Summer Bird

Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), Preakness (GI) and Woodward (GI) winner Rachel Alexandra – the 3-year-old filly who is a front-runner for honors as America’s “Horse of the Year,” returned to her home base at Churchill Downs early Wednesday.

    Owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro has settled into familiar surroundings in trainer Steve Asmussen’s Barn 38 following a long van ride from Saratoga, where she spent much of the summer and the early days of fall.  She arrived at Churchill Downs around 4 a.m. (EDT).

    “She walked the shed this morning,” Asmussen said.  “It was a little cool here this morning, but it feels great.  She’s in her stall resting comfortably.”

    Rachel Alexandra has no racing objectives on her near horizon.  Jackson has reiterated his stance that she will not compete in the Breeders’ Cup early next month at Oak Tree at Santa Anita and Asmussen said his superstar filly has been taking it easy since her dramatic victory over Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) winner Macho Again and other males in the Woodward on Sept. 5.

    “We’re just trying to keep her happy,” he said.  “I’m very pleased with her attitude and her weight and how she’s doing.  I think the time in Saratoga with everything gone was very beneficial to her.  It just took a lot of the pressure off.”

    The filly has won all eight of her starts in 2009, with three of those wins coming at the expense of males.  She defeated Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Mine That Bird in the Preakness as well as Belmont Stakes, Travers (GI) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) winner Summer Bird in the Haskell Invitational (GI) at Monmouth Park.  Her Woodward win was the first by a female in that prestigious fixture, a race in which she was pressed on a hot pace throughout and fought off the late charge by Macho Again.

    “After reading all the quotes, I thought (trainer) Graham Motion’s quote summed it up as he said, ‘She had 10 reasons to lose and didn’t use any of them,’” Asmussen said.  “I don’t think anything will ever do it justice unless you were there.”

    If Rachel Alexandra does not race again this year, Jackson has indicated she will compete next year as a 4-year-old.  After her perfect eight-race campaign thus far in 2009 her career record has improved to 11-2-0 in 14 races with earnings of $2,948,354.

Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Serte Equine’s Mine That Bird, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), turned in a sharp four-furlong work on Monday in his final major training move at Churchill Downs prior to his scheduled run in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (GII) on Aug. 1 at Mountaineer.

    Jockey Jamie Theriot was in the saddle as the Chip Woolley-trained Birdstone gelding covered the distance over a fast track in :48.20.  Churchill Downs clockers caught Mine That Bird in fractional times of :12.20, :24.80 and :36.80 and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20.  Mine That Bird’s work, which came just after the break for track maintenance, ranked as the fourth-fastest of 31 moves at the distance on the cool and sunny morning under the historic Twin Spires.

    “He finished up well and he’s going into the race very well,” said Theriot.  “You can’t ask for any better.  I told Chip that he’s going into the race fantastic.”

    Woolley said he had originally planned a relatively easy half-mile for Mine That Bird, but decided Sunday night that the Kentucky Derby winner might need something a bit stronger as he approaches his first race since a third-place run behind Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes (GI) on June 6.  Mine That Bird will work one final time prior to the West Virginia Derby next Monday at Mountaineer.

    “The horse is going to be eight weeks between races, and I got to studying last night and told Jamie that I wanted him to start galloping out strong from the five-eighths and I want him really working when he hits the half-mile pole,” Woolley said.  “I told Jamie if we’re going to be dead fit, we’re going to have to step it out and Jamie said he was just super-strong.  So we ended up really getting almost a three-quarter mile work out of him.  Now we can go to Mountaineer and no matter what the track’s like we can go soft over there.  Instead of having to let him work hard over there, we can get real soft one and stretch out over the ground and get a feel for it.”

    Woolley said shipping to Mountaineer and a different racing surface is a concern, but he’s confident that Mine That Bird will be able to handle the challenge.

