK – Calvin Borel’s four-win day on Saturday gave him 11 victories through the first 10 days of the 21-day meet and a two-win advantage over Julien Leparoux and Shaun Bridgmohan in the Fall Meet race for “leading rider.” Borel’s four-bagger came in races 5-8 and the Calvin backers in the crowd were richly rewarded. Borel won with Win Grammy Boy ($12) in the fifth, High Spirit ($16.40) in the sixth, Choice Play ($11.60) in the seventh and Cosmic ($9.60) in the eighth. The rolling doubles returned $146.60, $96.40 and $76.80 and the rolling Pick-3s paid $637 and $783.20. …

 Stronach Stable’s Harlem Rocker ran second to Cosmic on Saturday beaten a head in his first start since being disqualified from first in last November’s Cigar Mile (GI) at Aqueduct. “The reason he ran here instead of New York is because he was entered twice up there and the race didn’t go,” said Michael Dilger, who oversees trainer Todd Pletcher’s Churchill Downs string. “A win would have been nice, but he ran well and that sets him up for his next race. He will head to Florida after this meet closes (Nov. 28).”

Trainer Bill Mott, the leading conditioner all time at Churchill Downs, recorded his 625th victory beneath the Twin Spires when Soldier Field was moved up to first place via disqualification in Saturday’s 10th race. Closest to Mott on the all-time list is Dale Romans with 481 with nine of those coming at the current meet.

WORK TAB – Giant Oak, who is pointing toward the Clark Handicap, worked seven furlongs in 1:29.60 over a fast track Sunday morning after the renovation break for trainer Chris Block. The 3-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway lost narrowly to Beethoven in last year’s Kentucky Jockey Club (GII)… Vosburgh (GI) winner Kodiak Kowboy worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Paul Pompa Jr.’s Mary’s Follies rolled to a 1 ½-length victory over Keertana in stakes-record time to win the 19th running of the $206,500 Mrs. Revere (Grade II) for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

    Ridden by Kent Desormeaux for trainer Rick Dutrow, Mary’s Follies covered the 1 1/16 miles on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:41.73 to shave more than a second off the stakes mark of 1:42.86 set by Snow Dance in 2001.

    Desormeaux gave Mary’s Follies a ground-saving trip in the field of 14 as War Kill and Romacaca led the field through fractions of :24.23, :48.57 and 1:12.50. Leaving the far turn, Mary’s Follies angled off the hedge and hit the top of the stretch three wide with a clear shot at the leaders.

    Mary’s Follies breezed past Romacaca in the upper stretch, spurted clear and had more than enough to hold off Keertana, who was ridden by Jesus Castanon. Romacaca, ridden by E. T. Baird, held on for third another length back and finished a neck ahead of favored Hot Cha Cha, ridden by James Graham.

    A Kentucky-bred daughter of More Than Ready, Mary’s Follies’ victory was worth $116,509 and increased her earnings to $317,889. Now 2-for-2 on the grass, Mary’s Follies improved her career record to 9-4-3-1.

    Mary’s Follies rewarded her backers with mutuels of $20.80, $11.40 and $8.40. Keertana returned $14 and $7.80 with Romacaca paying $10.80 to show.

    Racing resumes Sunday with a 10-race program headlined by the sixth running of the $100,000-added Commonwealth Turf (GIII) for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course. First post time Sunday is 12:40 p.m. (all times ET) with the Commonwealth Turf going at 4:37 p.m. as the ninth race.

    There is a 10-day carryover of $164,755.24 in the Pick 6 that requires bettors to pick the winners in Races 5-10. Also, there is a $10,273.67 carryover in the Super Hi-5 that requires bettors to select the first five finishers in order in the 10th race.

POST-RACE QUOTES – THE MRS. REVERE

RICK DUTROW, trainer of MARY’S FOLLIES, winner (via telephone from a New York apartment): “She was training unbelievable for the last month. It looks like she might be just a grass horse. She’s a nice little filly. The jock gave her a great ride, and she had a great trip. All good there.”

KENT DESORMEAUX, jockey of MARY’S FOLLIES, winner: “When I was in the paddock before the race I was told that I had a loaded gun underneath me. All I had to do was aim and pull the trigger. She (Mary’s Follies) put me into a great position. She broke very smart and put us into a very energetic spot, and that set us up very well for the rest of the trip. She was really full of run when crossing under the wire today. She was really breathing fire today. This one really seems to have found herself on the turf. We beat a very good bunch of proven horses. She is just a very nice filly.”

TOM PROCTOR, trainer of KEERTANA, runner-up: “You can’t be five-wide on both turns and the winner be on the fence – and that’s not cussing the jockey, that’s cussin’ the post position.  The winner gets through on the fence and mine on both turns was four-or-five wide.  That’s the way it goes.
    “This was a tough race and the reason this race came up like this is that everybody had their horse running all year long.  And kudos to whoever was in this race, because a lot of them had run at a high level all year long, and that’s why the race came up so tough.  Usually you don’t see that – you see one or two of those come in like that, but all these trainers kept their horses around all year long.  
    “She’ll get a break similar to what we did last year.  We’ll go to Ocala (Fla.) and give her a couple of months off, then we’ll start back up and have her ready for Keeneland, hopefully.”

JESUS CASTANON, jockey on KEERTANA, runner-up: “She ran good.  We talked this morning, Tom (Proctor) and me, and we figured there was going to be a little more speed and the pace was going to be a little tough in the beginning.   But everything just went the opposite way and I was up there close.
    “I really can’t take anything away from her – she really gave me a nice race.  It was just one of those deals.  This horse responds really good when you get to the stretch – she really kicks in.  My filly was chasing the winner, but she just got through on us.”

PHILIP SIMS, trainer of HOT CHA CHA, fourth as the favorite: “She ran well, she just had a little traffic trouble.  And the pace was a little slow.  I was expecting (a half-mile) in :46 or :47, but they went in :48-and-change and three-quarters in (a minute) 12, and I thought ‘Uh-oh.’  But they finished up in a pretty fast time.”
Q: She’s had a great year … “She’s been a lot of fun this year.  She’ll get a little time off and come back here next spring.”

JAMES GRAHAM, jockey on HOT CHA CHA, fourth as the favorite: “I might have taken her back a little bit too far.  I thought they were going to go a little quicker, but I was already committed to sitting on her.  I should have asked her a little earlier, but that’s racing today.  She run a good race – it just wasn’t her day today.”

