Shaun Bridgmohan

Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Cash Refund turned back a stretch-long challenge from Riley Tucker and drew off to win Sunday’s $55,220 feature race for 3-year-olds and up by a length at Churchill Downs.

    The victory gave trainer Steve Margolis his 100th career win at Churchill Downs.

    Also reaching a milestone Sunday was trainer Steve Asmussen, who became the fifth trainer in Churchill Downs history to accumulate 400 victories. Stonestreet Stable’s Wilburn won the ninth race to give Asmussen No. 400. The only trainers ahead of Asmussen are Bill Mott (641), Dale Romans (521), D. Wayne Lukas (481) and Bernie Flint (426).

Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Cash Refund and Chief of Affairs, ridden by Miguel Mena, dueled through a first quarter-mile in :21.23 over a sloppy main track. Leaving the backstretch, Cash Refund shook clear of Chief of Affairs only to have Riley Tucker and Kent Desormeaux range up to his outside.

The duo matched strides to deep stretch where Cash Refund surged clear to complete the six furlongs in 1:10.07. The victory was the first of four consecutive triumphs on a five-win card for Bridgmohan, now with 11 winners through the first 10 days of the 39-day meet. Calvin Borel was the most recent rider to have five victories on the card, accomplishing the feat on April 24, 2010.

    A homebred son of Petionville out of the Mystery Storm mare Swept Away, the 5-year-old Cash Refund improved his career mark to 13-7-1-2 and increased his bankroll to $307,479 with Sunday’s $35,880 check.

    Cash Refund returned $7 and $3.40. There was no show wagering. Riley Tucker returned $3.40 to place. Chief of Affairs finished third another 2 1/4 lengths back with River Bear last in the field of four.

    Racing resumes Thursday with a nine-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m. (ET). There’s a $9,468.40 Super Hi-5 carryover in the finale, which requires bettors to pick the top five finishers in perfect order.

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB WINNER SANTIVA FLORIDA-BOUND MONDAY – Things were quiet at the Eddie Kenneally barn on Sunday morning and assistant Brendan Walsh reported all was well with Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Santiva.

“He is doing well this morning and he will leave for Florida tomorrow,” Walsh said of the son of Giant’s Causeway, who is owned by Tom Walters. “That was a nice way to end the meet.”

Santiva broke his maiden with Saturday’s victory and in his first start for Kenneally.

“We got him in about mid-October after he had run in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland,” Walsh said. “He’s a nice colt.”

Also heading to Florida on Monday will be Linda Shanhan’s Missyoulikecrazy, who finished second for Kenneally in the Golden Rod (GII).

“She ran a nice race,” Walsh said of the Missyoulikecrazy, who had run third in the opening-day Pocahontas (GIII) and prior to the Breeders’ Cup had served as a workmate for Filly & Mare Sprint runner My Jen. “They are both nice fillies and we have a lot to look forward to next year.”

Also heading to South Florida this week will be third-place Kentucky Jockey Club finisher Major Gain, who came out of the race in good order according to Lisa Sloan, assistant to trainer Wayne Catalano. Gary and Mary West’s son of More Than Ready made his dirt track debut Saturday.

KATHMANBLU EXITS GOLDEN ROD ROMP IN GOOD ORDER – Apparently the 8 ½-length romp in Saturday’s Golden Rod Stakes (GII) did not take much out of the victorious Kathmanblu.

“She got back to the barn and dove right in to her feed tub,” said Philip Bauer, Churchill Downs assistant to trainer Ken McPeek. “She is doing great this morning and will head to Florida on Wednesday.

The margin of victory was the largest since Silverbulletday, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and 2-year-old filly champion, won the 1998 Golden Rod by 10 lengths.

Owned by Five D Thoroughbreds and Wind River Stables, Kathmanblu was making her second start on dirt after compiling a record of 2-1-1 in four starts on the grass that included a victory in the Jessamine at Keeneland and a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII).

“The first time she ran, it was at 4 ½ furlongs and that was too short for her,” Bauer said. “The only reason Kenny put her on the grass was to get two turns for her.”

Bauer does not envision a return to the grass any time soon for Kathmanblu.

“It is nice to have the versatility,” Bauer said. “This way you can prep for bigger things on either surface."

Kathmanblu is one of three McPeek-trained 2-year-olds that competed in Breeders’ Cup races three weeks ago at Churchill Downs.  Rogue Romance ran third in the Juvenile (GI) and the Harlan’s Ruby finished eighth in the Juvenile Fillies (GI).

They are both turned out and getting some time off,” Bauer said. “They will probably rejoin the barn in Florida in mid-December.”

LOPRESTI LOOKS FORWARD WITH SUCCESSFUL DAN AFTER CLARK ‘CAP DISAPPOINTMENT – The hours following Friday’s $500,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade I) were a swirl of emotions for trainer Charles Lopresti, who was overjoyed when it appeared that his Successful Dan had scored his first Grade I victory, but his happiness turned to dismay when the stewards demoted the 4-year-old colt to third for interference with a rival.

But Successful Dan was fine on the day after the rough and tumble 136th running of the Clark, a mile and an eighth race for older horses that – like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks (GI), dates to Churchill Downs’ very first race meet in May of 1875.

“He came out good,” Lopresti said when he returned to Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon.  “He doesn’t know that he got beat.  He thinks he won – I mean, he did win.”

The stewards awarded the Virginia Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak the top spot in the Clark and dropped Morton Fink’s stable star to third for interfering with Redding Colliery, the original third-place finisher, for interference when the horses collided in upper stretch. Redding Colliery was elevated to the runner-up spot after Successful Dan and jockey Julien Leparoux veered to their right in traffic and slammed into that rival.  Just to their inside, Demarcation and Dubious Miss, both trained by Paul McGee, became entangled and Dubious Miss faded after that mishap to finish last in the field of 11.  But the stewards disqualified Demcarcation from his original fourth-place finish and dropped him all the way to last because of that incident.

Leparoux and fellow rider Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Demarcation, received three-day suspensions from the stewards on Saturday for their roles in the Clark’s chaotic stretch run.

