WinStar Farm

The only time five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm won the Kentucky Jockey Club with Super Saver, they won the Kentucky Derby the following spring. They hope to duplicate that feat again May 5 after their colt Gemologist wore down favorite 8-5 favorite Ever So Lucky in deep stretch to win the 85^th running of the $178,200 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) for 2-year-olds by 1 ¾ lengths on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Javier Castellano, Gemologist broke alertly and sat behind the pacesetter Ever So Lucky and 43-1 outsider Seve as the former led the field of 11 through fractions of :23.98, :47.49 and 1:12.62. On the far turn, Castellano dropped his hands and Gemologist raced three-wide to draw even with Ever So Lucky at the head of the long Churchill Downs stretch. The two matched strides to the sixteenth pole before Gemologist inched clear late for the victory in 1:44.46 for 1 1/16 miles over a “fast” track.

Timely Tally rallied late from the back of the pack to finish another neck back in third, a half-length in front of Optimizer. Atigun, Africanist, Cyber Secret, Saint Honore, Seve, Fine and Mr. Prankster completed the order of finish.

"He ran well,” Pletcher said. “He overcame an outside post, got a good trip and dug in when it counted.”

Gemologist, a Kentucky-bred son of 2001 Horse of the Year Tiznow out of the Mr. Prospector mare Crystal Shard, grabbed the $103,855 first prize and jumped his career earnings to $145,855. The bay colt is unbeaten in three starts. He broke his maiden by five lengths on Polytrack at Turfway Park in September and won a first-level allowance/optional claiming event at Churchill Downs on Oct. 30 by two lengths.

“I think it certainly helped to have a race over the track and to have that two-turn experience around there,” Pletcher said. “It always helps when you have some confidence that they’ve handled the surface already.”

Sent to post as the 3-1 second betting choice, Gemologist returned $8.60, $4 and $3.60. Ever So Lucky, piloted by Julien Leparoux, paid $3.60 and $3. Timely Tally, with Calvin Borel aboard, returned $4.20.

Five Kentucky Jockey Club winners won the Kentucky Derby the following spring: Reigh Count (1928), Clyde Van Dusen (1929), Twenty Grand (1931) Cannonade (1974) and Super Saver (2010). The 138^th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands will be run in 23 weeks on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

“It’s always exciting when you have a good two-year-old turning three,” Pletcher said. “It kind of gives you something to look forward to when you head south for the winter. We’re always hoping to be back at Churchill in the spring.

“We’ll give him a little bit of a break off that and I’ll get with (WinStar President/CEO and Racing Manager) Elliott (Walden) and we’ll come up with a game plan. I’d say we’d try to follow a similar path (to Super Saver), hopefully two starts before the big race if things go well.”

Closing day of the 21-day Fall Meet is Sunday and Churchill Downs will offer free general admission to all patrons and a 2012 Churchill Downs Wall Calendar to the first 5,000 in attendance. The first of 11 races is 12:40 p.m. EST.

The race to be crowned leading trainer is tight. Mike Maker has a 15-14 lead over Steve Asmussen. Leparoux is five wins clear of Corey Lanerie, 32-27, for leading rider honors. Ken and Sarah Ramsey will be leading owners with a 12-5 lead over Billy, Donna and Justin Hays heading into closing day.

KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB QUOTES

Todd Pletcher (by telephone from New York), trainer of Gemologist (winner): “He ran well. He overcame an outside post, got a good trip and dug in when it counted.”

Q: Do you feel that two-turn race at Churchill Downs was an advantage? “I think it certainly helped to have a race over the track and to have that two-turn experience around there. It always helps when you have some confidence that they’ve handled the surface already.”

Q: Did Gemologist identify himself early as one that might be special? “He came to us during the Saratoga meet and each one of his works was progressively better. For a big horse that’s bred to go longer, he showed some natural speed. He’s just one of those horses that every time you breezed him he did everything right and just kind of kept getting better and better.”

Q: The last time you won this race with Super Saver in 2009 it worked out well for you the following spring in the Derby. Will you take a similar path in hopes of getting back to the Derby with Gemologist?

 “We’ll give him a little bit of a break off that and I’ll get with Elliott (WinStar President/CEO and Racing Manager Elliott Walden) and we’ll come up with a game plan. I’d say we’d try to follow a similar path, hopefully two starts before the big race if things go well.”

Q: You’ve won so many great races and trained so many nice horses. But when you have one like this that seems to have so much potential for next year, is it anything extra for you to win a race like this with a horse like this? “It’s always exciting when you have a good two-year-old turning three. It kind of gives you something to look forward to when you head south for the winter. We’re always hoping to be back at Churchill in the spring.”

Kenny Troutt, owner of WinStar Farm LLC, owner of Gemologist (winner): “What I saw in there was a horse get a lot of learning experience and still win a race. He had a little problem in the starting gate, but he broke well and relaxed. He went wide, but still won and looked like a very nice horse coming down the lane.”

Q. Have you already starting thinking of next year’s Kentucky Derby? “Everyone’s been talking about the Derby and it’s very exciting to get the ‘Derby fever.’ This race is a great stepping stone for us. I’ll leave everything else up to Elliot (Walden) and the trainer. But we’re very excited.”