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MINE THAT BIRD BACK-TRACKS OVER CHURCHILL DOWNS MUD – Kentucky Derby (Grade I) winner Mine That Bird returned to the racetrack for the first time since finishing third in last Saturday’s Belmont Stakes (Grade I) by leisurely back-tracking once around early Thursday morning under exercise rider Charlie Figueroa.

"He is fresh as a daisy this morning,” trainer Chip Woolley said as Mine That Bird pranced off the Churchill Downs track that had been rendered sloppy by overnight and morning rain.

The break from the track was the longest for Mine That Bird “since we brought him back last December off the layoff from the Breeders’ Cup,” Woolley said. “He will walk the next two days and go back to the track Sunday.

Owners Mark Allen of Double Eagle Ranch and Dr. Leonard Blach are scheduled to arrive in Louisville from New Mexico on Friday and, along with Woolley and jockey Calvin Borel, receive their Kentucky Derby trophies on Saturday.

“I am going to get with Mark and Doc when they get here and right now I am aiming for Monday for a decision on what we are going to do,” Woolley said. “We have six options that we are looking at.”

TIME MAY BE RIGHT FOR WARRIOR’S REDWARD IN NORTHERN DANCER – For A. Stevens Miles Jr.’s Warrior’s Reward, the road to the Kentucky Derby hit a dead end in Tampa, Fla., with an eighth-place finish behind Musket Man in the Tampa Bay Derby (Grade III) on March 14.

    “He didn’t get the best of rides that day and it might have been a blessing for him,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “He made some noise in that race and had a little throat surgery after that has been good since. Maybe it was not our time yet.”

    Fast forward nearly three months and it appears the time may be at hand for the son of Medaglia d’Oro who figures to be an overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s 12th running of the $100,000-added Northern Dancer (Grade III) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Warrior’s Reward will break from post position three under Calvin Borel.

    Warrior’s Reward returned to the races on May 1 and won a seven-furlong allowance test by 2 ¼ lengths over Munnings. All Munnings did in his next start was romp in last Saturday’s Woody Stephens Stakes (Grade II) at Belmont Park.

     “I was pleased to see that,” said Wilkes, whose summer goals for Warrior’s Reward include the Jim Dandy (Grade II) and the Travers (Grade I) at Saratoga.

    Warrior’s Reward tuned up for the Northern Dancer with a bullet, five-furlong work in the mud of 1:01.60 on June 4. He worked in company with Miss Isella, who figures to be the favorite in Saturday’s 35th running of the $200,000-added Fleur De Lis Handicap (Grade II) at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

   Miss Isella has won four of her six starts at Churchill Downs and will be ridden Saturday by Borel, who has been aboard in all five of the 4-year-old filly’s victories.

    “She just loves this track,” said Wilkes of Miss Isella, who has won the Grade II Louisville Distaff and Falls City Handicap (Grade II) in her two most recent Churchill Downs races. “The only track she doesn’t seem to like is Gulfstream Park and I have never figured that out.”
    
ARSON SQUAD RELISHING RETURN TO THE DIRT – If horses could talk, one would imagine that Jay Em Ess Stable’s Arson Squad’s succinct appraisal of synthetic surfaces would go something like this: “NAY!”

    “The dirt turned him right around,” said Michelle Nevin, assistant to trainer Rick Dutrow, of Arson Squad, who joined the barn late last summer following a run of seven consecutive off-the-board finishes over Southern California’s three synthetic race tracks.

    In his first start for Dutrow, Arson Squad won the Meadowlands Cup Handicap, the third Grade II victory of his career. All three of those victories have come at 1 1/8 miles, the distance he will be asked to run Saturday in the 28th running of the $600,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I).

    Arson Squad last ran in $6 million Dubai World Cup (Grade I) on March 28 in which he finished 11th, placing 3 ¼ lengths in front of fellow Foster rival Asiatic Boy. Once back from Dubai, Arson Squad has run of a string of five bullet works at Aqueduct.

    “I was on some of those; we spread it around,” said Nevin, who served as the regular exercise rider for 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. “His last work there on June 3 in company with Kip Deville was lights out. Hopefully he will like it here.”

    That five-furlong move with the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Mile (Grade I) winner was accomplished in 1:00.

    Arson Squad arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday on the same flight that brought Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird back to Louisville from his third-place effort in the Belmont Stakes. With Nevin up, Arson Squad worked a half-mile after the break in :49.60, the 17th fastest of 31 at the distance.

    Arson Squad, who will break from post position four under Garrett Gomez, will carry 118 pounds, six fewer than probable Stephen Foster favorite Einstein. It makes a 3-pound shift in Arson Squad’s favor from the most recent matchup of the two in the Jan. 31 Donn Handicap (Grade I) at Gulfstream Park in which Einstein finished 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Arson Squad.

WHIRLIE BERTIE BACK IN ACTION FOR MARGOLIS – When Whirlie Bertie zoomed through her conditions here last spring and summer, her opportunities appeared limitless. But after leaving Churchill Downs she ran third in the Monmouth Oaks (Grade III) and then faded badly in the Oct. 3 Indiana Oaks (Grade II) at Hoosier Park.

    Owned by Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein, Whirlie Bertie has not been seen at the races since, but that will end Friday in the fourth race when she returns in a seven-furlong, allowance optional claiming event.

    “She got hot that day and after that race we sent her to Rood and Riddle (in Lexington) to check her out,” trainer Steve Margolis said. “She had a little bit of a fracture in her right hind leg. No surgery was required and it healed well on its own and she stayed here all winter.”

    All of Whirlie Bertie’s win have come around two turns and Margolis is not quite sure what to expect in Friday’s sprint.

    “It will be interesting. I was looking to run a mile and a sixteenth, but there was nothing for her,” Margolis said. “She has been training good and we’ve done a lot of schooling with her. The outside spot (post five of six) should be good and (jockey) Shaun (Bridgmohan) knows her and has won on her.”
    
MILESTONE WATCH – Jockey Calvin Borel, who has ridden 922 winners in his career at Churchill Downs, is named on five mounts Thursday. He needs three victories to equal Don Brumfield’s total of 925 for second all time at Churchill Downs behind Pat Day (2,482).

    Trainer David Vance, who has sent out 299 winners at Churchill Downs, is represented by Northeast Harbor in Thursday’s sixth race as he bids to become the 11th conditioner with 300 victories at Churchill Downs.

    Also closing in on the 300-win mark at Churchill Downs is trainer Greg Foley. Currently tied for third in the trainer standings with 10 victories this spring, Foley has a career total of 295 here. He has two horses entered Thursday: Gerivello in the first and Speak of Kings in the ninth.