In the emotional moments after the race, Lopresti had branded the stewards’ decision to disqualify Successful Dan from what would have been the biggest victory of his budding star’s career as a “bad call.”  But after a few hours of consideration, a little sleep and several looks at video replays of the race, Lopresti confessed to a change of heart regarding the stewards’ Clark call.

“He (Successful Dan) did come out on that horse (Redding Colliery) – there’s no doubt that he bumped him,” Lopresti said.  “I don’t think that horse was going to win the race.  I don’t think it was going to change the outcome of the race.”

While he better understood the stewards’ decision, Lopresti was remained puzzled as to why the stewards did not take a closer look at some contact deeper in the stretch run between his horse and Giant Oak.

“The horse they put up for first was all over us down the lane, then they didn’t take him down,” he said.  “Why did we go to third?  That’s what I don’t understand.”

Most important to Lopresti was the performance of Successful Dan, who was coming off a win in the Fayette (GII) over the synthetic Polytrack surface at Keeneland and turned in a winning performance in the Clark, although the official results will show that he finished third.  Last year, a Clark victory by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame stamped him as horse to watch and the colt followed that victory with stellar 2010 campaign that reached its climax in a narrow victory over previously unbeaten Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs.

Lopresti believes the Clark run by the 4-year-old son of Successful Appeal has positioned his star for big things in 2011, a year in which the Breeders’ Cup will return to Churchill Downs.

“He was tons the best,” Lopresti said of the colt’s Clark performance.  “He could have been in one of the Breeders’ Cup races.  He really could, and he would have been competitive in one of those races.  I don’t know which one of ‘em, but he would have been competitive.

“I know we’ve got a really good horse.  I think we’ll just give him the winter off and be ready for the spring races.  We might go to Florida with him.  We’ll see how he comes out.”

Successful Dan is not the only reason for Lopresti’s optimism.  On Thanksgiving Day he watched Fink’s 3-year-old Wise Dan, winner of Keeneland’s Phoenix (GIII), rebound from a sixth-place finish behind Big Drama in the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) to win a one-mile allowance race over a sloppy Churchill Downs track.

“I think he’ll go further – that’s been my deal (with Wise Dan) all along,” Lopresti said.  “I put him in the Breeders’ Cup because he won the Phoenix. We took a shot at the Phoenix because he was training so good over that track and I knew he was going to be fresh, and he won that race.  But my ideal thinking was to run in that and then stretch him out.  But we got tossed into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and he didn’t run that bad – he only got beat two lengths, a neck and a nose for all of it.”

And then there’s Brandon and Marianne Chase’s Here Comes Ben, who provided Lopresti with his first career Grade I win in Saratoga’s Forego.  He finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) after a rugged start that left the son of Street Cry with some cuts, but no significant injury.  Lopresti expects that Here Comes Ben will remain in his shedrow for a 2011 campaign as a 5-year-old.

In fact, all of Lopresti’s horses were doing considerably better on Saturday than their trainer.   Lopresti walked with a noticeable limp, the result of a injury suffered in the paddock as he wheeled to head to the track after watching Successful Dan’s Clark run on the large tote board video screen.

“I came out of there and something popped, I guess it was a ligament or something,” Lopresti said.  “But I’m OK.”

BARN TALK – Julien Leparoux increased his meet-leading victory total to 26 with a victory Saturday in the Golden Rod on Kathmanblu and will take a three-win advantage into today’s final day of the 21-day Fall Meet. Robby Albarado was blanked Saturday, but Shaun Bridgmohan had his second consecutive three-win day to move into a tie for second with 23 victories. Leparoux has nine mounts today, Albarado eight and Bridgmohan six. Leparoux has won or shared the leading rider title for the past three Fall Meets and also won three Spring Meet titles. Bridgmohan shared the 2006 Fall Meet title with Calvin Borel for his only riding crown here. Albarado, who won the 2008 Spring Meet title, never has won a Fall Meet title. …

The victory by Tapizar in Saturday’s final race gave trainer Steve Asmussen his 14th winner of the meet and secured leading trainer honors at the meet. The title is the ninth overall for Asmussen – five in the fall and four in the spring. …

WinStar Farm’s Brethren, the half-brother to 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Super Saver, ran his record to two-for-two on Saturday with a 1 ¾-length victory in the 10th race going a mile. Horacio De Paz, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said the colt came out of the race fine and would head to South Florida on Tuesday with the rest of the Pletcher horses at Churchill Downs. Brethren had one work here prior to his Saturday’s win and his regular morning partner was exercise rider Kevin Willey, who served in the same capacity this spring with Super Saver.

Tom Walters’ Santiva outgamed favored Astrology and Major Gain in a stretch-long duel to win the 84th running of the $165,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) for 2-year-olds by a half-length on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Ridden for the first time by Shaun Bridgmohan, Santiva was content to sit just off the pace set by Prideofthechapter, who led the field of seven through fractions of  :24.29 and :49.03. Astrology, ridden by Garrett Gomez, tracked the leaders in third while Major Gain, ridden by Robby Albarado, raced in the next tier

Leaving the backstretch, Santiva took over from Prideofthechapter and was quickly joined by Astrology. At the head of the stretch, Albarado swung to the inside of Cane Garden Bay with Major Gain and cut to the rail to join the leaders.

The trio raced as a team to the wire with Santiva, a Kentucky-bred son of Giant’s Causeway out of the Smarten mare Slide, drawing away late to complete the distance on a fast main track in 1:45.31 to register his first victory in four starts. Astrology finished a head in front of Major Gain.

Now trained by Eddie Kenneally, Santiva increased his earnings to $195,254 with Saturday’s check of $100,254. Santiva had run second in his previous start, the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 9 and now has a record of 1-2-1.

Santiva returned $11.60, $4.20 and $2.80. Astrology returned $2.60 and $2.10 with Major Gain paying $2.40 to show. It was another 4 ½ lengths back to Halo’s Thunder, who was followed in order by Cane Garden Bay, Enable and Prideofthechapter.

The Fall Meet concludes Sunday with an 11-race program that begins at 12:40 p.m. (EST). Also Sunday, Churchill Downs will have a farewell ceremony for 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird, who has been retired from racing and will return to New Mexico on Monday. The ceremony will take place around the seventh race, which has a scheduled post time of 3:41 p.m. In addition, the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a free 2011 Churchill Downs Wall Calendar presented by Humana. There also is a five-day Pick 6 carryover of $53,359 on races 6-11. There will be a mandatory payout.