    “That scares you anywhere you go,” he said  “That track (at Mountaineer) has a tendency to really be loose, but I do feel like if there’s a horse in the world that’s going to go over there and get over it easy and do it well, it’s him.  He’s so light and gets over the ground so easy, it seems like he takes his racetrack with him anywhere he goes.”
    
    The usually low-keyed Woolley admitted to excited about the prospect of seeing Mine That Bird return to competition for the first time since he burst onto the scene with his remarkable Triple Crown run that opened with his 50-1 upset in the “Run for the Roses” and also included a runner-up finish to Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness (GI).  

    “I’m ready to go back to running,” said Woolley.  “It was enjoyable to be here the first month after the Belmont to just kind of relax and rest.  It had been a pretty long run and with my broken leg it takes twice as much out of you.  It gave me a chance to rest my leg and do a little healing, but now though I’m ready.  I’m definitely ready to be rolling again and get back to running.”

    With the final work at Churchill Downs now behind Mine That Bird, Woolley’s plans call for Mine That Bird to travel by van to Mountaineer on Friday, July 24.  Woolley plans to depart Churchill Downs around 7 a.m. (EDT).

Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) winner Mine That Bird worked a half-mile in :51 over a fast track Monday morning at Churchill Downs in his first serious training move since a third-place finish to Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes (GI) on June 6.

ockey Calvin Borel was aboard for the first in a series of five breezes leading to a scheduled run in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (Grade II) on Aug. 1 at Mountaineer.

    Working well off the rail in the four path, Mine That Bird clicked off fractions of :12.80, :25.20, :38.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:04.40. The half-mile time was the 30th fastest of 42 at the distance.

    Coming off the track, Borel gave a big thumbs up to trainer Chip Woolley.

    “He came off the track bouncing just like he was before the Derby,” Borel said. “He’s ready. He doesn’t need much. He’s playful and happy and back to right where he was before the Derby.”
    Woolley thought the work would be a little faster.

    “I thought he’d go in :49 or :50 because he’s a little fresh, the freshest he’s ever been,” Woolley said. “I thought he’d be in the bridle a little more, but he looked good and came back cool as a cucumber. He was a little more into the bridle at Belmont and got a little shook up. Believe me, I like it a lot better this way.”

    Owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, Mine That Bird will walk Tuesday and return to the track Wednesday with another half-mile work scheduled for next Monday, July 6.

    “His work next week will be sharper and then we will back off a bit in the next one,” Woolley said of the schedule that calls for a five-furlong work on July 13.

    Woolley is contemplating a change in his travel schedule to Mountaineer in Chester, W.Va. Originally, the trainer wanted to have two works over the track there, and it could still happen.

    “I may ship up later and have just one breeze there,” Woolley said. “The Bird doesn’t need to take his racetrack with him. He has run on that fast track at Sunland and the deep, sandy track at Belmont. He will still have a work on the 20th, the only question is where.”

    After the West Virginia Derby, Woolley has targeted the $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes (Grade I) at Saratoga on Aug. 29 where Mine That Bird possibly could meet up with Kentucky Oaks (GI) and Preakness (Grade I) winner Rachel Alexandra, the outstanding 3-year-old filly who won last Saturday’s Grade I Mother Goose by a record 19 ¼ lengths in stakes-record time at Belmont Park. Mine That Bird fell a length short of catching Rachel Alexandra in the May 16 Preakness.

    “If it happens, it would be a good thing for racing and that would be a great spot to do it,” Woolley said. “Let’s just see where things fall.”

    An hour before he worked Mine That Bird, Borel sent Northern Dancer (GIII) runner-up Warrior’s Reward through a five-furlong work in 1:00.20, the fastest of 23 at the distance.

Warrior’s Reward covered the distance in fractional times of 12:80, :24.80, :36.60 and :48.40 and galloped out six furlongs in a brisk 1:12.80.  The colt’s gallop-out clocking was a full second faster than any of three works at the distance.

Trained by Ian Wilkes for A. Stevens Miles Jr., Warrior’s Reward is scheduled to leave Tuesday for Belmont Park and a start in Saturday’s $200,000 Dwyer (Grade II) in which a good effort could put the son of Medaglia d’Oro on track for a possible Travers run.