BARN TALK – Fleur De Lis Handicap contender Miss Isella will now run under the ownership of Elaine Jones.

    Stephen Foster Hadicap favorite Einstein is scheduled to school in the paddock with horses in Thursday’s second race for trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi.

Nominations close Saturday for the 109th running of the Debutante (Grade III) for 2-year-old fillies going six furlongs on the main track on June 27. Garden District won the 2008 Debutante by a half-length over Rachel Alexandra.

    Training hours will begin at 5 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday to give horsemen the opportunity to train under the lights that will be used for the three night cards this meet. The first of those nights is Friday, June 19, followed by June 26 and Thursday, July 2.

CORRECTION – An item in the May 31 Barn Notes incorrectly stated that Lady On Holiday was bred to Jump Start. She was bred to 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown and is in foal.

WORK TAB – Jake Wil Gallop, winner of the USA Stakes at Lone Star Park on May 25 in his most recent start, worked three furlongs over a sloppy track in :38.60 in advance of Saturday’s Jefferson Cup (Grade II).

Unbeaten Big Brown, winner of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), got in a final gallop at Churchill Downs on Wednesday before rain started to fall on the historic Twin Spires. After a daylong wait, Big Brown boarded a van around 4:45 p.m. (EDT) for the short ride to Louisville International Airport, where he boarded a Sutton Forwarding Co. equine transport plane that was scheduled to fly to Baltimore for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (GI) at Pimlico Race Course.

IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.’s colt turned in a mile and a half gallop under exercise rider Michelle Nevin over a “fast” surface prior to the break for track maintenance and in advance of heavy rain that pelted the track a short time later. The gallop was just the third for Big Brown since his resounding 4 ¾-length victory in the Kentucky Derby on May 3 and marked the first time he had been able to gallop on back-to-back days. Trainer Rick Dutrow had chosen to jog his Kentucky Derby winner a mile on days that the track was wet or sealed.

“It hasn’t been an issue because he just ran – we don’t have to go out there an ask him to train real hard in the mornings,” said Dutrow. “A little break ain’t gonna hurt him none. It might even be good for him, you never know. So I can’t complain about what’s happened since he’s run. He’s been really good every day.”

Dutrow planned to accompany Big Brown on the van and the plane ride to Baltimore. He remained confident about his colt’s chances in the second jewel of the Triple Crown as Big Brown departed Churchill Downs following a two-week stay.

“I feel he’s the horse to beat in the race,” Dutrow said. “I feel he’s the best horse – I feel they’ve got him to deal with.”

Other Preakness contenders scheduled to take the same Sutton flight to Baltimore include Beau Greely, John Greely IV and Phil Houchens’ Tres Borrachos, the third-place finisher in the Arkansas Derby (GII), and Jerry Carroll, Stan Kaplan, Ronald Plattner and Mark Guilfoyle’s Racecar Rhapsody, fourth in the Coolmore Lexington (GII) for trainer Ken McPeek.

Robert LaPenta’s Stevil, fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) for trainer Nick Zito, and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again, winner of the Derby Trial for trainer Dallas Stewart, left Churchill Downs by van on Wednesday morning. Those horses traveled to Lexington to catch a mid-morning flight to Baltimore.

SIZZLING AMOSS TOPS SPRING MEET TRAINER STANDINGS – The Spring Meet at Churchill Downs was highlighted early by a significant career milestone for trainer Tom Amoss, but the Louisiana-born veteran seems intent on making the 52-day racing session memorable in other ways.

The meet’s opening week saw the 46-year-old Amoss notch career victory 2,000 when Maggi Moss’s Cat Splendor won race for $25,000 claiming horses by 5 ½-lengths on April 29. But Amoss quickly picked up another win later in that racing card and has maintained that momentum since. He entered Wednesday’s racing program with eight wins on the meet and sat atop the standings in the race for “leading trainer.”

“How long we can stay leading trainer, I don’t know – but we’re obviously enjoying it,” Amoss said. “These things have a way of building on themselves. When we get a good start, typically we’re able to carry that through the meet, so it’s very exciting that it’s going that way.”

Amoss led Ken McPeek by one victory heading into Wednesday’s racing program at Churchill Downs, with Steve Asmussen one victory farther back. He tied with Dale Romans for the 2002 Spring Meet training title for his only other “leading trainer” crown at the historic track.

“A lot of it is a little bit of luck and things falling into place,” Amoss said. “When you look back at other meets here or even other meets in general, that luck seems to even off. We had no luck at Keeneland. We won our first race there, which was a stake, and we didn’t win another race until the end of the meet. So I thought we had some bad luck there, but things have just worked out for us.”

The 2,000th career victory was a major milestone for Amoss, who has collected several training titles in his native Louisiana. But Amoss was quick to share credit to his stable team that includes Frank Bernis, who started as a groom with Amoss and now serves as his assistant trainer.

“It felt great, but it’s really important to not that it’s a group accomplishment. A lot of the guys in the barn have been here a long time with me. Frank Bernis has been here since day one, and that’s going back to 1988. As a group, we’re very proud of that.”

Another important victory came on Sunday when Moss’ Indian Chant notched a sizzling victory in an allowance race. The 5-year-old gelding defeated five rivals that included Summerplace Farm’s third-place finisher Kelly’s Landing, who won the Aristides (GIII) at Churchill Downs in 2005 and took the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (GI) last year at Nad Al Sheba.

Indian Chant set the Churchill Downs record of 1:07.55 in an allowance victory on the final day of the 2007 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs and would go on to win minor stakes races later in the year at Iowa’s Prairie Meadows and Pennyslvania’s new Presque Isle Downs. He could get a rematch with Kelly’s Landing, who was making his first start since a run in November’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) in Sunday’s meeting, in the $125,000 Aristides on May 31.

“Indian Chant has been a great horse for us,” Amoss said. “He loves Churchill’s strip and I think there’s a very good chance he’ll come back in the Aristides. That would probably be the biggest race he’s competed in, so obviously we’d like to win it.”

While Amoss could not catch Steve Asmussen in last year’s race for “leading trainer” in the Spring Meet, Moss – his primary client – did earn her first “leading owner” crown at the historic track. Wins by her horses have accounted for five of Amoss’ wins during the meet’s opening weeks and he his hoping that the former Des Moines, Iowa attorney – who perennially ranks among the nation’s top owners – can earn a second in the ongoing meet.

“Obviously with (current leader) Ken Ramsey being a strong participant this year and very active at the claiming box, her winning that title at the end is going to be very hard to do,” Amoss said. “But it’s our goal – our goal is to try to win the title for her.”