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Santiva, winner): “He showed effort today. I have known he is a nice little horse. He just ran a phenomenal race today. Every time I asked him for a little more, he just gave it to me. He kept grinding it out and fighting all the way to the wire. The more I asked the more he fought. It has been a very nice weekend.”

Eddie Kenneally (trainer, Santiva, winner): “He dug in and was courageous.  He ran awesome, really.  They came to him at the eighth pole and looked like they might even go by him.  They put him in a little tight, and that’s when he really fought back and he regained momentum and was drawing away from them at the wire.”

Q: Was his last race in the Breeders’ Futurity, in your eyes, even better than it might have looked …“He found himself very far back in his last race.  He didn’t break that day.  He broke sharp today.  He broke sharp today and put himself in the race early.  The jock didn’t put him in the race.  The horse wanted to run today.  He had running on his mind and got the job done.”

Q: It’s November and six months away there’s a very big race here.  Is he a legitimate  Kentucky Derby horse? “Oh sure, he’s got the pedigree.  There’s all the stamina in the world in his pedigree.  He’s got the profile for the race here in May.

Q: What was your thinking about running him on the dirt?  In his first race he was third on dirt, but was pretty soundly beaten before running back on grass and Polytrack in his next two starts.  Was there any worry about bringing him back to dirt?  “We knew going long that he’d be fine on the dirt, he’d have no problem going long on dirt.  He trains here and this is where we’re based, so this was a logical choice.”

Q. Is it exciting to think about bringing him back here (for the Derby) in six months with the way he ran today? “Absolutely.  That’s the goal, for sure.  “We’re excited about it.”

Q: Any thoughts on what your next step might be with him? “There some races in Florida with him this winter, so we’ll look at some of those and take it from there.  We’ll just give him a little break now and get him back to the races in January or February.  We’ll give him an easy time in December and focus on next year then.”

Garrett Gomez (jockey, Astrology, second): “I had a real good trip. I tried to let Shaun (Bridgmohan, jockey) carry me around. The one time my horse runs a mile and a sixteenth he comes off the bridle early on me. I tried to use Shaun as a target and he carried me. And when we decided to come home all the horses came home really well and I just got out-sprinted to the wire. I liked the way he ran today.”

Steve Asmussen (trainer, Astrology, second): “We’re disappointed he didn’t win under those circumstances, but he’s learning.  He’s distracted so easily by stuff.”

Q: His pedigree, being by A.P. Indy would indicate he’ll get better as he gets older … “We’ll see.  One thing I’ve figured out this year is nothing is guaranteed.”

Q: Did you lose any faith in him today?  Do you think he still has the potential to be a pretty good horse? “He’s got to put it together.  The competition is going to get better, so he’s got to get better.”

Wayne Catalano (trainer, Major Gain, third): “I’m happy with his performance. I would’ve liked to win, but he ran a big race. We’ll see how it goes from here.”

The Virginia H Tarra Trust’s Giant Oak was elevated to first place on the disqualification of Successful Dan in a roughly run stretch battle to win the 136th running of the $564,000 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) for 3-year-olds and up on Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Successful Dan, who covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:50.82, had finished a head in front of Giant Oak, but because of interference with Redding Colliery in the upper stretch, was disqualified and placed third. It was the first disqualification in the Clark since Quest was elevated above Evening Attire in the 2003 running.

Giant Oak’s victory completed a Falls City Handicap-Clark Handicap double for jockey Shaun Bridgmohan and trainer Chris Block, who had teamed the day before to win the Grade II Falls City with Dundalk Dust.

It marked the first time since 2005 that the same rider-trainer combo had swept the two races with Indian Vale winning the Falls City and Magna Graduate the Clark under John Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Regal Ransom led the field of 11 through fractions of :24.64, :48.92 and 1:13.63 while Successful Dan and Redding Colliery raced in mid pack with Giant Oak far back. Turning for home, Duke of Mischief moved past Regal Ransom with Dubious Miss and Demarcation moving with him.

Just behind the leaders, Julien Leparoux on Successful Dan moved out and bumped Redding Colliery, ridden by Rosie Napravnik, for racing room and Giant Oak began to advance with a seven-wide rally.

To the inside of Successful Dan, Demarcation, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, swerved inside impeding Dubious Miss and Duke of Mischief.

With clear sailing on the outside, Successful Dan and Giant Oak raced as a team to the wire. Redding Colliery was another four lengths back in third, finishing a head in front of Demarcation, who was disqualified and placed last.

The victory was worth $328,700 and increased the 4-year-old homebred son of Giant Causeway’s bankroll to $956,677 with a record of 4-5-3 from 23 starts.

Giant Oak returned $24.20, $10 and $5. Redding Colliery returned $6 and $3.80 with Successful Dan paying $3 to show. The revised order of finish was Win Willy, Duke of Mischief, Brass Hat, Apart, Regal Ransom, Stately Victor, Dubious Miss and Demarcation.

Racing continues Saturday with a 12-race “Stars of Tomorrow II” program exclusively for 2-year-olds with first post time of 12:40 p.m. (all times Eastern). Highlighting the program are two Grade II stakes: the 67th running of the $150,000-added Golden Rod for fillies, which goes as the ninth race (4:42 p.m. post time), and the 84th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club, which goes as the 11th race (5:42 p.m. post time). Saturday's card will feature a four-day Pick 6 carryover of $21,555 on races 7-12. There also is a $6,201 carryover on the Super Hi-5 in the 12th race.

CLARK HANDICAP QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Giant Oak, placed first from second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third): “I was right outside of it all. I saw what was happening. I thought both horses ran hard to the wire. It was all out of my hands. I was hoping I got put up. Both horses ran hard. It’s just unfortunate things like this happen in racing. If he shows up and gives it to you there is no telling how much talent this horse has. I always tell Chris (Block, trainer) one of these days he is going to show up and it just happened to be in a Grade One today.”