Elliot Walden, President/CEO and Racing Manager of WinStar Farm LLC, owner of Gemologist (winner): “He (Gemologist) beat a very good field and a very good horse in the Indian Charlie colt (Ever So Lucky). He’ll get a little bit of a breather and then we’ll regroup and see where we go. I don’t know if he’ll come back to WinStar Farm (for the winter). We’ll have to figure that out.”

Mike McCarthy, assistant trainer to Todd Pletcher, trainer of Gemologist (winner): “The horse ran well. He ran like he trained. The race kind of unfolded like we thought it would. We thought (jockey) Julien (Leparoux)’s horse (Ever So Lucky) would go ahead and go (to the lead) coming off a short rest. It was a very professional effort from him (Gemologist) today.”

Javier Castellano, jockey on Gemologist (winner): “We had a beautiful trip. It was a dream trip. He’s a really nice horse. Today he was very professional. He sat behind the leaders and targeted the speed. He responded when I asked him. He did it the right way today. I’m very lucky to ride nice horses like him.”

Q. What happened in the gate before the race? “I think he just got a little anxious and he was ready to go. He reared up and hit the gate with his legs, but thank God he didn’t hit his head. He was very lucky.”

Jonathan Sheppard, trainer of Ever So Happy (runner-up): “We’re very happy. He ran very well. He’s still just a little bit green. He put up a good fight when that horse came to him and we were quite proud of him.”

Q: He’s shown a lot in a short time … “Exactly. The other horse has had two races, we’ve had one. I’m not sure how much difference that makes, but probably some I would think.”

Q: So you’re thinking about next spring and possibly the Kentucky Derby with this horse? “We’ll let him tell us. It would be fun to do if he looks like he wants to go that way. We’ll take him home and check him out and see.”

Julien Leparoux, jockey of Ever So Lucky (runner-up): “He ran big. He had that win going 6 ½ (furlongs) and it’s not easy to just come and run as good as he did. He’s a nice horse and we’re looking forward to next year with that one.”

Ian Wilkes, trainer of Timely Tally (third): Q: Calvin Borel said he was stopped on the far turn, but was thrilled with the way Timely Tally finished. Your thoughts? “That’s racing. We didn’t have the racing luck there. He was still last at the quarter pole and then he circles them at the quarter pole and gets beat by two lengths. I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone going forward off this race. I just feel my horse is getting better. He’s improving with racing. And you know he likes the track here, so that’s a good sign.”

Q: Did you see the traffic problems he encountered on the far turn? “It was just that a hole never opened up. You know how Calvin (jockey Calvin Borel) loves the fence, but it just never opened up. If he had moved him 50 or 100 yards earlier, we’re the winner. But that’s hindsight. That’s part of the game. But otherwise, I was so happy. That was his first stakes race and the horse is just getting better and better. I’ve got to congratulate WinStar Farm. Their horse ran his race and he was the winner, but I do think my horse is improving.”

 

WINSTAR’S UNBEATEN GEMOLOGIST HOPES TO FOLLOW SUPER SAVER’S FOOTSTEPS IN JOCKEY CLUB – WinStar Farm LLC and trainer Todd Pletcher teamed up to win the 2009 running of the Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) with Super Saver, and returned to Churchill Downs with the colt the following spring to capture the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

Those connections hope for similar good fortune with Gemologist, their latest juvenile star who puts an unbeaten record on the line in Saturday’s 85^th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the main track beneath the Twin Spires.

“Certainly we’ve had luck in this race before and have had horses run well and then go on to bigger and better things as 3-year-olds,” assistant trainer Michael McCarthy said. “I’m sure we’ll start thinking about it (the Kentucky Derby) after the race Saturday. But you’re always thinking about it – especially in this operation.”

A big, handsome son of Tiznow, Gemologist still has plenty of upside and McCarthy believes he could be able to follow in Super Saver’s footsteps and develop into a 3-year-old of Derby and Triple Crown quality.

“He’s a lot of horse and a fantastic looking animal,” McCarthy said. “I think he’ll get better with racing and I see no reason why he won’t develop into a nice 3-year-old. He’s still got a lot of maturing to do; not so much physically, but mentally.”

Gemologist, purchased as a weanling for $310,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale, cruised to a five-length victory in his career debut over Turfway Park’s Polytrack surface.  He followed that with a two-length allowance victory at the Kentucky Jockey Club distance on Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow I card.

"He’s two-for-two and has a little bit of a buzz around him,” McCarthy said. “Anytime a horse has won going a distance of ground at this stage of their career it’s good, and to have a win over the racetrack is a feather in your cap.”

Gemologist will break from post nine under Javier Castellano when he faces 10 rivals in the Kentucky Jockey Club. His main competition could come from Augustin Stable’s Ever So Lucky, a flashy 3 ¼-length maiden winner for steeplechase training legend Jonathan Sheppard at Churchill Downs on Nov. 11.  Ever So Lucky, a bay son of Indian Charlie, was supplemented to the Kentucky Jockey Club for a fee of $7,500.

"There are a lot of horses in the race that look like they have a lot of upside,” McCarthy said. “Certainly Jonathan Sheppard’s horse is one of them. He did nothing wrong in his debut and anytime you see Sheppard do something like bring a horse back on short rest, then you definitely need to pay attention.”

Ever So Lucky will break from the rail and is expected to challenge for the early lead, a development McCarthy would welcome.

“I think Gemologist will be fairly forwardly placed,” McCarthy said. “It’d be nice if someone would go to the lead and we could sit off him and have Gemologist learn a little something.”