Amoss said he currently has “between 50 and 60” horses in his care. His stable has been bigger, but that’s a number that he likes.

“When we go to a new meet, we always try to carry a strong win percentage,” he said. “We set a goal of a win percentage and we try to maintain that. We don’t always get there – it’s not always an achievable goal. But that’s what our goal is: to try to win and win often.”

‘HORSE OF THE YEAR’ CURLIN NOMINATED TO LOUISVILLE ‘CAP – Stonestreet Farm and Midnight Cry Stable’s reigning “Horse of the Year” Curlin, winner of the $6 million Dubai World Cup (GI) in his most recent start, heads a roster of 24 older grass stars nominated to the 71st running of the $150,000-added Louisville Handicap (GIII) on Saturday, May 24.

But chances are very slim that the horse that is currently acknowledged as the world’s best Thoroughbred would show up in the 1 ½-mile turf race. The 4-year-old son of Smart Strike is currently being pointed toward the $750,000-added Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) at Churchill Downs on June 14, but nomination to the Louisville would make the colt eligible to work Curlin over the Matt Winn Turf Course should trainer Steve Asmussen decide to give him a try over that footing.

Curlin has been nominated to France’s classic Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group I) at Longchamp on Oct. 5.

Even without Curlin, the roster of Louisville nominees is strong. It includes Bushwood Stable’s Better Talk Now, winner of the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI) in 2004 and runner-up in the same race a year later; Fred Bradley’s Brass Hat, winner of the 2006 Donn Handicap (GI) and runner-up in the 2007 Clark Handicap (GII) at Churchill Downs; Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Inca King, winner of the 2007 Jefferson Cup (GII) at Churchill Downs, and Chrysalis Stables, LLC’s Silverfoot, who won three consecutive runnings of the Louisville from 2004-06. The Dallas Stewart-trained Silverfoot did not run in the race last year.

Nominations for the fifth running of the $100,000-added Winning Colors (GIII) for fillies and mares 3 & up at six furlongs are headed by West Point Thoroughbreds’ Dream Rush, the winner of the Test (GI) and Prioress (GI) at three. The Rick Violette Jr.-trained daughter of Wild Rush has not competed since a fifth-place finish behind Maryfield in the first running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Others on the list of 16 fillies and mares nominated to the Winning Colors include Roll Reroll Stables’ multiple stakes winner Miss Macy Sue and Stonerside Stable and Oakcrest Farm’s Sutra, winner of the 2006 Frizette (GI).

WORK TAB (FAST before the break for track maintenance, SLOPPY afterward) – Grade I winner Sutra breezed four furlongs in :49.20 over a “sloppy” surface…Secret Gypsy, fifth in the La Troienne (GIII) on Kentucky Derby Day, breezed a half-mile over a “fast” surface in :47.40, the second fastest of 35 moves at the distance.

• KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER BIG BROWN IN EAGER IN GALLOP
• TYLER BAZE VISITS TO WORK TRES BORRACHOS
• ZITO WORKS STEVIL IN COMPANY IN FINAL PREAKNESS PREP
  

BIG BROWN FINALLY GALLOPS ON DAY BEFORE DEPARTURE – IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.’s Big Brown, a comfortable 4 ¾-length winner of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on May 3, took advantage of a perfect spring morning and dry track on Tuesday to eagerly gallop 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Michelle Nevin.

Trainer Rick Dutrow had chosen to jog the 3-year-old son of Boundary over a recent series of wet or sealed tracks and the colt’s gallop was just his second since his authoritative Kentucky Derby victory. Big Brown will have one more trip over the Churchill Downs track on Wednesday before he boards a plane that afternoon for the flight to Baltimore and a run in Saturday’s $1 million Preakness (GI), the second jewel of the Triple Crown which will be run at Pimlico Race Course.

“I’m happy with what I see,” said Dutrow. “I don’t know that I’d be looking for much more than what I see. I’m completely satisfied with everything. The horse has eaten everything since he’s run, he’s been aggressive when he goes to the track – he can’t wait to get there. He bounces off the track when he comes off. This is only the second time we were able to gallop him since the race, but both times it just couldn’t have went better. I just really see a really good picture here – he’s doing really good.”

The Kentucky Derby winner went to the track after the morning break for track maintenance. He stood calmly midway around the first turn for several minutes before Nevin spotted a gap in traffic on the busy track and took Big Brown into his gallop. The colt was very eager on his full turn around the track as he threw his head around playfully and clearly wanted to do more than Nevin’s restraint would allow.

“I rather gallop him than jog him,” said Dutrow. “He’s a lot happier when he gallops, but it’s not a big deal to jog him – especially since he’s got to run back in two weeks. That’s not going to take too much out of him. We’re just kind of playing it safe and cautious and don’t want him to do too much. He’s still got two big races he’s looking at and they’re all cramped in so close together that we don’t want to take too much out of him in his training. We want to watch that.”

A victory in Saturday’s Preakness at a mile and three sixteenths would give Big Brown the opportunity to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner – and the first since Affirmed in 1978 – with a victory in the mile and a half Belmont Stakes (GI) at Belmont Park on June 7.

Dutrow said he remains “on target” to give Big Brown a short “blowout” work – perhaps a quarter-mile – at Pimlico on the morning of the race.

“I really like that idea,” he said. “It just seems to work sometimes, and especially in this scenario I really like it because I don’t like breezing my horses until I wait two weeks after they run and this is two weeks exactly. So I’ll just blow him out a little bit the morning that he’s in. That seems to have horses more on their toes for that afternoon, plus it tells them that they’re going to be running later on that day. Sometimes it might be an edge to where they break good – just to sharpen him up a little bit, you know? Not saying that he needs it, but I’m just going to go ahead and try it. I don’t see it being a bad move.”

Big Brown is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday for the short van ride to Louisville International Airport, where he will board his flight to Baltimore. Dutrow plans to ride on the van and the plane with his colt.

Regarding Saturday’s Preakness and its still-developing cast of opponents, Dutrow continues to believe that he trains the best horse in the race. He expects jockey Kent Desormeaux to ride Big Brown with as much confidence as in the Kentucky Derby, but Dutrow will insist that his jockey be wary of making the colt do any more than is necessary. And Dutrow is hoping for another outside post draw after winning the Kentucky Derby from post 20, becoming just the second horse in the 134-year history of the race to do so, and from the outside gate in a field of 12 in the Florida Derby (GI).

“If we draw the outside, it would make me very happy, but we don’t have a choice, so we’re going to take what comes,” he said. “I’m pretty confident things are going to be okay with him come Saturday.”