Chris Block (trainer, Giant Oak, placed first from second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third): “This has been a long time comin’.  This ol’ horse has had a rough, rough go of it.  He’s had some rough trips, but we’ve always known he loved Churchill Downs and I really felt good about today.  The horse trained really great from (Breeders’ Cup) Marathon to this.  His two works were just really, really good here.  I felt coming into it if the pace was solid, and it was OK, I knew he’d come with his run.  We just need him to finish the race. (Jockey) Shaun (Bridgmohan) said today even when he got up to that horse (Successful Dan) he put his head up and just kind of hung with that horse instead of finishing the deal.  But this is sweet to get.  This is very sweet to get.”

Q: Even if he had not won, he was right there with a very good horse in Successful Dan. “Absolutely. I was very proud of him win, lose or draw.  I’d even told Mr. Tarra that Successful Dan, to me, was the horse to beat.  If he’d have been second to him, I’d been real proud of him as I am proud of him for getting kissed up there.”

Q: He seems to be getting better with age – will he be back next year? “Oh yeah, he’s coming back next year.  No doubt about it.  He’s the kind of horse we always thought he’d get better with age, and I think that’s what’ll happen with him.”

Q: Considering all the trouble this horse has had, is it almost ironic that this is how he was able to win …“It is.  It really is amazing to me.  I’ll be very honest with you.  I saw that horse (Redding Colliery) come out, but I thought he came out on his own.  I didn’t know Successful Dan pushed him out like that.  But it is ironic that it finished up like this.”

Q: Was his run in the Marathon a disappointment to you? “It was a disappointment.  I think Garrett (jockey Garrett Gomez) and I kind of got our paths crossed, our communication crossed up from where we actually wanted him.  I thought he was a little further back than what I wanted, and I think Garrett thought I actually wanted him back a little bit and to come with a finish.  And then he ended up wide all the way around there.  But he came out of it so good that I thought, well, we’re going to wheel him right back in here.”

Q: You’ve won three stakes this meet and all with Illinois-breds.  We’re not sure if anyone else has ever pulled off that hat trick … “It’s awful sweet to have these guys come down here and run as good as they have.  They all set up really well for these races and I just glad to be here at Churchill Downs, to be honest with you.”

Q: Where does this rank in career thrills for you? “It ranks right there at the top.  (2006 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup winner) Vacare was my first Grade I stakes winner and this guy, we’ve worked so hard getting him where he’s at today, so it has to rank right there with her.”

Q: When you have a horse like this, do you just have to remind yourself sometime that you have to just hang with the horse? “Absolutely. I take my hat off to Mr. and Mrs. Tarra.  They put this horse in my barn.  They bred him, raised him.  They turned down a lot of money for him as a 2-year-old to do what we did today.  They love racing, they love the horse, they love horse racing and I really have to give them a lot of credit for sticking behind the horse.  We’ve had a lot of frustrating conversations, but today it’s sweet to get this one.”

Q: Do you have a winter plan? “He’s going to Ocala on Sunday for probably about 45 days rest, then probably back to Fair Grounds to get him ready for 2011.

Rosie Napravnik (jockey, Redding Colliery, placed second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third): “It was kind of a rough ride all the way around.  He got slammed and he came on and finished just as strong as he wanted to.”

Q:  If it was rough all the way around, the head of the stretch was very tough … “Yeah.  He slammed me pretty hard.  He knocked us completely off stride and I don’t see how they couldn’t take him down.”

Q: Do you think you had a chance to win at that point? “Yeah, we were coming around and he was making up ground.”

Kiaran McLaughlin (trainer, Redding Colliery, placed second after disqualification of Successful Dan from first to third, via telephone): “It was a rough-run race for a lot of horses.  I was watching our horse mostly, and he had a rough trip.  But I thought Rosie (jockey Anna Napravnik) rode him well.  He switched off down the backside and then made a nice run turning for home and got bumped hard twice by the eventual winner that was taken down (Successful Dan).  But it was a rough run for a few horses and we’re happy that we got put up to second and we’re a Grade I horse.  We’ve had a great year with our horse and we’ll move forward.”

Q: He has really come into his own and proven he is a top rank horse – what is the plan for 2011? “He is a top horse.  We’ll go to Florida with him and look at the [Grade I] Donn Handicap and maybe the Dubai World Cup (GI).  He’s been a really useful horse for us and we’ve had a lot of fun with him all year, and we’re happy that we got put up into second.  I thought it was a gutsy call by the stewards, and the correct call.”

Q: Do you think he had a chance to win without the bumping? “He was wide throughout, so it was kind of just a rough-run race.  You never know, it’s hard to say.  But he was running and gaining, but I don’t know that he was going to win.  But he definitely got bothered.”

Julien Leparoux (jockey, Successful Dan, disqualified from first to third): “I need to take a look at what happened. I just got slammed all over.”

Charlie Lopresti (trainer, Successful Dan, disqualified from first to third): “It’s a bad call.  It’s a very bad call.”

Q: You thought your horse was hit from the inside and forced out …“My horse got knocked over. That’s a terrible call. I mean, up there in the stretch that horse came over on us and knocked us into the other horse (Redding Colliery). And then after that, we’re clearly the winner.”

Q: He did run a huge race as you expected he would … “He ran a huge race. What can I say?  I can’t say anything else.”

Kent Desormeaux (jockey, Demarcation, disqualified to 11th): “He really faded for me at the three-sixteenths pole, ducked to the rail a little bit. I had to straighten him and lost a lot of momentum. It cost me third.”

Paul McGee (trainer, Dubious Miss, placed 10th, and Demarcation, disqualified from fourth to 11th): “There was some irony there due to the fact my two horses were doing the bumping down the stretch, so I didn’t like that part of the race. It sounded like (jockey) Robby (Albarado) got eliminated with Dubious Miss turning for home when he got bumped and had to check. Demarcation ran a good race, he always does, and he’s a consistent horse. I just wish Dubious Miss would have had a better opportunity.”

 

Dundalk 5, LLC’s Dundalk Dust, the only 3-year-old in the field, rallied from last place to win the 95th running of the $161,250 Falls City Handicap (GII) for fillies and mares by three lengths over High Quail on Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Chris Block and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Dundalk Dust trailed the field of six as High Quail and Garrett Gomez led the field through fractions of :25.17, :49.38 and 1:13.89 over a sloppy track with favored Distinctive Dixie in closest pursuit.