Named in honor of the holding company that operated Churchill Downs at the time of the race’s inaugural running in 1920, the Kentucky Jockey Club is the co-featured event with the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII) for 2-year-old fillies on the Stars of Tomorrow II program,.  It will be run as race 11 with a scheduled post time 5:42 p.m. (all times EST).  Post time for the day’s first race is 12:40 p.m.

FLASHY DEBUT WINNER EVER SO LUCKY RETURNS IN KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB – Those who watched the impressive 3 ¼-length debut victory by Augustin Stable’s Ever So Lucky at Churchill Downs on Nov. 11 might have been surprised to learn the Indian Charlie colt is trained by Jonathan Sheppard.

Sheppard, who last year became the first trainer to saddle 1,000 steeplechase winners in the United States, is not known for having precocious juveniles in his barn, but finds himself with one of the Fall Meet’s most-discussed horses the colt owned by George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable. The $600,000 sales topper at Fasig-Tipton’s Mid-Atlantic Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Maryland’s Timonium, Ever So Lucky was installed by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“I was absolutely delighted with his first race,” Sheppard said. “He broke a step slowly and (jockey Julien) Leparoux asked him to move up and it seemed like he took the lead in just a few jumps. He was under pressure on the lead and when Julien asked him to run, he responded and won with a lot left. He ran like an old pro.”

Ever So Lucky’s flashy debut so impressed his connections that they paid $7,500 to make him a supplemental nominee to the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“It was a mutual decision between myself and Mr. Strawbridge,” Sheppard said. “We were trying to decide what to do with him and we decided to give him a second race at the track he was at and seems to like. This also gives him a race going two turns and sets him up nicely to get a breather and then get him ready for the big 3-year-old races next spring.”

One of those “big 3-year-old races” Sheppard was referring to is the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI). Sheppard, who will turn 71 on Dec. 2, has never saddled a starter in the Run for the Roses.

“I’m not going to push them and make them do something they’re not ready for,” Sheppard said. “We usually stick to the theory that you can have a good young horse or a good older horse, but you can’t have both. However, I think he (Ever So Lucky) has the disposition to be a good horse next year. He has a very good mind and is a really nice horse. I don’t want to jinx myself though because you really never know.”

Ever So Lucky will break from the rail post in the Kentucky Jockey Club. Some would be nervous about a 2-year-old breaking the inside gate, but Sheppard does not see the post as an issue for Ever So Lucky.

“The rail is not a bad spot if you have a horse with some speed,” Sheppard said. “I think Leparoux will be able to get him out of there fine.”

KENTUCKY OAKS TRAIL FOR CUSTOMER BASE BEGINS WITH THE GOLDEN ROD – Glen Hill Farm’s Customer Base is unbeaten on synthetic surfaces in her young career, but she moves to traditional dirt for Saturday’s 68^th running of the $150,000-added Golden Rod (Grade II) at Churchill Downs in hope that the race will be a first step on a trail to next spring’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks (GI).

“If she can get lucky and win Saturday then she’ll be nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, which is what I want because if she runs well then we’ll definitely point that way with her,” trainer Tom Proctor said.

Customer Base was a winner on debut over synthetic Polytrack footing at Del Mar and improved her record to a perfect two-for-two with a 1 ½-length victory over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface. The only poor effort in her career came Customer Base drew post 13 in a bid for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII) on Nov. 4.  She finished 11^th of 14 fillies that day behind the victorious Stephanie’s Kitten.

“She ran so well over the Polytrack that I decided to put her in the Juvenile Fillies Turf,” Proctor said. “I wasn’t sure if she’d like the turf or not, but honestly I still don’t know because she lost all chance with a bad trip. Her pedigree says she can run on the turf or the dirt.”

A 2-year-old daughter of Lemon Drop Kid, Customer Base was installed as the 7-2 second choice for the Golden Rod by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

“If she likes the dirt then she’ll be tough in there,” Proctor said. “I don’t know why she wouldn’t. She’s trained well over it and is doing really good.”

While the Kentucky Oaks is the primary long-term goal for Customer Base, Proctor has a backup plan for his filly if things don’t go as planned Saturday.

“If she doesn’t run well then I’ll take her to Tampa Bay and get her ready for the Florida Oaks (at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Feb.4),” Proctor said.

Customer Base will break from post eight in the field of 11 under leading-rider Julien Leparoux. Post time for the Golden Rod, the co-featured event on the Stars of Tomorrow II program, is 4:42 p.m.

WHO’S HOT – The hottest jockeys over the last five racing days (Nov. 17-23) are Corey Lanerie (8-for-44) and Julien Leparoux (7-for-29). Nick Zito (3-for-4), Eddie Kenneally (3-for-6), Ken McPeek (3-for-9) and Mike Maker (3-for-13) are the hottest trainers over the same period. Carolyn Wilson (2-for-2) and Ken and Sarah Ramsey (2-for-8) are the hottest owners.

BARN TALK – Arena Elvira, winner of Thursday’s Falls City Handicap (GII) at Churchill Downs, exited the race in good order, according to assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy. The 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper will be given some time off before she begins a 5-year-old campaign. …

The second and third-place finishers in the Falls City, Afleeting Lady and It’s Tea Time, also came out of the race well.  No firm plans are in place for either filly, but both are expected to run next year. …

A reminder that a memorial service for the late trainer Robert Holthus will be held Saturday, Nov. 26 at 10:30 a.m. (EST) at Christ Chapel on the Churchill Downs backside. 