TYLER BAZE WORKS TRES BORRACOS FOR PREAKNESS – Beau Greely, John Greely IV and Phil Houchens’ Tres Borrachos worked a half-mile after the morning renovation break in :50.40 over a “fast” track under jockey Tyler Baze.

The move rated as the 43rd best of the morning out of 61 at the distance. Trainer Beau Greely got Tres Borrachos in :49.98 while watching the work from the grandstand.

Baze, who rode Tres Borrachos for the first time in the April 12 Arkansas Derby (GII), flew to Louisville on Monday afternoon and returned immediately after the work to Los Angeles where is the leading rider at the Hollywood Park meeting. He plans to catch a redeye to Baltimore Friday night for Saturday’s Preakness.

Baze, who will be riding in his first Preakness, was happy with the work, the fourth at Churchill Downs for Tres Borrachos since arriving in Louisville April 14 after the Arkansas Derby.

“It was so beautiful, it was ridiculous. He went in 49 and change; 13 (seconds), 13, 12 and 11,” Baze said. “He did it the right way and finished well. He is so impressive, the way he worked today, to go over a dirt track like that and not be blowing.”

Greely also was happy with the move.

“That’s what I wanted; 26 and 23,” Greely said. “We are good to go.”

Baze watched Big Brown’s Kentucky Derby victory from Hollywood Park.

“My impression is he’s a good horse, but a horse can’t have his day every day,” Baze said. “I am hoping Saturday is my day. I know this is a good horse, now that I have ridden him in Arkansas and I know him, I am really looking forward to it.”

 

STEVIL TURNS IN FINAL PREP FOR PREAKNESS – Robert LaPenta’s Stevil, fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) on April 12 in his most recent start, worked a half-mile in company with 3-year-old stablemate Da’ Tara in :47.80 after the renovation break Tuesday morning over a “fast” track.

Megan Smillie was aboard Stevil for trainer Nick Zito.

“He went nice and easy,” said Zito, who had postponed the work from Monday because of muddy track conditions. “I’m happy with it. We are ready. He has been running good all winter. Hopefully, he will put in another good effort and we will see what happens.”

John Velazquez has the Preakness mount on Stevil.

ALBARADO EYES PREAKNESS REPEAT – In the 2007 Preakness, Robby Albarado derailed the Triple Crown aspirations of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by rallying Curlin to a head victory. On Saturday, Albarado has the mount on Racecar Rhapsody, who will try to hand Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown his first defeat.

“He leaves himself a lot of work to do and hopefully he will give himself a chance early in the race,” said Albarado, who has ridden Racecar Rhapsody in all six of his starts for trainer Ken McPeek. “It seems like he will be able to handle the tighter turns at Pimlico. He will be coming late.

“Hopefully, we will get some pace up front to run at, but at the same time, I don’t want to be too far out at the back that I can’t get to them.”

Racecar Rhapsody galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break with Jose Castanon up Tuesday morning. The colt is scheduled to leave for Pimlico on Wednesday afternoon.

Albarado finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby on Z Fortune behind Big Brown and he is looking forward to taking another shot at the Derby winner.

“You like to have a target for somebody to aim at,” Albarado said. “It’s the same as with Street Sense last year. He was the target after winning the Derby and we got lucky and caught him. Hopefully, we can do the same this year.”

Albarado will be riding at Pimlico on Friday and Saturday. He will ride Briarwood Stable’s Highest Class for trainer Neil Howard in Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (GII).

MACHO AGAIN SLATES EARLY WEDNESDAY DEPARTURE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again galloped a mile and a half under Kenny Bourque on Tuesday morning, hitting the track just before 6:30.

“He is training so good right now,” trainer Dallas Stewart said. “He was nice and smooth this morning.”

Stewart plans to have Macho Again out in the first set Wednesday when the track opens at 6 a.m. After Macho Again gallops and cools out, Stewart intends to put the winner of the April 26 Derby Trial on a van to Lexington to catch a 10 a.m. flight to Baltimore rather than wait for the 3:30 p.m. flight that will bring Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown and other Preakness starters to Pimlico.

Julien Leparoux, currently the leading rider at Churchill Downs with 19 victories through the first 12 days of the 52-day meet, will make his Preakness debut Saturday on Macho Again.

BARN TALK – Trainer David Carroll appears to have a nice three-year-old filly in Acoma, an impressive allowance winner here Sunday in the slop.

“She had a lot of trouble in the race,” Carroll said of the mile and a sixteenth event in which Acoma lost position on the far turn and was shuffled back to fifth in the field of six. “It wasn’t until Julien (Leparoux) got her outside that she finally relaxed.”

A daughter of 2003 Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Empire Maker out of the Danzig mare Aurora, Acoma has won two of three starts for owners Helen Alexander and Helen Groves.

“I am going to talk it over with the owners,” Carroll said about what’s next for Acoma. “The Dogwood (a $100,000 stake here on May 31), maybe, but that’s a one-turn mile and there are better races down the road.”

WORK TAB – Working a bullet three-eighths Tuesday morning was Arthur Hancock III’s Wanderin Boy. Winner of the 2007 Alysheba (GIII), Wanderin Boy covered the distance in :36 flat, best of 30 at the distance for trainer Nick Zito. … Chrysalis Stables’ Silverfoot, a three-time winner of the Louisville Handicap (GIII), worked six furlongs on the turf in 1:13.80 for trainer Dallas Stewart.

2008 SPRING MEET LEADERS

Through Sunday, May 11

 

Jockeys  Starts 1-2-3

Julien Leparoux 92 19-13-16

Miguel Mena 71 13-9-16

Robby Albarado 61 12-6-7

Shaun Bridgmohan 55 11-8-4

Jesus Castanon 57 10-5-3

Calvin Borel 87 9-12-15

Kent Desormeaux 31 5-8-6

Jamie Theriot 51 5-4-5

Larry Sterling, Jr. 26 5-3-5

Edgar Prado 17 3-5-3

John Velazquez 15 3-3-0

Rafael Bejarano 12 3-0-2

Trainers

Tom Amoss 20 8-3-4

Ken McPeek 17 7-2-1

Steve Asmussen 28 6-4-2

Eddie Kenneally 22 5-5-5

Ian Wilkes 15 5-3-2

Greg Foley 22 5-3-1

Mike Maker 16 5-2-1

Ronny Werner 14 3-4-3

Bill Mott 19 3-3-3

Nick Zito 12 3-2-1

John Fahey III 7 3-1-2

Bobby Frankel 10 3-1-1
Mark Casse 8 3-0-0

Owners

Ken and Sarah Ramsey 18 6-2-2

Maggi Moss 7 5-0-2

Zayat Stables, LLC 18 3-4-2

Padua Stables 3 3-0-0

Six owners tied with two (2) wins

 

• DERBY WINNER BIG BROWN JOGS AGAIN ON MUDDY TRACK
• ZITO DELAYS BREEZE BY PREAKNESS HOPE STEVIL
• BLINKERS OFF FOR PREAKNESS CANDIDATE TRES BORRACHOS

BIG BROWN HAS ANOTHER EASY DAY, GALLOP LIKELY TUESDAY – IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr.’s Big Brown, a dominant winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on May 3, had another easy morning on Monday at Churchill Downs as Saturday’s bid for the Preakness (GI), the second jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, drew closer.