THERIOT EAGER TO RETURN TO THE RACES ON MONDAY – Jockey Jamie Theriot will resume riding on Monday at Indiana Downs following the conclusion of a 30-day suspension stemming from a May 23 incident at Arlington Park.

    “The only time I have been idle longer is when I have been hurt,” said Theriot. “I have never been out this long for a suspension.”

    The 30-year-old Theriot is scheduled to ride three races on Monday night and six on Tuesday night at Indiana Downs and then ride the final four days of the Churchill Downs meet that closes Sunday, July 5.

    Saturday morning was a typical one for Theriot during his suspension.

    “I worked 11 horses this morning and I have been averaging between seven and 10 to 11 a day,” Theriot said. “Fitness-wise, I am ready.”

BASHFORD MANOR FIELD TAKING SHAPE – Six 2-year-old colts are considered as probable starters for Friday’s 108th running of the Bashford Manor Stakes (Grade III) at six furlongs on the main track.

    Of the six, three faced off in a five-furlong allowance race on June 11 won by the Millsap Stables’ unbeaten homebred Brassy Boy. Trained by Hal Wiggins, Brassy Boy won his debut outing in a $30,000 claiming race  4 ½ furlongs on May 29 before coming back to defeat the likes of probable Bashford Manor starters Soundman, who finished third, and Flatter Than Me, who ran fourth.

    Other probable starters include the undefeated Backtalk, a half-brother to graded stakes winner Bsharpsonata, who broke his maiden in his first start on June 11, Westrock Gold, a maiden winner on June 20, and Mission Impazible, a maiden winner at Keeneland who ran third in the Grade III Kentucky Juvenile on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

    Entries will be taken Tuesday.
    
JOHN KELLY DOES JOHN KELLY WARREN PROUD – Trainer David Carroll closed out the second edition of “Downs After Dark” Friday night in grand style when he sent out John Kelly to a 2 ¼-length maiden score in the 11th race.

    So, the question Saturday morning was, “Who is John Kelly?”

    “He is named for Mr. Warren’s son, John Kelly Warren,” Carroll said, referring to the colt’s owner William K. Warren Jr.

    The 3-year-old son of Seattle Fitz was purchased at the 2008 Barretts March Sale for $600,000 and has been in Carroll’s barn since last year. However, John Kelly did not make his racing debut until last month.

    “He has just had some growing pains,” Carroll said. “But he does have talent and he’ll probably go to Saratoga.”

    In 2008, Carroll trained Denis of Cork for Warren with the colt finishing third in the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) and second in the Belmont Stakes (Grade I). Warren named the colt after Father Denis Casey, a priest from County Cork, Ireland.

    The Carroll barn will be trying to strike out of town next weekend when Helen Alexander’s Selva runs in the $300,000 Prioress (Grade I) for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park on Saturday.

    “She leaves Tuesday for Belmont Park,” Carroll said of Selva, a three-time stakes winner who has compiled a record of 6-4-2-0. Selva’s most recent race was the Beaumont (Grade II) at Keeneland on April 8 in which she finished second.

MISSION IMPAZIBLE PLETCHER’S HOPE FOR THIRD BASHFORD MANOR – The Spring Meet has been iceberg cold for the Todd Pletcher barn, but that does mean it is “Mission Impossible” for a strong finish after a 1-for-36 start.

Make that Mission Impazible.

Owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stable, Mission Impazible should be one of the favorites in Friday’s Bashford Manor Stakes for Pletcher, who won the race in 2003 with Limestone and in 2006 with Circular Quay.

A son of Unbridled’s Song, Mission Impazible turned in his final work for the Bashford Manor with a half-mile work in :47.80 over a fast track Saturday morning, the fourth best of 67 at the distance. Mission Impazible has not run since finishing third in the Kentucky Juvenile (Grade III) on April 30.