Churchill Downs will host a “Stache Bash” on Saturday during the races to honor and celebrate all of the Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who participated in Movember. Churchill Downs will donate $1 per attendee who is sporting a mustache to the Movember Foundation with a minimum guaranteed pledge of $5,000 given through the Churchill Downs Foundation. The day’s festivities will include between-race live music by popular Cincinnati-based My Sister Sarah in the paddock area and Happy Hour drink specials from 3-5 p.m. …

Churchill Downs will offer free admission to all fans on Sunday, Nov. 27, the closing-day of the 2011 Fall Meet. Also, be sure to bring the kids out to see Santa Claus, who will be in the Paddock Pavilion on Sunday.

WORKTAB – Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Tapizar, winner of the Sham (GIII) in January and fifth to Caleb’s Posse in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) in his most recent start, breezed five furlongs on the fast main track at Churchill Downs on Friday morning in 1:03.20 for trainer Steve Asmussen. The work was the 11^th fastest of 17 at the distance. …

Also working for Asmussen on Friday morning was Thiskyhasnolimit, winner of the Texas Mile (GIII) in April. Owned by Mark Wagner and Bob and Cathy Zollars, the 4-year-old son of Sky Mesa breezed five furlongs in 1:05.40.

Augustin Stable’s Ever So Lucky, a dazzling winner in his Churchill Downs debut, and WinStar Farm LLC’s Gemologist, perfect in two outings at Turfway Park and Churchill Downs, put their spotless racing records on the line Saturday as the promising colts head a field of 11 2-year-olds entered for Saturday’s 85^th running of the $150,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II), the co-featured event on the Stars of Tomorrow II program devoted to juvenile runners at Churchill Downs.

The Kentucky Jockey Club, run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, shares Saturday’s Stars of Tomorrow II marquee with the $150,000-added Golden Rod (GII), a race at the same distance for fillies.  Named in honor of the holding company that operated Churchill Downs at the time of the race’s inaugural running in 1920, the Kentucky Jockey Club will be run as race 11 with a scheduled post time  5:12 p.m. (all times EST).  Post time for the day’s first race is 12:40 p.m.

Trained by steeplechase legend Jonathan Sheppard, Ever So Lucky made the much-discussed date of 11.11.11 at Churchill Downs extra memorable with an impressive 3 ¼ length romp under jockey Julien Leparoux in his 6 ½-furlong racing debut. The son of Indian Charlie, the $600,000 sale topper in May at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic auction at Maryland’s Timonium, will break from the rail post under Leparoux in the Kentucky Jockey Club.  Ever So Lucky, a supplemental entry to the race at a cost of $7,500, was installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite by oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

Gemologist, a son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow trained by Todd Pletcher, reeled off strong victories in his racing debut at Turfway Park and an allowance race at the Kentucky Jockey Club distance on the Stars of Tomorrow I program that kicked off the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.  Those efforts prompted Battaglia to install Gemologist as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line and Gemologist will break from post nine under jockey Javier Castellano.

WinStar Farm and Pletcher won the 2009 Kentucky Jockey Club with Super Saver, who returned to Churchill Downs the following spring to win the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).  The Derby victory by Super Saver was the first for both WinStar Farm and Pletcher.

Despite the star power of the favorites, the Kentucky Jockey Club is far from a two-horse race as the field includes the  promising New York invader Cyber Secret and stakes veteran Optimizer.

Another unbeaten colt,  Gary and Mary West Stables’ Cyber Secret make his stakes debut in the Kentucky Jockey Club on the heels of a 6 ½-furlong maiden win over a muddy surface on Oct. 20  at New York’s Belmont Park.  Trained by Chad Brown, the Kentucky-bred son of Broken Vow will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan in his stakes debut.  Cyber Secret drew post five and is the 6-1 third choice in Battaglia’s Kentucky Jockey Club morning line.

Bluegrass Hall LLC’s Optimizer, a 2-year-old of English Channel and the 8-1 fourth choice in the Kentucky Jockey Club, which will make his second consecutive start over the main track at Churchill Downs after competing over grass and synthetic surfaces in his first three outings. Trained by Hall of Famer and four-time Kentucky Jockey Club winner D. Wayne Lukas, Optimizer finished eighth behind unbeaten Hansen after breaking from the outside post in a field of 13 in the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.   Prior to his Breeders’ Cup run, Optimizer won his debut on the Saratoga turf and was the runner-up to State of Play over the same surface in the With Anticipation (GII).  Lukas’ colt also ran third to Dullahan in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (GI) over Keeneland’s Polytrack.

Optimizer will break from post six under Robby Albarado, who won the 1999 renewal of the Kentucky Jockey Club with Captain Steve.

Other stakes veterans in Saturday’s race include Thomas Conway and Mike Maker’s Mr. Prankster and Silverton Hill LLC’s Fine.

Mr. Prankster, trained by co-owner Maker, was the runner-up to longshot Big Wednesday in the $150,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial over the synthetic Tapeta surface on Oct. 1 at Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle Downs.  The son of It’s No Joke, a 10-1 shot in the Kentucky Jockey Club morning line, drew post four and will have Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Edgar Prado in the saddle.