Turning for home, High Quail fended off one bid from Distinctive Dixie and then Ravi’s Song while Bridgmohan was swinging Dundalk Dust four wide and to the outside of Ravi’s Song. Dundalk Dust easily drew clear to record her fifth victory in seven starts and complete the distance in 1:53.37.

The victory was the second this meet for the Block-Bridgmohan duo, who teamed to win the Cardinal Handicap (GIII) on Nov. 7 with Askbut I Won’ttell.

Dundalk Dust is an Illinois-bred daughter of Military out of the Beau Genius mare Plus Beau. The victory was worth $98,975 and increased Dundalk Dust’s earnings to $237,105.

Dundalk Dust, who carried 115 pounds, returned $14.80, $7.80 and $4.40. High Quail, also carrying 115 pounds, returned $8 and $3.60 in finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Striking Dancer, who paid $2.80 to show under Julien Leparoux while carrying 117 pounds. Ravi’s Song finished fourth, another 1 ¼ lengths back and was followed by Third Dawn and Distinctive Dixie.

Racing resumes Friday with a 12-race program beginning at 12:40 p.m. (all times Eastern). Highlighting the card is the 136th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI) that drew a field of 11. Post time for the Clark, the 11th race on the program, is 5:42 p.m. There’s a three-day carryover in the Pick 6, which covers races 7-12, of $13,811.

FALLS CITY HANDICAP QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Dundalk Dust, winner): “I had a nice trip, She’s a neat filly to ride. She’s got a big stride to her and about the half-mile pole she switched leads and jumped in the bridle a little bit. All I had to do was pick her a spot and once I did she accelerated nicely. She was going along comfortably and then she jumped in the bridle and by then she knew what was going on. She ran home pretty good. I didn’t know what to expect. I have never ridden her and didn’t know much about her. Chris (Block, trainer) told me just let her get comfortable, let her then be happy and then find her somewhere to run at the end which worked out.”

Chris Block (trainer, Dundalk Dust, winner): “I felt like this filly would run real good until the rain came through, but she handles every surface we’ve given her. Her last work over the track (5 furlongs in 1:00 on Nov. 19) showed she was entering the race ready to go. I was a little concerned with her in the first turn because she dropped back and I thought she wasn’t handling the track, but you could see in the far turn she gathered momentum and I felt real good from that point on. We have been very fortunate this year at Churchill Downs; we’ve had the right horses for the right spots.”

Garrett Gomez (jockey, High Quail, second): “She ran good. She ran her last couple races toward the front end and I didn’t really send her, I just let her do what she wanted to early and she found herself on the lead. She galloped around real nice and she stayed on well. Just a better horse ran by her today.”

Dennis “Peaches” Geier (assistant trainer, High Quail, second): “This filly ran with her heart and ran great. She made the lead and Garrett (Gomez) slowed her down and rode her perfect, she just got out-kicked at the wire. She tried hard for her first time with these kind of horses and she ran a big race. This was a good effort for her.”

Robby Albarado (jockey, Distinctive Dixie, sixth as the slight 2-1 favorite): “I’m disappointed we didn’t win. She ran a huge race a few weeks ago. We will just have to evaluate her and see, but she felt great physically underneath me, she was in a great spot.”

NOTE: The last time the Falls City Handicap was contested over a “sloppy” main track was 2003 when Lead Story prevailed by 6 ½ lengths under Calvin Borel.

Summer Wind Farm’s Kiddari wore down Vertical Vision in the final eighth of a mile to win the $66,500-added Roxelana overnight stakes for fillies and mares by 1 ¾ lengths before a “Downs After Dark” crowd of 32,481 on Friday night at Churchill Downs.

Friday night’s attendance was the highest of the four “Downs After Dark” programs this meet and increased the average to 27,139. Two more “Downs After Dark” programs are scheduled for the Fall Meet: Opening day, Sunday Oct. 31 and Friday, Nov. 19.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Kiddari ran the seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:23.50.

Vertical Vision, ridden by Victor Lebron, led the field of seven through early fractions of :23.48 and :46.88 with Kiddari in closest pursuit. Vertical Vision maintained the advantage until the eighth pole when Kiddari drew alongside and then drew away for the victory.

The victory, the third in as many starts at Churchill Downs and fifth in 14 career outings, was worth $40,800 and increased Kiddari’s earnings to $181,992.

Kiddari, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones, paid $17, $8 and $5. Vertical Vision returned $7.20 and $5.60 in finishing a neck ahead of Be Fair, who paid $3.80 to show under Calvin Borel.

Churchill Downs officials had earlier announced an attendance figure of 30,092 for the last of Spring Meet’s “Downs After Dark” racing sessions, but then discovered that a turnstile at one of its entrance gates had malfunctioned and failed to electronically report the number of fans that had passed through the device.  A manual recount of activity at that turnstile resulted in the addition of 2,389 fans to the evening’s previously announced attendance total.

Racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. (EDT) that features two Grade III stakes: The $100,000-added Locust Grove for fillies and mares going a mile on the Matt Winn Turf Course and the $100,000-added Bashford Manor Presented by Fasig-Tipton for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track. There is a three-day Super Hi-5 carryover of $74,459 on the 11th race (5:56 p.m. post time) in which the first five finishers must be selected in order.

The 42-day Spring Meet concludes Sunday with an 11-race program beginning at 12:45 p.m. and the anticipated return to the races of 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) winner Mine That Bird in the Firecracker Handicap (GII) Presented by Thorntons.

CHAMPION RACHEL ALEXANDRA TAKES IT EASY ON MUGGY MORNING AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returned to serious training after her 10 ½-length romp in the $200,000-added Fleur de Lis (Grade II) on June 12 with an easy half-mile work on a muggy Monday at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Steve Asmussen’s 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro breezed four furlongs over a fast track in :51.20.  Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan was in the saddle as Rachel Alexandra covered the distance in fractional splits of :12.40 and :25.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:05.20.

"She went fine,” said Asmussen.  “It’s a ridiculously hot morning, you know?  That’s a big concern.  It’s time to get out and go north.”