“He has been doing extremely well since his last race,” said Mike McCarthy, who runs Pletcher’s Churchill Downs string. “We did the same thing with Garden District last year and this race was the goal all along.”
Garden District ran second to males in the Kentucky Juvenile and came back eight weeks later to win the Debutante, defeating a group of fillies that included runner-up Rachel Alexandra, who is now among the frontrunners for “Horse of the Year” honors after her 20 ¼-length win in the Kentucky Oaks (GI) and her historic win over Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Mine That Bird and other males in the Preakness (GI).
One horse in the Pletcher barn on the comeback trail is Team Valor International’s King of the Roxy. A two-time Grade II stakes winner, King of the Roxy has not run since April 2008 and rejoined the barn last month.

“He is going to work Sunday,” McCarthy said of the 5-year-old who has had three works since coming back. “He is about a month away from running and he could possibly go to Saratoga.”
    
BARN TALK – Calvin Borel was blanked on the Friday night card and remained three wins (56-53) behind Julien Leparoux in the battle for leading rider of the Spring Meet.  Leparoux missed Friday’s “Downs After Dark” program to ride in stakes races at Prairie Meadows. Borel will be in New York on Saturday to ride Rachel Alexandra in the Mother Goose (Grade I) while Leparoux returns to Churchill Downs and has nine mounts on the 11-race card. Both riders will be here Sunday with Leparoux named on eight mounts and Borel seven.

Belmont Stakes (Grade I) winner Summer Bird will make a brief return to Churchill Downs on Thursday. Trainer Tim Ice is vanning Summer Bird from his home base at Louisiana Downs to Monmouth Park for the Aug. 2 Haskell Invitational (Grade I).

“We are going to stop over there for about 10 hours and then get back on the road that night,” said Ice, who expects to arrive at Churchill Downs around 10 o’clock Thursday morning and be housed in the Stakes Barn (Barn 17). “He had his first work since the Belmont this morning and he went nice and easy (five furlongs in 1:04.42). He’s a happy horse right now and we want to keep him that way.”

Summer Bird finished sixth to Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby, but turned the tables on that rival in the Belmont.

    Weights for the 19th running of the $150,000-added Firecracker Handicap (Grade II) will be released Saturday with the race scheduled to headline the Fourth of July holiday card.

    Weights for the 28th running of the $100,000-added Locust Grove Handicap (Grade III) for fillies and mares will be released Sunday. The Locust Grove serves as the feature on Sunday, July 5, closing day of the 45-day Spring Meet.

WORK TAB – Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade I) winner Macho Again worked a half-mile in :50.80 over a fast track. The fastest half-mile works of 67 came from the Eddie Kenneally duo of Keep the Peace and Custom for Carlos, who covered the distance in :47.20. Also working a half-mile was Flying Private, who covered the distance in :53.40 in his second work since finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes.

Follow your Kentucky Derby 135 favorites on www.churchilldowns.com, and get the rundown on how the contenders are training up to the first Saturday in May!

ADVICE / DUNKIRK / JOIN IN THE DANCE – Two of the three Todd Pletcher Kentucky Derby hopefuls galloped Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Tampa Bay Derby (Grade III) runner-up Join in the Dance galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Kevin Willey. With $90,000 in graded earnings, Join in the Dance would need one defection for the list of possible Kentucky Derby starters to gain a spot in the starting gate.

Willey was out in the next set on WinStar Farm’s Advice, galloping a mile and a half. Advice won the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) last Saturday.

Dunkirk, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, is stabled at Palm Meadows in Florida and scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, the same day as Pletcher. Edgar Prado has the mount on Dunkirk.

CHOCOLATE CANDY – El Camino Real Derby (Grade III) winner Chocolate Candy visited the paddock and galloped a mile and half under exercise rider Lindsey Molina shortly after the track opened for training at 6 a.m.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is scheduled back in Louisville on Saturday to saddle Rendezvous in the Derby Trial (Grade III). Chocolate Candy, owned by the Sid and Jenny Craig Trust, is scheduled to work Monday or Tuesday.  Mike Smith has the Derby riding assignment.