The Bret Calhoun-trained Fine was a distant runner-up to Hansen in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile and fourth to Motor City in Churchill Downs’ Iroquois (GIII).  Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride the son of Flatter, who is a 20-1 risk in the morning line and will break from post seven.

The field for the Kentucky Jockey Club, from the rail out (with trainer, jockey and morning line odds), is as follows: Ever So Lucky (Sheppard, Leparoux, 5-2), Africanist (Eddie Kenneally, Corey Lanerie, 10-1), Timely Tally (Ian Wilkes, Calvin Borel, 10-1), Mr. Prankster (Maker, Edgar Prado, 10-1), Cyber Secret (Brown, Bridgmohan, 6-1), Optimizer (Lukas, Albarado, 8-1), Fine (Calhoun, Hernandez, 20-1), Atigun (Ken McPeek, Manny Cruz, 10-1), Gemologist (Pletcher, Castellano, 3-1), Seve (Dale Romans, Mark Guidry, 20-1) and Saint Honore (Nick Zito, Jesus Castanon, 12-1).    

Headed by unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade I) and Eclipse Award champion Uncle Mo, 364 3-year-old Thoroughbreds have been nominated early as prospects to contest the 2011 renewals of the three classic races that make up American horse racing’s Triple Crown.

The first of those spring classics – the 137th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) – is set for Saturday, May 7, at world-famous Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., followed on May 21 by the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes (GI) at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and the 143rd Belmont Stakes (GI) on June 11 at New York’s Belmont Park. The early nomination period, during which each nomination costs $600, closed on Saturday, Jan. 22. A late period for nominations – at $6,000 each – will conclude on Saturday, March 26.

This year’s early nomination total is just two less than last year’s early total of 366.  Six horses were made eligible for the Triple Crown series during last year’s late nomination period, which raised the final total of 2010 nominees to 372.

Aside from being the leader in the 2011 class of 3-year-olds, Uncle Mo, owned by New Yorker Mike Repole, has a chance to give trainer Todd Pletcher back-to-back victories in the $2-million Kentucky Derby, America’s most coveted race. Pletcher notched his long-awaited first Derby win last year with WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver. Overall, the five-time Eclipse Award winner has saddled 28 Kentucky Derby starters.  Uncle Mo’s dominant 4 ¼-length victory in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs made Repole’s colt the early favorite for the 2011 Derby.

The list of Triple Crown nominees includes 15 of the 20 horses ranked atop the 2010 Experimental Free Handicap, an annual performance rating of the year’s most accomplished 2-year-olds. Uncle Mo, currently stabled in Florida, heads that group, which also includes fellow East Coast stars To Honor and Serve, winner of the Remsen (GII), and Champagne (GI) winner Boys at Tosconova; West Coast stars Comma To The Top, winner of the CashCall Futurity (GI), and Jaycito, who took top honors in the Norfolk (GI); and Del Mar Futurity (GI) victor J P’s Gusto, now training in Arkansas after moving from his former Southern California base.

Four fillies are among the 364 nominees.  The female contingent is headed by Turbulent Descent, who was unbeaten in three races at two and runner-up in her 2011 debut in the Grade I Las Virgenes at Santa Anita.  Two Triple Crown races have been won by fillies in the past five years: eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra took the Preakness in 2009 and Rags to Riches won the 2007 Belmont Stakes. Three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby, with Winning Colors being the most recent in 1988.

A mild surprise in this year’s early roster of Triple Crown nominees is the list includes only six horses from Europe.  Trainers Jeremy Noseda, with three nominees, and Clive Brittain, with one, carry the hopes of Great Britain.  Irish training star Aidan O’Brien has a pair of nominees.

Notably absent from the roster nominating owners is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s powerful Godolphin Racing.  The Dubai-based operation usually nominates several prospects during the early phase, but Godolphin representatives have informed Triple Crown officials that the stable will wait until after the March 26 UAE Derby at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse to decide if any of its horses would be nominated to the 2011 series.

“The impressive roster of nominees to the Triple Crown provides proof that the desire to achieve horse racing’s ultimate dream of a Kentucky Derby win and Triple Crown sweep of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes is as strong as ever,” said Don Richardson, senior vice president of Racing for Churchill Downs.  “Despite a difficult economy, a reduction in annual foal crops and other challenges to our horse industry, the Triple Crown’s early nominations are basically flat with last year’s total.  That’s a wonderful show of faith on the part of the international group of owners and trainers that have nominated horses to this year’s races.  We appreciate their support and anticipate a thrilling and memorable Triple Crown series in 2011.”

Pletcher leads the list of nominee numbers for the second straight year, but shares 2011’s top spot with Hall of Famer and three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert.  Both nominated 20 3-year-olds to the Triple Crown. Steve Asmussen, who is searching for his first Kentucky Derby victory but has a pair of wins in the Preakness, is alone in the next spot on the trainers’ list with 17 nominations, and filling out the top five are Hall of Famers and multiple Triple Crown race winners D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito, both with 12 nominations. Also posting double-figure nomination totals are Kiaran McLaughlin with 11 and Mike Maker with 10.  McLaughlin and Maker are seeking their first victories in Triple Crown races.

Other Hall of Fame trainers represented by nominees include Bill Mott with seven; Neil Drysdale and Richard Mandella, each with four; Shug McGaughey with three, and Carl Nafzger and Jonathan Sheppard, each with one.