The 3-year-old son of Boundary jogged a mile over a sealed racetrack that was listed as “muddy.” Exercise rider Michelle Nevin was aboard as Big Brown turned in his light exercise under the gaze of trainer Rick Dutrow just after the break for track maintenance.

“He’s good,” said Dutrow. “He came out of the race good and he’s been training good.”

Big Brown has jogged for several days at the Louisville track because of wet weather and Nevin said the colt is getting a little bored with his limited activity. The weather forecast calls for warm and dry conditions over the next couple of days, so Dutrow hopes to let his Kentucky Derby winner to gallop on Tuesday.

“He’d rather do more, but he’s still okay with this,” Dutrow said. “Hopefully we can gallop tomorrow. If not, we’ll jog him again. I only gallop my horses when the track is good. When it’s sealed like that, I never gallop anything. So, if the track’s good tomorrow we’ll gallop him. If not, we’ll jog him. It’s not a big deal. Hopefully we can do the same thing Wednesday and then get out of here.”

Dutrow’s colt is scheduled to ship to Baltimore on Wednesday for Saturday’s $1 million Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. His current plan calls for Big Brown to have one small “blowout” work after his arrival in Baltimore.

“We’ll probably do it the day of (the race) if the track’s good,” Dutrow said. “I don’t know if we’ll do it if the track’s no good. Maybe we will, maybe not. We’ll see.”

Dutrow indicated the blowout would be a quarter-mile or “something like that.” He said that is not an uncommon move for his horses.

“Yesterday we had two horses – one won and one just got beat – and I blew them out yesterday morning,” he said. “It was only because of spacing from their last breezes and stuff like that, you know? But I would like to do with him the day he’s running. It just seems to fit his schedule at this point. I’m not following what they’ve done in the past.”

The Kentucky Derby victory by Big Brown was his fourth victory in as many starts and lifted his earnings to $2,114,500. He won the Kentucky Derby by 4 ¾ lengths and has won his four races by a collective margin of 33 ¾ lengths.

STEVIL WORK DELAYED BY ZITO – A muddy track Monday morning at Churchill Downs caused trainer Nick Zito to push back a half-mile work for his Preakness hopeful Stevil until Tuesday.

“We will have a better track in the morning and one day doesn’t make a difference,” Zito said. “He’ll work an easy half tomorrow and then ship Wednesday (to Pimlico).”

Owned by Robert LaPenta, Stevil will enter the Preakness off a five-week break from his fourth-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland. John Velazquez has the mount in the Preakness.

“Hopefully, Stevil will make a good showing and we can go on to the next town,” Zito said, alluding to the June 7 Belmont Stakes (GI).

BLINKER EXPERIMENT OVER FOR TRES BORRACHOS – Trainer Beau Greely, John Greely IV and Phil Houchens’ Tres Borrachos galloped a mile and five-eighths after the renovation break Monday morning at Churchill Downs with Andy Durnin up.

Unlike the day before, Tres Borrachos was not equipped with blinkers.

“It was just an experiment we thought we’d try,” Beau Greely said. “It looked like it didn’t make any difference, plus he has shown speed in his races and I didn’t want to take a chance.”

Tres Borrachos is scheduled to work a half-mile Tuesday morning and ship to Pimlico on a 3:30 p.m. flight Wednesday that also will carry Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown to Baltimore.

Tyler Baze has the Preakness riding assignment.

OTHER PREAKNESS HOPEFULS BACK ON TRACK – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again jogged with a pony about a mile and a half with Kenny Bourque up Monday. Macho Again had worked a half-mile in :50.80 on Saturday and walked Sunday.

Jerry Carroll, Stan Kaplan, Ronald Plattner and Mark Guilfoyle’s Racecar Rhapsody galloped a mile and a quarter under Jose Castanon before the renovation break. The Ken McPeek trainee had worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Saturday and walked Sunday.

BARN TALK – Fifth-place Kentucky Derby finisher Recaptureglory left Churchill Downs before noon on Monday headed for Arlington Park in Chicago. Lara Van Deren, assistant to trainer and co-owner Louie Roussel III, said the colt’s temperature was normal two days after a fever forced Recapturetheglory to be withdrawn from Preakness consideration.

WORK TAB – The two Kentucky Derby runners for trainer Steve Asmussen worked over a “muddy” track Monday morning at Churchill Downs. Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro, who was eighth behind Big Brown, worked a half-mile in :53.60, while Zayat Stables’ Z Fortune, 10th in the Derby, covered the same distance in :52.60. Also working for the Asmussen barn was reigning Horse of the Year Curlin, who worked five furlongs in 1:06; Student Council, the 2007 Pacific Classic (GI) winner, worked a half-mile in :49.60; Bashford Manor (GIII) winner and Derby Trial runner-up Kodiak Kowboy, who breezed five furlongs in 1:02.40; Indiana Derby (GII) and West Virginia Derby (GIII) winner Zanjero, who covered five furlongs in 1:02.40; and Noonmark, runner-up in the Grade II Churchill Downs on Derby Day, worked a half-mile in :50. … Silverton Hill Farm’s St. Joe, gearing up for a start in Saturday’s Grade III Matt Winn, worked a half-mile in :48.60, the second fastest of 37 at the distance, for trainer Darrin Miller. Bruce Lunsford’s multi-graded stakes winner Tessa Blue worked a half-mile in :49.40 for trainer Frank Brothers. …C J’s Leelee, runner-up in the 2007 Golden Rod (GII), breezed four furlongs for trainer Ken McPeek in :50.60.