DESERT PARTY / REGAL RANSOM – The Godolphin duo of Desert Party and Regal Ransom galloped a mile and a quarter each before the renovation break with exercise rider Bob Chapman handling both activities.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said both colts would work Saturday morning with Regal Ransom going out at 6 a.m. and Desert Party after the break at 8:30. Chapman will handle both five-furlong works.

Ramon Dominguez will ride Desert Party in Kentucky Derby 135 and Regal Ransom will be piloted by Alan Garcia.

FLAT OUT – Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out had an easy day and just walked the shedrow in Barn 48.  Trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey still has not named a jockey and has not yet decided when Flat Out will work next.

Flat Out is 22nd on the graded earnings list and needs a couple of defections to make the field for Derby 135.

FLYING PRIVATE – Robert Baker and William Mack’s Flying Private galloped an unspecified distance according to trainer D. Wayne Lukas.  Lukas says how far he went “doesn’t matter.”  Exercise rider Taylor Carty was aboard.

Flying Private is scheduled to work unday or Monday according to Lukas. Robby Albarado has the Derby riding assignment.

FRIESAN FIRE – Louisiana Derby (Grade II) winner Friesan Fire arrived at Churchill Downs shortly after 3 p.m. (EDT) following a van ride from Lexington’s Keeneland Race Course.

Trained by Larry Jones for Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm, Friesan Fire is scheduled to be ridden in the Kentucky Derby 135 by Gabriel Saez.  Friesan Fire will be stabled in Barn 45.

GENERAL QUARTERS – Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy reported all was well with General Quarters on Friday morning, a day after the colt worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 under exercise rider Julie Sheets.

Julien Leparoux, who has ridden in the past two Kentucky Derbies, has the call on General Quarters.

HOLD ME BACK – WinStar Farm’s Hold Me Back galloped a mile and a half under assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy before the renovation break Friday morning.

“And Twinkie had a good gallop, too, if anyone is asking,” trainer Bill Mott said with a chuckle, referring to his pony.

Mott is looking at Sunday or Monday as the final work for Hold Me Back, who will attempt to make Kent Desormeaux the first jockey in 26 years to ride back-to-back Kentucky Derby winners. Eddie Delahoussaye last turned the trick in 1982-83 with Gato Del Sol and Sunny’s Halo.

I WANT REVENGE – Wood Memorial (Grade I) winner I Want Revenge started the day with a paddock schooling session and then galloped a mile and a half under Joe Deegan.

Owned by IEAH Stables, David Lanzman and Puglisi Racing, I Want Revenge is scheduled to have his third work at Churchill Downs on Tuesday with jockey Joe Talamo slated to be aboard as he has been for the first two.

Trainer Jeff Mullins is scheduled to return to Louisville from his Southern California base on Saturday.

MINE THAT BIRD – Double Eagle Ranch and Bueno Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird jogged a half-mile and then galloped a mile and half before the renovation break under exercise rider Charlie Figueroa.

“He looked sharp this morning,” trainer Chip Woolley said. “He will work Monday morning, a little after the break, around 8:50.”

Calvin Borel will have a get-acquainted session that morning on Mine That Bird, who comes into the Kentucky Derby off a fourth-place finish in the March 29 Sunland Derby.

MUSKET MAN – Eric Fein and Vic Carlson’s Musket Man galloped a mile and five-eighths under Salvador Dominguez early Friday morning and was scheduled for his final pre-Derby work on Saturday.

“When (Eibar) Coa gets here in the morning, we’ll work,” trainer Derek Ryan said.

Coa was aboard for Musket Man’s victory in the Grade II Illinois Derby on April 4 in his most recent start.

PAPA CLEM – Bo Hirsch’s Papa Clem galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break under exercise rider Mundo Gonzalez. Gonzalez is scheduled to be aboard for Papa Clem’s work Saturday morning.