Asmussen had planned to ship Rachel Alexandra to New York’s Saratoga Race Course on July 5, the day after the 42-day Spring Meet at Churchill Downs closes.   But as an unusually warm spring in the Louisville area turns the page to summer today, he is considering moving travel plans up a few days for Rachel Alexandra and other members of his Churchill Downs stable.

It was a humid 81 degrees when Rachel Alexandra breezed around 6:30 a.m. (all times EDT) and conditions were so humid that camera lenses immediately fogged up when lens caps were removed by photographers hoping to record the champion’s work.

“I think we’ve got to get out of this weather,” he said.  “The flag’s stuck to the pole today.”
Asmussen was concerned in the days after her victory on a hot afternoon in the Fleur De Lis that there might be some residual effect from her big effort in those conditions, but he said she appeared fine when she returned to training in the middle of last week.

“She acts like the rest of us do right now – it’s hot,” he said.  “Her weight’s good and she’s very sound, and her strength is good.  But it’s hot.  We’d all feel better if it was about 20 degrees cooler.”

Owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Farm and Harold McCormick, Rachel Alexandra’s has a career record of 12-4-0 in 17 races and has earned $3,216,730.  The Fleur de Lis victory was her first in three starts in 2010.

BARN TALK – Trainer Ken McPeek returned to the blast furnace that was Kentucky on Sunday night after 2 ½ weeks in England where he ran three horses at the Royal Ascot meet. “It was in the 60s over there and it was great for the horses,” McPeek said. “All three horses are doing well and will fly to New York on Wednesday.” Headlining the trio was fifth-place Kentucky Derby (GI) finisher Noble’s Promise, who ran fifth in the St. James’s Palace Stakes (GI) at a mile. McPeek’s other runners, both 2-year-olds, finished third: Tiz My Time in the six-furlong Group III Albany Stakes and Casper’s Touch in the Chasham Stakes at seven furlongs. First up on McPeek’s docket at Churchill Downs is Saturday’s Debutante Stakes (GIII), in which the trainer will seek his first victory in the race with Salty Strike. “She is a real nice filly and Calvin (Borel) will ride her,” McPeek said of the homebred filly owned by Craig Singer. Salty Strike broke her maiden in her first start on May 14, winning by 4 ¼ lengths in one of the faster five-furlong sprints of the meet (:57.79).  The two fillies right behind her that day, Blue Orleans and Le Mi Geaux, came back to break their maidens in their next starts. …

Trainer Tom Amoss said that plans are indefinite for Backtalk, who ran third Saturday night in the $400,000 Red Legend at Charles Town in his first start since finishing 20th in the Kentucky Derby. “He came out of the race fine and he is back here,” Amoss said. “The horse that won (Comedero) is a good horse and we knew that going in. We just took a chance.” …

Ready’s Rocket, one of only seven horses since 1976 to win eight times at Churchill Downs, gets his shot at No. 9 on Friday in the second race, a seven-furlong starter/allowance test.

WORK TAB – Hull, winner of the 2009 Derby Trial, worked a half-mile in :47.20 over a fast track, best of 54 at the distance. … Eight Belles (GIII) runner-up Visavis covered the same distance in :47.40, which ranked as the second-fastest half-mile work. … Other half-mile works of notes included Matt Winn winner Thiskyhasnolimit (:49), Aristides (GIII) winner Riley Tucker (:49.80), fifth-place Belmont Stakes (GI) runner Stay Put (:51.20) and four-time Churchill Downs stakes winner Acoma (:51.80). Grade I winner Hot Dixie Chick worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 and 2009 Jim Dandy (GII) winner Kensei worked six furlongs in 1:14.60.

John Sikura and Stetson Land and Cattle’s Spun Silver surged to the lead in the upper stretch and drew off to a 1 ½-length victory over Beyondallboundarys to take Thursday’s featured $49,600 Ingredient Resource Corporation Classic at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Spun Silver covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.32 over a fast main track. A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Grand Slam, Spun Silver increased her record to 4-2-1-0 and hiked her bankroll to $66,520 with Thursday’s $30,000 winner’s check.

Second choice in the field of seven fillies, Spun Silver returned mutuels of $7, $4.60 and $3.60. Beyondallboundarys, ridden by Leandro Goncalves, returned $5.80 and $4.40 with Elusive Jozi, ridden by Robby Albarado, finishing third and paying $3 to show.

Racing resumes Friday with an 11-race program that begins at 2:45 p.m. (EDT).

Thiskyhasnolimit, returning from six months on the sidelines because of injury, rallied in the stretch under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to wear down favored Cool Bullet to win the ninth running of the $108,000 Matt Winn Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs.

    Cathy and Bob Zollars and Mark Wagner’s son of Sky Mesa had not raced since Nov. 28, when he finished sixth as the favorite to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver in the Grade II, $150,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.  Thiskyhasnolimit won by three-quarters of a length and paid $5.80, $3 and $2.40 as the second betting choice in a field of six horses.  Cool Bullet, the favorite ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., was well clear of the rest of the field for the runner-up spot and paid $2.80 and $2.20.  Privilaged, the pacesetter ridden by Jon Court, paid $2.80 to show.

    Trained by Steve Asmussen, who won the Matt Winn for the third time in its nine runnings, Thiskyhasnolimit, covered the seven-furlong distance over a fast track in 1:22.29.  The victory improved the winner’s career record to 3-1-1 in seven races and increased his career earnings to $204,439.

    Thisskyhasnolimit broke sharply and momentarily grabbed the early lead before he surrendered the lead to Privilaged and settled into fourth under Bridgmohan.  Privilaged held the advantage into the far turn, leading the field through fractions of :22.40 for the first quarter and :45 to the half-mile, when he drew off from longshot Southern Danger and Cool Bullet started to move on the leader.  Cool Bullet moved three-wide to grab the lead in the stretch, but was quickly challenged to his outside by Thiskyhasnolimit , who surged past that rival with an eighth of a mile to run and slowly edged clear in the run to the finish.
    
    Vow to Wager rallied from last to finish fourth, and was followed by Silver Craft and Southern Danger.

    The race is named for Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs legend Col. Matt Winn, who served as president and general manager of the historic track from 1902-49.  Known by the media as “Mr. Derby,” Winn is credited with building the Kentucky Derby into America’s greatest race and one of the world’s great sports events.