2008 SPRING MEET LEADERS

Through Sunday, May 11 Jockeys Starts 1-2-3

Julien Leparoux 92 19-13-16

Miguel Mena 71 13-9-16

Robby Albarado 61 12-6-7

Shaun Bridgmohan 55 11-8-4

Jesus Castanon 57 10-5-3

Calvin Borel 87 9-12-15

Kent Desormeaux 31 5-8-6

Jamie Theriot 51 5-4-5

Larry Sterling, Jr. 26 5-3-5

Edgar Prado 17 3-5-3

John Velazquez 15 3-3-0

Rafael Bejarano 12 3-0-2

Trainers

Tom Amoss 20 8-3-4

Ken McPeek 17 7-2-1

Steve Asmussen 28 6-4-2

Eddie Kenneally 22 5-5-5

Ian Wilkes 15 5-3-2

Greg Foley 22 5-3-1

Mike Maker 16 5-2-1

Ronny Werner 14 3-4-3

Bill Mott 19 3-3-3

Nick Zito 12 3-2-1

John Fahey III 7 3-1-2

Bobby Frankel 10 3-1-1

Mark Casse 8 3-0-0

 

TODAY'S TOP STORIES:

• DERBY WINNER BIG BROWN RETURNS TO THE TRACK
• PREAKNESS CONTENDER TRES BORRACHOS WORKS
• RACECAR RHAPSODY POSSIBLE FOR PREAKNESS

DERBY WINNER BIG BROWN RETURNS TO TRACK – With Michelle Nevin up, IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.’s Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown jogged a mile alongside a pony Wednesday morning shortly before 7 o’clock at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Rick Dutrow, feeling much better after being under the weather since the weekend, liked what he saw and said Big Brown would gallop in the morning.

The two weeks between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness continues to be Dutrow’s biggest concern.

“Coming back in two weeks, he is stacked up against it,” Dutrow said. “He’s not a robot. He has run fast races and fast numbers and two weeks is not ideal timing. You need time to regroup, and we haven’t got that kind of time.”

One fast number that particularly intrigued Dutrow was Big Brown’s Kentucky Derby performance.

“I heard that he ran the fastest Ragozin Sheets number of a Kentucky Derby winner,” Dutrow said. “It was a minus-1.”

So, what does that portend for the Preakness?

“He’s got to react to it, but he is not going to need to run a minus-1 again,” Dutrow said. “He’s not going to need it. The other horses going into the race, their numbers don’t match up with his. They don’t even come close. So, I am figuring he can run a 5 and still win the race.”

The fact Big Brown has scared off practically all of his Derby rivals is fine with Dutrow.

“I hope there is no one over there that is going to run big,” Dutrow said. “I felt that half of them didn’t belong in the Derby anyway.

“We only have two weeks. There is nothing I can do. I just have to hope that he stays good. There is no serious training involved. There is not a whole lot that depends on me. He has come out of the race good, eaten every oat since he has run. I just have to decide if I am going to give him a little breeze or not before his next race.

“We leave on the 14th, which is three days out, which is beautiful with me. I like that. He would not breeze here. It would be very, very minor.”

TRES BORRACHOS TUNES UP FOR PREAKNESS – With Andy Durnin up and trainer Beau Greely looking on from the grandstand, third-place Arkansas Derby (Grade II) finisher Tres Borrachos worked five furlongs in :59.60 Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.

The work, the second fastest of 30 at the distance in the morning over a fast track, was accomplished after the morning renovation break. Fractions for the work from Churchill Downs clockers were :12, :23.40, :35.20, :47.20 and out six furlongs in 1:14.

Greely, who owns the gelded son of Ecton Park in partnership with his brother John Greely IV and Phil Houchens, was happy with the work.

“It looked like he didn’t get out of a gallop,” Greely said. “I had him in 59 and two and out in 1:13. He went beautiful. I will breeze him next Tuesday, probably an easy half, and then ship to Pimlico on Wednesday.”

Tyler Baze, who rode Tres Borrachos in the Arkansas Derby, will retain the mount in the Preakness.

Wednesday’s work was the third at Churchill Downs for Tres Borrachos. His first work after arriving in Louisville on April 14 was a three-eighths move on April 22.

“I worked him three-eighths just in case he got in the (Kentucky) Derby,” Greely said. “Then it did not look like he would run which, after watching it, it turned out better that he didn’t.

“I watched the race in California. It was a tough run race. Other horses look like they kind of got bundled up and I was kind of glad I wasn’t in there. Then you had Big Brown, who was absolutely amazing. That horse looks like a superstar.”

Greely is eagerly looking forward to the Preakness challenge.

“I think the Preakness will probably suit this horse better than the Derby would have,” Greely said. “The turns are a little tighter and it looks like it carries speed, or it has in the past. Hopefully, it will suit him well and it gives him five weeks in between the Arkansas Derby and Preakness.”

Tres Borrachos would be Greely’s second Preakness starter. He saddled Borrego in the 2004 Preakness to a seventh-place finish after running 10th in the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier.

“That was a hard race, the Derby that Borrego ran in,” Greely said. “Smarty Jones obviously turned into a phenomenal horse. When we ran that day, the track was washed out and it seemed to kind of suit a speedy type horse like him. We had run against him in the Arkansas Derby and run second, so we were just trying to throw the track out at that point and try the Preakness.

“At the end of the day, Borrego developed into a nice horse and won some major races for older horses, but it feels better going into the Preakness with a fresh horse.”

STEVIL RETURNS TO TRACK; VELAZQUEZ TO RIDE IN PREAKNESS – Robert LaPenta’s Stevil, fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) in his most recent start, galloped a mile Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs under Megan Smillie.

It was the first day back at the track for the Nick Zito trainee since working a half-mile in :48.60 on Monday.

John Velazquez, who made his Preakness riding debut last year when he piloted Circular Quay to a fifth-place finish, will have the mount on Stevil according to Zito.

“John has ridden for me a lot of times,” Zito said. “In fact, he worked Strike the Gold for me at Saratoga when he was a little 18-year-old apprentice.”

Stevil is scheduled to work again early next week and then ship to Baltimore on Tuesday.

RACECAR RHAPSODY ENTERS PREAKNESS PICTURE – Jerry Carroll, Stan Kaplan, Ronald Plattner and Mark Guilfoyle’s Racecar Rhapsody, fourth in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland on April 19 in his most recent start, is headed to the Preakness, according to trainer Ken McPeek.

“I have been talking it over with Mr. Carroll and we feel like he will like the added distance,” McPeek said. “Maybe we will just be running for second, but that’s not all bad.”

A Kentucky-bred son of Tale of the Cat out of the A.P. Indy mare Reflect the Music, Racecar Rhapsody has compiled a record of 6-1-1-1 with earnings of $148,391. Racecar Rhapsody opened 2008 with a fourth-place finish in the Lane’s End Stakes (Grade II) at Turfway Park on March 22.