“Mundo gallops for me in California and I was thinking that if we do good here and go on to Pimlico, I’d like to have my regular guy who gets on him,” trainer Gary Stute said.

Stute got an extra starter to watch over on Thursday when Kitty in the Bag arrived from Southern California to run in next Thursday’s Kentucky Juvenile (Grade III), the first graded stakes race of the year for 2-year-olds. Stute’s father, veteran California trainer Mel Stute, trains Kitty in the Bag, who won her debut by 3-1/4 lengths going two furlongs at Santa Anita on April 1.

“Dad’s coming in Sunday,” Stute said.

Mel Stute has trained two Kentucky Derby starters: Bold ‘n Rulling, who ran sixth in 1980 and Snow Chief, who ran in 11th in 1986 and came back two weeks later to win the Preakness (Grade I).  Rafael Bejarano has the riding assignment on Papa Clem.

PIONEEROF THE NILE – Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break with exercise rider George Alvarez up.

Trainer Bob Baffert has Monday penciled in as the next work day for Pioneerof the Nile, who will be ridden in the Derby by Garrett Gomez.

SQUARE EDDIE – J. Paul Reddam’s Square Eddie was on the track before 7 a.m. Friday for a mile and a half gallop under exercise rider Tony Romero.

Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill, was asked how the gallop looked to him.

“Pretty damn good,” Mora said with a smile.

Corey Nakatani is scheduled to ride Square Eddie, who is slated to have his final pre-Derby work Sunday with O’Neill expected to be on hand.

“We are working all three that morning,” Mora said, alluding to Claimboxdotcom, O’Neill and Sarno’s Informed, a candidate for next Friday’s Grade III Alysheba, and Reddam and Mark Schlesinger’s Modification, who is nominated to next Friday’s Grade II Louisville Distaff and the Grade I Humana Distaff scheduled for Derby Day.

SUMMER BIRD – K.K. and Vilasini Jayaraman’s Summer Bird, working after the renovation break with jockey Chris Rosier up, worked six furlongs in 1:15.80 from the five-eighths pole to the seven-eighths.

Summer Bird stood quietly in the six-furlong gap waiting for the track to reopen. The chestnut son of Birdstone then went about his business with Churchill Downs clockers recording fractions of :12.80, :25.20, :37.20, :49.40, 1:02.60 and out seven furlongs in 1:29.60 over a track rated as “fast”.

“I am happy as I can be with it,” Rosier said. “He was relaxed and calm all the way through.”

Trainer Tim Ice, who will heading to Lone Star Park on Saturday with Rosier and coming back Sunday, liked the work.

“I got him in 1:15 and 3, but he doesn’t work much by himself,” Ice said. “He needs something in front of him.

“He is a deep closer and he picked it up nice and galloped out strong. He gets better the longer he goes.”

Ice said Summer Bird would walk Saturday, jog Sunday morning and gallop into the race “with a two-minute clip down the lane on Wednesday, which is the same thing he did before the Arkansas Derby.” Summer Bird ran third in the Arkansas Derby, coming from 15 lengths back to finish 1 ¼ lengths behind Papa Clem in only his third start.

“We expected good things out of him, but didn’t expect as much of a jump right off the bat,” said Ice, who has saddled horses at Churchill Downs before as an assistant. “It’s a whole new experience having one for yourself for the Derby. There is no other race like it.”

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

Breen plans to work West Side Bernie after the break Saturday morning and hoes to have jockey Stewart Elliott aboard for the work.

WIN WILLY – Jer-Mar Stable’s Win Willy walked the shedrow at Barn 45, a day after arriving from Oaklawn Park where he finished fourth in the Grade II Arkansas Derby in his most recent start.

Cliff Berry is scheduled to ride Win Willy in the Derby for trainer Mac Robertson.

How is your favorite contender for Kentucky Derby 135 training up to the big race?  Read on...