MATT WINN QUOTES

SHAUN BRIDGMOHAN (jockey, THISKYHASNOLIMIT, winner): “I had a wonderful trip. My horse ran good. He’s a real nice horse and he’s been training really well. I did expect that type of effort.”

SCOTT BLASI (assistant trainer, THISKYHASNOLIMIT, winner): “He has been training well and thought he would run well today. He is definitely moving in the right direction after the layoff from his last race. We will see how he cools out before deciding on a race for him, but we would like to keep him between seven-eighths to a mile.”

BRIAN HERNANDEZ JR. (jockey, COOL BULLET, second): “We had a perfect trip. We had the two horses get hooked up in front of us and we sat outside behind them and got by both of them pretty easy. (In the stretch) we didn’t bump (with Thiskyhasnolimit); they just came together and didn’t even brush. Neither horse got off stride.”

STEVE MARGOLIS (trainer, COOL BULLET, second): “He (Cool Bullet) ran a good race, [Thiskyhasnolimit] had a little more today. Brian [Hernandez Jr.] rode a great race, no complaints. I’ll talk it over with the owners to see where he runs next, but we will take a look at the Jersey Shore at Monmouth Park.”

NOTES: Trainer Steve Asmussen collected his third Matt Winn victory. He also won the race in 2003 with Posse and in 2005 with Razor. . .Thiskyhasnolimit was clocked in a stakes record 1:22.29. It was only the second year the race has been run at the seven furlong distance and his time eclipsed Capt. Candyman Can’s 1:22.89 in 2009. . .Jockey Corey Lanerie won four races at Churchill Downs for the first time on Saturday: “It was great, it always feel good when you win, especially when you win four. This is my first time winning four at Churchill Downs. I’ve done it before in Texas several times.”

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 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7, 2011 and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 6, 2011. The track’s 2010 Spring Meet continues 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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DERBY WINNER SUPER SAVER WORKS THREE FURLONGS IN :36.60 – WinStar Farm’s Super Saver worked three furlongs in :36.60 under jockey Calvin Borel after renovation break over a track rated as “fast.”
Working on his own, Super Saver notched fractions of :12.40, :36.60, out a half in :49.20 and five-eighths in 1:02. The move was fifth fastest of 29 at the distance.

“I was very pleased with the work,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We are very encouraged by what we’ve seen since the Derby from him. Everything is good. I got him in :36 and change and out in :49.”

“It was real good – just what we wanted,” said Borel.  “He switched leads on key – we’ve been working on that a little bit.  I was perfect.  You couldn’t ask for better, I don’t think.”

Super Saver is scheduled to ship to Baltimore on Wednesday and Pletcher said that Super Saver would gallop at Pimlico on Thursday and Friday and have a paddock schooling session on Thursday.

Pletcher is seeking his first Preakness victory, which would give him a Triple Crown of sorts bookended by Super Saver’s Kentucky Derby triumph and Rags to Riches’ victory in the 2007 Belmont.

“He is pretty unique,” Pletcher said of Super Saver when asked to compare him with other horses he has trained. “He is very athletic, a good mover and very efficient.”

Borel said Super Saver made great progress since his runner-up finish to Line of David in the Arkansas Derby on April 10.  While he had displayed sharp speed early in his career, the colt rated off the pace that day and relaxed so well on Kentucky Derby Day that he settled more than eight lengths off of a fast pace in the mile and a quarter classic.  His rider believes that Super Saver’s new versatility will serve him well in Saturday’s 1 3/16ths-mile Preakness.

“That’s a great feeling,” he said.  “He’s not like a horse like Street Sense [2007 Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up] who’s got to come out the back door.  He doesn’t have to be on the lead – if they give to me, good – if they don’t, no.  That’s a big plus – he plays with me.  I can do what I want with him.

“Todd did a good job with him – him and his assistant [Mike McCarthy] and exercise rider [Kevin Willey].  When I rode him last year as a 2-year-old he was a pretty aggressive colt.  He wanted to run pretty early, and now he’s on-command.  That’s what you want in these kind of races because you never know what they’re going to throw at you – there might be a ‘rabbit’ or two, so you want get him to relax and not to be there fighting with them and go from there.”

Also working for Pletcher after the break was Twin Creeks Racing Stable’s Mission Impazible, the ninth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. With exercise rider Kevin Willey up, Mission Impazible covered three furlongs in :36.40. The move was third fastest of 29 at the distance. Fractions for the breeze were :12 and out a half-mile in :49.60.

“I thought he worked well,” Pletcher said. “We are still on the fence with him about the Preakness. I am going to get with the owners this afternoon.”

Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite walked the shedrow Monday a day after working five furlongs in 1:01.40.

“He came out of the work fine,” Pletcher said of Aikenite, who will be ridden in the Preakness by Javier Castellano.

BAFFERT SAYS LOOKIN AT LUCKY IS LIKELY FOR PREAKNESS – It’s looking more likely that reigning juvenile champion Lookin At Lucky will get a chance at redemption in the 135th Preakness  (Grade I) following his sixth-place run behind Super Saver in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on May 1.

Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s 3-year-old son of Smart Strike galloped 1 ½ miles over a “fast” surface Monday under exercise rider Peter Hutton and trainer Bob Baffert said he was expecting to run the beaten Kentucky Derby favorite in the Preakness.  The colt is scheduled to board a flight to Baltimore on Wednesday for Saturday’s race at Pimlico Race Course.

“I’m planning on it unless I see something between now and getting on the plane,” said Baffert.  “There’s no urgency.  I told everybody yesterday to go on and get their [hotel] rooms and stuff.”

Baffert said Lookin At Lucky would not have a workout between his troubled Kentucky Derby run and the Preakness.

“We’ll just gallop him into the race,” said Baffert.  “He’s a different kind of horse.  He doesn’t need a work.”

If Lookin At Lucky does go in the Preakness, Baffert said Martin Garcia is expected to ride in what would be his debut in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.  Garrett Gomez had ridden the colt in all of his previous nine starts, but has already accepted a mount on Dublin for the Preakness.

“It’s not for sure yet – I’ve got a lot of other calls from different riders, but Martin’s on hold,” said Baffert.  “Martin knows the horse.  He’s worked him.