Darley, another arm of Sheikh Mohammed’s worldwide racing operation, leads the ownership bracket with 13 nominees, followed by the partnership of Klaravich Stables and W.H. Lawrence and Zayat Stables, both with eight Triple Crown prospects.  Westrock Stables nominated six 3-year-olds, while Robert LaPenta, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Stonestreet Stables and Michael Tabor each nominated five prospects.

Bursting on the scene as leading sire is 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini with 18 progeny on the list, far outrunning the rest of the pack. Second among the leaders is another young sire, Tapit, with 13. Third on the list is 2010 Triple Crown sire leader Distorted Humor, who sired 10 of this year’s nominees.  He is followed closely by Dynaformer, Indian Charlie and Lemon Drop Kid, each with nine.

The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975, and accumulated earnings in prestigious graded stakes races along the “Road to the Triple Crown” have determined the field for the 1 ¼-mile classic since 1986.  The field for the Preakness, the 1 3/16-mile second jewel of the Triple Crown, is limited to 14 starters, while Belmont Stakes, the “Test of the Champion” and finale of the series at 1 ½ miles, permits a maximum field of 16 horses.

A Triple Crown sweep – one of the most difficult feats in all of sports – has been accomplished on just 11 occasions: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1942), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978). Fifty other horses have finished one win shy of the honor.

The 2010 Triple Crown yielded different winners for all three races, although WinStar Farm owned and bred two of the winners.  WinStar’s Super Saver, trained by Pletcher and ridden by Calvin Borel, won the Kentucky Derby.  Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman’s Lookin At Lucky, trained by Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia, won the Preakness on his way to earning an Eclipse Award that honored the colt as America’s 3-year-old champion.  WinStar collected a bookend Triple Crown victory when Drosselmeyer, another homebred, won the Belmont Stakes for trainer Mott and jockey Mike Smith.  The Belmont victory was Mott’s first Triple Crown win..

The current 32-year streak without a Triple Crown winner is the longest in the history of the series.  The previous record was a 25-year gap between the Triple Crown earned by Citation in 1948 and Secretariat’s stunning sweep in 1973.

Jockey Garrett Gomez was shaken up in a spill Thursday afternoon at Churchill Downs when he was thrown from his mount, Indy Bouquet, in the sixth race, a one-mile event for maiden fillies and mares on the grass.

Gomez, who is named to ride in eight of the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races at Churchill Downs this Friday and Saturday, including Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Blame in the $5 million Classic on Saturday, was conscious after the mishap and transported to Norton Audubon Hospital for observation.

Ron Anderson, Gomez’s agent, said the rider complained of discomfort in his right shoulder.

“They took an x-ray and the results came back negative,” Anderson said. “We are in the process of heading home now. Garrett is fine and in good spirits and he will ride Friday.

“Garrett said the filly warmed up good and everything looked fine. She just took a bad step. He said it had nothing to do with the course. It was just an unfortunate accident.”

Indy Bouquet, a 3-year-old filly who had two previous starts for WinStar Farm, sustained a compound fracture of the left front cannon bone and was euthanized.

Sports fans and entertainment seekers with thoughts of attending this year’s Kentucky Derby could get a chance to purchase general admission tickets for a discounted price if promising colt Super Saver wins his next start on Saturday.

Churchill Downs officials plan to offer a $5 discount on Kentucky Derby general admission tickets on Saturday, March 13 from approximately 6 p.m. to midnight (all times Eastern) if 2-1 morning line favorite Super Saver triumphs in the Grade III, $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby.

Kentucky Derby general admission tickets are currently on sale at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com for $40. If Super Saver wins, tickets will be reduced by $5 (12.5%) at the online box office to $35. The window of opportunity for the exclusive online offer will be only six hours.

Many pundits consider WinStar Farm’s homebred Super Saver to be one of the most promising 3-year-old prospects for this year’s $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 1.

Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby will be Super Saver’s first start since winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs last November. Trainer Todd Pletcher has secured the riding services of jockey Ramon Dominquez. They will break from post position No. 6 in the field of seven 3-year-olds.

The Tampa Bay Derby will run as Tampa Bay Downs’ 11th race on Saturday at approximately 5:30 p.m. If Super Saver wins, the Kentucky Derby general admission sale will commence at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com until midnight once the race is declared official.

Tickets must be purchased with a Visa credit or debit card. Minimal ticket processing charges will apply. This offer is exclusive to Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com; no sales will be made in person or by submitting letters, e-mail or telephone calls to Churchill Downs.

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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WinStar Farm’s Super Saver rolled to a five-length victory over William’s Kitten in stakes-record time to win the 83rd running of the $191,250 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (Grade II) for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Calvin Borel, Super Saver covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:42.83 to eclipse the stakes record of 1:43.14 established by Captain Steve in 1999.

Borel sent Super Saver right to the lead and ran unopposed through fractions of :23.33, :46.75 and 1:11.43.  Approaching the top of the stretch, Worldly and Activity Report ranged up on the outside of Super Saver but never struck the front as Borel let out another notch on Super Saver.

Super Saver widened his margin in the stretch to give Borel his third victory in the race and fourth victory of the afternoon.

The victory was worth $113,832 and increased Super Saver’s career bankroll to $171,232 with two victories in four starts. Super Saver is a Kentucky homebred son of Maria’s Mon out of the A.P. Indy mare Supercharger.