ADVICE / JOIN IN THE DANCE / DUNKIRK – Mike McCarthy, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said that Advice, winner of last Saturday’s Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) and Join in the Dance, fifth-place finisher in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I), would ship to Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Wednesday and would be on the track to train Thursday morning.

Advice is owned by WinStar Farm and tentatively scheduled to work on April 27. Join in the Dance, stands 21st on the list of graded-stakes money won and would need a defection from the prospective field to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

Pletcher’s third Kentucky Derby hopeful Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Dunkirk, is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Palm Meadows on April 28. Pletcher is scheduled in the same day. Edgar Prado has the mount on Dunkirk.

CHOCOLATE CANDY – The Sid and Jenny Craig Trust’s Chocolate Candy walked the shedrow at Barn 42 a day after working a mile in 1:42.

Galen May, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, said the colt would return to the track in the morning. Hollendorfer is scheduled to return to Louisville on Saturday and Chocolate Candy is slated for his final pre-Derby work on Monday or Tuesday.

DESERT PARTY / REGAL RANSOM – Both of the Godolphin hopefuls for Kentucky Derby 135 went about their business before the renovation break on Wednesday.

With exercise rider Bob Chapman handling both colts, Regal Ransom galloped a mile and a quarter and then Desert Party visited the starting gate and galloped a mile and a half.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor is scheduled to be in Louisville on Saturday when the final works for the colts are scheduled. A decision from Sheikh Mohammed on which horses jockeys Ramon Dominguez and Alan Garcia will ride is expected Thursday.

FLAT OUT – Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out was “good and frisky” Wednesday morning according to trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey. Flat Out had worked five furlongs in 1:03.80 on Tuesday.

FLYING PRIVATE – Robert Baker and William Mack’s Flying Private walked the shedrow at Barn 44 a day after working five furlongs in 1:01.20 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Robby Albarado, who was aboard for the work, has the riding assignment in Kentucky Derby 135.

FRIESAN FIRE – Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm’s Friesan Fire, winner of three consecutive graded stakes at Fair Grounds, is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs from keeneland on Friday afternoon.
Trained by Larry Jones and scheduled to be ridden by Gabriel Saez, Friesan Fire will be housed in Barn 45 with Monday, April 27 slated as his work day.

GENERAL QUARTERS – Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy sent General Quarters out for a mile and a half gallop before the renovation break with exercise rider Julie Sheets in the saddle.

McCarthy plans to work his Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I) winner five furlongs in the morning at 7 o’clock (all times EDT) with Sheets aboard. 

Julien Leparoux will ride the Sky Mesa colt in Derby 135.

HOLD ME BACK – WinStar Farm’s Hold Me Back is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Wednesday from Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott, Hold Me Back will be stabled in Barn 19.

Kent Desormeaux, who rode Hold Me Back to a victory in the Lane’s End (Grade II) and a runner-up finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade I), has the Derby riding assignment.

I WANT REVENGE – IEAH Stables, David Lanzman and Puglisi Racing’s I Want Revenge walked the shedrow at Barn 24 a day after working five furlongs in 1:01.60.

Bobby Troeger, assistant to trainer Jeff Mullins, said I Want Revenge would return to the track Thursday morning. Mullins is scheduled to return to Louisville on Saturday with I Want Revenge having his final pre-Derby work on Tuesday.

MINE THAT BIRD – Double Eagle Ranch and Bueno Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird, a midnight arrival at Churchill Downs, backtracked once around with exercise rider Charlie Figueroa up before the renovation break Wednesday morning.

Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. said that Mine That Bird would gallop the next four days and then work Monday morning with jockey Calvin Borel getting aboard for the first time.

“I just wanted him to get the kinks out from the trip this morning,” Woolley said.

Fourth in the Sunland Derby in his most recent start, Mine That Bird worked five furlongs in 1:01 at Sunland Park on Sunday before beginning his journey by van the next day to Louisville.

Woolley, a former quarter horse trainer, is hobbling around on crutches, the result of a motorcycle mishap.