Robby Albarado, who has ridden the colt in six of his starts, will have the mount as he shoots for his second consecutive Preakness victory. He piloted Curlin to victory in last year’s Preakness.

Racecar Rhapsody galloped Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs under Jose Castanon and McPeek said the colt would work sometime this weekend. Since the Coolmore Lexington, Racecar Rhapsody has worked once at Churchill Downs, a five-furlong move in 1:01 on May 2.

RECAPTURETHEGLORY RETURNS TO THE TRACK – With assistant trainer Lara Van Deren up, Louie Roussell III and Ronnie Lamarque’s fifth-place Kentucky Derby finisher Recapturetheglory jogged a mile and galloped a mile before the renovation break Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.

“He went great this morning,” said Van Deren, who is playing the waiting game here as owners Ronnie Lamarque and Louie Roussel III decide on whether to go on to the Preakness.

“They wanted to see how he went this morning and Ronnie has already called me three times,” Van Deren said. “I know they are also considering the Ohio Derby (Grade II on May 31).”

NO DECISION ON MACHO AGAIN – “Hey,” yelled Dallas Stewart. “I heard on the radio that I am going to the Preakness.”

So, are you?

“I don’t know. We haven’t made a decision yet,” said Stewart, who trains Derby Trial winner Macho Again for West Point Thoroughbreds.

Macho Again galloped Wednesday morning.

WORK TAB – Oak Crest Farm’s Sutra, winner of the 2006 Frizette (GI), worked a half-mile in :48.80 for trainer Mike Stidham. The move was the fifth fastest of 31 at the distance. … Fred Bradley’s millionaire Brass Hat drilled five furlongs in 1:01.40 for trainer Buff Bradley. The move was the seventh fastest of 30 at the distance.

Trainer Rick Dutrow, still fighting a heavy cough, was back at the track Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs supervising his 12-horse string in Louisville headlined by Big Brown winner of last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I).

“I’m doing all right; it’s just all that dirt that Big Brown kicked up in my lungs,” Dutrow said with a laugh.

Big Brown, owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr., is scheduled to return to the track in the morning to jog and resume galloping on Thursday.

“That’s the plan right now,” Dutrow said. “Looks like he came out of the race real good. He will ship to Pimlico next Wednesday the 14th.”

The victory in the Kentucky Derby was the fourth in as many races for Big Brown, who boosted his career bankroll to $2,114,500 with his 4 ¾-length victory in the mile and a quarter Kentucky Derby.

PLANS FOR RECAPTURETHEGLORY REMAIN ON HOLD – Co-owner Ronnie Lamarque said from New Orleans on Tuesday morning that he and trainer and co-owner Louie Roussel III were “still thinking about the Preakness.”

Lamarque’s main concern is the potential size of the field that figures to include Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown and up to possibly seven other new shooters on the Triple Crown trail.

Lara Van Deren, assistant trainer and exercise rider for Recapturetheglory, said the Cherokee Run colt is doing well after his fifth-place finish behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby and would return to the track in the morning to jog.

Plans call for Recapturetheglory to remain at Churchill Downs until a decision is made on the colt’s next start.

TRES BORRACHOS TO WORK WEDNESDAY – Third-place Arkansas Derby (Grade II) finisher Tres Borrachos galloped a mile and five-eighths after the renovation break at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning with Andy Durnin up.

Trainer Beau Greely, who owns the Ecton Park colt in partnership with John Greely IV and Phil Houchens, was scheduled to arrive in Louisville later Tuesday with Tres Borrachos scheduled to work Wednesday morning.

Tres Borrachos arrived at Churchill Downs from Oaklawn Park on April 14, and Wednesday’s work will be his third under the Twin Spires.

Tres Borrachos likely will ship to Pimlico on May 14.

“I may have had my wires crossed a bit yesterday, and it wouldn’t be the first time,” Durnin said with a laugh. “But I think he is going to ship next week after he works. Beau did the same thing with Borrego (after Borrego ran 10th in the 2004 Kentucky Derby) and stayed here until the Wednesday before the Preakness.”

Borrego ran seventh in the Preakness that year behind Smarty Jones.

MELANCHOLY MORNING FOR STUTTS – Shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday, a solitary figure made his way toward the fence near the 5 ½-furlong gap on the backstretch.

It was Bennie Stutts Jr.

“I just wanted to give the Twin Spires one last look and breathe some of this Kentucky air,” said Stutts, 70. “I don’t know that I’ll ever get back.”

Stutts had been here for a little more than two weeks with Mount Joy Stables’ Smooth Air, who ran 11th in the Kentucky Derby.

“My horse leaves at 10 this morning going back home to South Florida and I will fly out after he leaves,” Stutts said. “Being here has been a humbling experience.”

Smooth Air came out of the Derby in good shape according to Stutts.

“Dr. (Phil) Tripp went over him and everything is fine and I don’t think everybody (that ran in the Derby) can say that,” Stutts said. “There are plenty of Derbies out there. Pete Anderson had a horse last year that couldn’t get in the Kentucky Derby (Delightful Kiss), but he still won Derbies in Ohio and Iowa. There’s nothing wrong with $500,000 races.”

A bit later, Stutts made one more walk to the track, but he was not alone. His companion was Carl Nafzger, trainer of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and recent inductee into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

BARN TALK – Trainer James Baker said Tuesday morning that he would like to run Tom Walters’ Elite Squadron in Churchill Downs Aristides (GIII) at six furlongs on May 31. “That’s if I still have him,” Baker said. “There have been a lot of offers.”

Elite Squadron won the seven-furlong Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes last Saturday, an effort that came on the heels of a runner-up effort in the Grade II Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland in April. …

Trainer Neil Howard said that the May 16 Black-Eyed Susan (GII) at Pimlico remains under consideration for Briarwood Stable’s Highest Class.

Third in the Bonnie Miss (GII) in her most recent start on March 29, Highest Class has worked twice at Keeneland and twice at Churchill Downs in the interim, the most recent being a five-eighths work in 1:02 last Friday.

WORK TAB – Maggi Moss’ top sprinter Indian Chant worked a bullet five-eighths in :58.60 for trainer Tom Amoss on Tuesday morning. The move was accomplished over a “fast” track. … Also working five furlongs was Bruce Lunsford’s dual graded-stakes winner Tessa Blue, who covered the distance in 1:01.80 for trainer Frank Brothers. The move was the 18th fastest of 36 at the distance.