Super Saver returned $6.80, $4.20 and $3.40. William’s Kitten, ridden by Miguel Mena, returned $6 and $4.40 with Worldly finishing another 4 ½ lengths back in third under Francisco Torres and paying $6 to show.

Earlier on the closing-day program, Michael Bruder and Frank Jones Jr.’s Lost Aptitude romped to a 5 ¼-length victory over Thunder Perfect in the $60,255 Grand Canyon for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Ridden by Jon Court for trainer Dale Romans, Lost Aptitude led every step of the way in completing the distance over firm going in 1:42.69. The victory was the second straight at Churchill Downs and third in five starts overall and increased Lost Aptitude’s earnings to $87.840.

Lost Aptitude returned $6.40, $4 and $3.40. Thunder Perfect, ridden by Borel, paid $10.80 and $5.60 with Cat Park finishing third another 1 ¾ lengths back under Gabriel Saez and paying $4.60 to show.

Borel’s four victories enabled him to tie Julien Leparoux for the leading rider title with 27 victories each. It was the third title for Borel and the sixth for Leparoux.

Steve Asmussen, who sent out 17 winners during the meet, won his fourth Fall Meet leading trainer title and sixth overall. Asmussen has saddled 354 winners at Churchill Downs, fifth-best all time. Romans, who saddled two winners on Saturday, was second with 16 victories.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey collected their 16th leading owner title with nine winners at the meet. The title was the fourth consecutive meet title for the Ramseys, who own eight Spring Meet and eight Fall Meet titles, both seasonal records.

POST-RACE QUOTES – THE KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB

CALVIN BOREL, jockey of SUPER SAVER, winner:
    “He’s (Super Saver) an awesome colt. I talked to Todd (Pletcher) and he told me the main thing was to try and get this one to change leads a little earlier. I made him switch leads in the turn and he really turned it on again. He ran really fast. I think he is just a good racehorse. When I picked him up at about the sixteenth pole he just broke away again.”
    Q: How does it feel to pick up another riding title at Churchill? “Well it looks like I need to win one more. Isn’t that how it goes? To be number one you have to break number one. I had some really live mounts in today. The one (Brown Eyed Baby) for my brother (Cecil Borel) looked very live, and I thought I had a chance to pick up a couple here and there. I came into today feeling very good about my chances.”

TODD PLETCHER, trainer of SUPER SAVER, winner (via telephone): “It was a big effort from him. You know, he’s a colt that’s shown a lot of promise from early on and he’s starting to put things together. Obviously, it was his first time two turns and first Grade II performance. I was little concerned that the fractions were fast but (jockey) Calvin (Borel) is riding so well right now you’ve got to trust a guy’s judgment when he’s in the zone like he is.
    “It’s very exciting to have a well-bred colt that’s good-looking with all the tools and obviously getting better as the year goes along. It’s very, very exciting to have one like that. He’ll go to Palm Meadows on Tuesday and we’ll get him settled in there. I’ll talk to (racing manager) Elliott (Walden) and come up with a game plan on what we’ll do. Obviously, we’ll freshen him up and point for something in the spring.”

KENNY TROUTT, co-owner of SUPER SAVER, winner: “Oh was that exciting. This is what horse racing is all about. Just to be a part of it is exciting. Breaking the stakes record, now that’s big. We were very worried about the first two fractions (:23.33 for the first quarter mile and :46.75 for the half) and thought we were in a whole lot of trouble. But Calvin (Borel) had a lot of horse left. He knew it and went on with it. This is a great time of year to have a good 2-year-old and getting ready to be back here next year.”

MIKE MAKER, trainer of WILLIAM’S KITTEN, second: “I wish he’d gotten a little help on the front end.  Lone speed is tough to handle and the winner ran a big race. But we were happy with the way he handled the dirt and finished up.”
Q: What is your plan for him after this? “We’ll point for the Derby and work our way back.”
Q: Did you think at any point that William’s Kitten would get there? “On the turn I was thinking I might have had a shot at it, but he (Calvin Borel) let him out and he left us.”

MIGUEL MENA, jockey on WILLIAM’S KITTEN, second: “He ran good.  There was a pretty fast pace early and my horse was a little far back, but that’s the way my horse wants to run.  He made a really nice move from the three-eighths pole to the wire, but got beat by a really nice horse.  My horse has a lot of promise and is going to be a nice, nice horse.”

PAUL McGEE, trainer of WORLDLY, third: “I was happy with my horse, because I thought he was beat at the eighth pole and he dug in.  For one thing, there wasn’t any beating the winner.  So to be third, I was happy.”

FRANCISCO TORRES, rider on WORLDLY, third: “He ran big.  There’s plenty of room for improvement on this horse.  He’s immature, but today he showed a lot of guts because he kind of pressured the winner.  There was no beating the winner today.  After the winner kicked on, a lot of horses would get discouraged – but not him.  He kept digging in.”

SCOTT BLASI, trainer of THISKYHASNOLIMIT, sixth as the favorite: “The winner was very impressive in a fast time today.  We’re not taking anything away from him.  If we’d had a little smoother trip we might have been third at best.”
Q: You were pretty far back – did you have hopes at any point? “They were going fast – plenty fast to be able to make up ground into that pace.  They went 23-and-46 – that’s racehorse time.”

ROBBY ALBARADO, rider on THISKYHASNOLIMITE, sixth as the favorite:
Q: Did you have any traffic troubles? “Just a little – I finally did get out, but he just sustained his pace and never really accelerated for me.  But aside from that turning for home, I had a great trip.  It just wasn’t there today for him.”