“I’ve got a plate and 12 screws in there,” Woolley said of his right leg that sustained multiple fractures. “I was riding my chopper and hit some gravel and took a spill. I’ve been on crutches for two months and have another two months to go.”

Woolley attended the Kentucky Derby as a spectator in the 1980s.

“I said I would never come back to the Derby unless I had a horse,” Woolley said. “I left the decision to the owners (about the Derby) and I was really hoping they would come.

“You dream all your life of getting here and I will make that walk (with the horses to the paddock for the Derby).”

MR. HOT STUFF – WinStar Farm’s Mr. Hot Stuff is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from his Southern California base Monday, April 27.

Trained by Eoin Harty, Mr. Hot Stuff worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 at Santa Anita on Monday and is scheduled to work again on Sunday, April 26 at the Southern California track before he heads to Kentucky.

MUSKET MAN – Eric Fein and Vic Carlson’s Musket Man galloped a mile and five-eighths shortly after the track opened at 6 a.m. Wednesday with exercise rider Salvador Dominguez up.

Trained by Derek Ryan, Musket Man is scheduled to work Saturday.

PAPA CLEM – Bo Hirsch’s Papa Clem galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with exercise rider Nate Quinonez up.

Rafael Bejarano, who rode Papa Clem to victory in the Arkansas Derby (Grade II) has the Kentucky Derby assignment. Trained by Papa Clem is scheduled to work Saturday.

PIONEEROF THE NILE – Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile walked the shedrow at Barn 33 on Wednesday morning, a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.80.

“He is doing great this morning,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He will jog in the morning and stand in the gate."  Garrett Gomez has the mount on Pioneerof the Nile.

QUALITY ROAD – Edward P. Evans’ Quality Road, winner of the Fountain of Youth (Grade II) and Florida Derby (Grade I), is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on April 28.

SQUARE EDDIE – J. Paul Reddam’s Square Eddie, a Tuesday afternoon arrival at Churchill Downs, made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs track, jogging once around accompanied by a pony shortly before 7 a.m.

Exercise rider Tony Romero was aboard Square Eddie, who arrived from Keeneland on Tuesday afternoon. Leandro Mora is overseeing Square Eddie’s preparation for trainer Doug O’Neill, who is scheduled to come to Louisville on Sunday.

“Square Eddie will gallop in the morning and will work Saturday or Sunday,” Mora said.

Corey Nakatini has accepted the mount on Square Eddie, who ran third in last Saturday’s Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland.

SUMMER BIRD – K.K. and Vilasini Jayaraman’s Summer Bird arrived at Churchill Downs at 4:30 Wednesday morning after an all-out van ride from Oaklawn Park and set up shop in Barn 42, Stall 11.

After the renovation break, trainer Tim Ice led the son of Birdstone to the track to jog a mile under jockey Chris Rosier.

“We left Hot Springs about 3 yesterday afternoon, so it took us 12 ½ hours,” Ice said. “He is going to work Friday after the break. He will go six furlongs and the owners will be here.”

A former assistant to Cole Norman and Morris Nicks, Ice is no stranger to Churchill Downs.

“The last time I was here was 2003 with Beau’s Town for the Aristides,” Ice said. “We just got nipped at the wire by a Steve Asmussen horse, Mountain General.

“It is pretty exciting to be here and pretty exciting to have a Derby horse in my first year of training.”

WEST SIDE BERNIE – George and Lori Hall’s West Side Bernie galloped a mile and three-quarters before the renovation break with trainer Kelly Breen aboard.

Breen plans to work the Wood Memorial (Grade I) runner-up on Saturday.

WIN WILLY – Jer-Mar Stable’s Win Willy, winner of the Grade II Rebel at Oaklawn Park on March 14 and most recently fourth in the Arkansas Derby (Grade II), is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Thursday.

Trained by Mac Robertson and scheduled to be ridden by Cliff Berry, Win Willy will be stabled in Barn 45.