“I think he’s got a lot of raw talent, but he’s young.  He rides good for me – we’re clicking pretty good.  Everywhere I send him he wins a race – he even won one for me here at Churchill.  I think he’s just too young to understand the meaning of these races – but sometimes that can be good.  Just like Affirmed and Steve Cauthen, he might have been too young to understand what the hell was going on.”

Kentucky native Cauthen was 18 when he won the 1978 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown aboard Affirmed, the last 3-year-old to sweep the covered three-race series.

Garcia, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, is 26.

Baffert made the move to replace Gomez after Lookin At Lucky endured difficult journeys in both the Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby, but said the move should be no reflection on Gomez’s ability.

"I love Garrett – it’s just luck,” he said.  “We were just having bad luck on that horse.  I told him it might be a one-shot deal.  I just wanted to try something different.”

GOMEZ GUIDES LUKAS’ DUBLIN THROUGH HALF-MILE WORK IN :48.40 – Robert Baker and William Mack’s Dublin, seventh in the Kentucky Derby for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, worked a half-mile in company with Bird Empire in :48.40, the 15th fastest move of 69 at the distance.

With new rider Garrett Gomez aboard, Dublin posted fractions of :13, :25, and :37 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 in the work that occurred immediately after the track opened at 6 o’clock.

“I liked what I felt under me,” said Gomez, who is replacing Terry Thompson on Dublin. “He was very responsive. Wayne wanted a good easy half and didn’t want much of a gallop-out. He wanted solid :12s.”

Gomez was asked if much could be learned about a horse like Dublin in a quick test run?

“Yes. He was nothing like what you may have heard about in Hot Springs (at Oaklawn Park) when he bolted a few times,” Gomez said. “He was no problem today. He’s just a big ol’ boy. I feel good about my chances.”

After the work, Lukas said to Gomez: “I hope you feel good about him.”

Gomez responded: “I do.”

“It was a very good work and he galloped out in 1:01.” Lukas said. “Garrett liked it. He’s enthused and that’s all that matters.”

Westrock Stables’ Northern Giant was the next out for Lukas, working three furlongs in :36.40, third fastest of 29, under Arielle Witkowski. Fractions were :12.60, :36.40 and out a half-mile in :49.80.

“He went well,” Lukas said of Northern Giant, on whom a rider has not been confirmed. “I want to see who shows up there for the other stakes” (before naming a rider).

JACKSON BEND DRILLS BULLET HALF FOR PREAKNESS – Robert LaPenta and Fred Brei’s Jackson Bend signaled his readiness for a run in Saturday’s Preakness by working a bullet half-mile in :46.60.

The move, accomplished shortly after 7 a.m., was the fastest of 69 at the distance. Working in company with Latigo Shore and with Stacy Prior in the saddle, Jackson Bend produced fractions of :11.80, :23, :34.80 and out five furlongs in :59.80.

“It was really quick, but the good thing about it is that he did it on his own,” trainer Nick Zito said. “Stacy was not asking him at all.

“If he has a good week, this is the shot you take. He will get a break after this.”

HURRICANE IKE WORKS SEVEN FURLONGS IN 1:25.80 – Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Hurricane Ike and jockey Robby Albarado had a seven-furlong, get-acquainted session after the renovation break.

The John Sadler-trained winner of Churchill Downs’ The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) on April 24, Hurricane Ike worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80 with the final five-eighths clocked in 1:01.40.

“I thought it went well. He hit the ground nice and I think I am in good shape,” Albarado said, adding with a laugh, “I put him in tight next to the fence so nobody can sneak inside of him.”

After the work, Albarado relayed his thoughts on the test run over the phone to Sadler’s assistant Larry Benavidez.

This work was more for me than for him to let me get a feel for him,” Albarado said after the call. “We broke off at the seven-eighths and I just eased him into the work.”

Tne other Preakness hopeful worked after the break, Steel Your Face Stables’ Yawanna Twist.

With assistant trainer Michelle Nevin up and working solo, Yawanna Twist covered five furlongs in 1:01.80. Fractions were :12.60 and :36.60 for the move that was 13th fastest of 27 at the distance.

“It was a basic work for him. It went well,” Nevin said of Yawanna Twist, runner-up in the Illinois Derby (GIII) in his most recent start.

Trainer Dale Romans had both of his Preakness prospects on the track Monday. Donald Dizney’s First Dude jogged two miles in his first day back at the track since a five-eighths work in 1:00.60 on Saturday. Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, galloped a mile and a half.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA CRUISES IN FIRST WORK SINCE UPSET LOSS IN LA TROIENNE – Stonestreet Stable and Harold McCormick’s 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returned to serious training following her upset loss in the $400,000-added La Troienne (GII) at Churchill Downs with an easy half-mile breeze on Monday at Churchill Downs.

The Steve Asmussen-trained 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro worked the four furlongs over a “fast” track under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan in :50.  She covered the distance in fractional times of :13, :25.60 and :38.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:05.60.

“It was an easy first work back,” said Asmussen.  “It’s nice cool morning and everything is ideal today.  It’s another step in the process.”

Asmussen said there’s no target for Rachel Alexandra’s next race following back-to-back losses to Zardana by three-quarters of a length in the New Orleans Ladies on March 13 and Unrivaled Belle by the margin of a head in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs on the April 30 Kentucky Oaks Day program.

“All options are open,” Asmussen said.

Rachel Alexandra’s record stands at 11-4-0 in 16 races with earnings of $3,074,050.

WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – Emmy Darling breezed a half-mile in :48 under Calvin Borel for trainer John Sadler … Florida Oaks (GIII) winner Diva Delite breezed a half-mile in :50 for trainer Ian Wilkes …  Ravi’s Song breezed four furlongs in :50 … multiple turf and dirt stakes winner Acoma breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 for trainer David Carroll …Cash Refund, winner of the Duncan Kenner and F.W. Gaudin Memorial at Fair Grounds, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 for trainer Steve Margolis … Stay Put, an allowance winner on Derby Day and a possible Belmont Stakes candidate, breezed four furlongs in :49, also for Margolis … Kensei, winner of the 2009 renewals of the  Dwyer (GII) and Jim Dandy (GII), breezed a half-mile in :48.80 for trainer Steve Asmussen.