SUPER SAVER MAKES TWO-TURN DEBUT IN KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB – The field for Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (Grade II) is now assembled at Churchill Downs, with WinStar Farm’s Super Saver being the last to arrive.

Michael Dilger, who oversees trainer Todd Pletcher’s string at Churchill Downs, hopes the Belmont Park shipper can be the first to finish in Saturday’s “Stars of Tomorrow II” co-feature and add a bright ending to a frustrating Fall Meet.

“I’d like to leave here with more than two wins,” Dilger said of a meet that also has featured seven runner-up finishes from 28 starters. “Five would be real nice.”

Super Saver arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday. It was Dilger’s first time working with Super Saver.

“He didn’t make the Delaware Park cut,” Dilger said with a laugh referring to where he kept a Pletcher string this summer and fall. “This will get him a chance to go two turns and he’s by Maria’s Mon and he’s already had a (Kentucky) Derby winner (Monarchos in 2001).”

Calvin Borel, who rode John C. Oxley’s Beethoven to victory in last year’s Kentucky Jockey Club, has the mount on Super Saver on Saturday. Super Saver is listed as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.

  Super Saver, fourth in his stakes debut in the Champagne (GI) at Belmont Park on Oct. 10, is not the only promising 2-year-old under Dilger’s care in Pletcher’s Churchill Downs barn.  One of those is Rule, a homebred son of Roman Ruler also owned by WinStar.  While the rest of the barn begins to ship to Florida early next week, Dilger will remain at Churchill Downs with Rule.

“He’s going to the Delta Jackpot (GIII), the $750,000 race at Delta Downs next Friday,” Dilger said. “I will stay here with the one horse until Wednesday. He’ll train that morning and then leave about 8 a.m. for Louisiana.”

Rule won the ungraded Jean Lafitte by nine lengths on Nov. 6 at Delta Downs in track-record time of 1:37.45 for the mile.  He has a career record of 2-1-1 in four races.

In addition to Super Saver, the Pletcher barn has four other juveniles entered in races on Saturday’s racing card.

Dilger said on Friday morning that Team Valor International’s Unbridled Belle came out of her third-place finish in Thursday’s Falls City Handicap (GII) in good order.   The Falls City was the final race for the Grade I-winning daughter of Broken Vow. “She left this morning for Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm, which was a little ironic,” Dilger said. John Sikura, who is president of Hill ‘N” Dale, is co-owner of Falls City winner Serenading.

UPPERLINE READY FOR TEST RUN AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Upperline could have stayed in Louisiana to make her initial start on a dirt after launching her career with three outings on Polytrack. Instead, she traveled to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s 66th running of the Golden Rod Stakes (GII).

  “There is not a lot for 2-year-old fillies down there right now,” said Joe Sharp, assistant to trainer and part owner Mike Stidham.

But what about the $500,000 Delta Princess (GIII) next Friday at Delta Downs?

“She was nominated here and, based on her works at the Fair Grounds and the way she handled the dirt, we came here,” Sharp said of Upperline, who turned in a trio of solid works on Fair Grounds’ dirt course. “If it turns out she handles the dirt fine here and runs well, you will know where you are when you come in next spring.”

Upperline, whose ownership team also includes Stone Farm, John Adger and Oak Crest Farm, debuted at Arlington Park with a victory at seven furlongs. She came back in August to run second in Arlington’s Top Flight to She Be Wild, who went on to win the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Santa Anita.

Stidham, who is scheduled to be here Saturday, took Upperline to Keeneland from Chicago and the daughter of Maria’s Mon scored a two-turn allowance win as the favorite defeating Golden Rod rival Vivid Colors.

E.T. Baird, who was aboard for the Keeneland victory, has the mount Saturday.

THANKSGIVING WINNER MOON TOWN BOUND FOR MALIBU AT SANTA ANITA – Thanksgiving Day turned out to be a banner day for the Melnyk Racing Stable of Eugene Melnyk and trainer Ken McPeek as they combined to send out two eye-catching winners in the 2-year-old Carrington Village and 3-year-old Moon Town.

“Moon Town is headed to the Malibu,” said Billy Wright, assistant to McPeek on Friday morning in reference to the $300,000 Grade I race for 3-year-olds over Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface on Dec. 26. “He is flying out Tuesday morning along with Dream Empress, Best Lass and Indianapolis.”

The 3-year-old, an easy winner in one-mile allowance race on turf, will be one of 13 horses that McPeek will have in training in Southern California.

Moon Town, a homebred son of Speightstown, had posted two impressive victories over the Polytrack at Keeneland prior to Thursday’s win in the 10th race.

“The only time he had been on grass before yesterday was in the pasture,” Wright said. “We expected him to be on the lead yesterday, but a bunch of them went out there and Kent (Desormeaux) just waited and kept him in the clear.”

Moon Town won by 5 ¼ lengths in an effort that was nearly a carbon copy of the debut of Carrington Village, another Melnyk homebred, under Desormeaux two races earlier on the holiday card.

Carrington Village, a gelded son of El Corredor, broke last in the field of 12 and was 22 lengths off the lead at the first call of the race. He was still next to last with a quarter-mile to go in the six-furlong test, but Carrington Village shot by the field to win by a comfortable 3 ¼ lengths.

“We have no plan yet for him,” Wright said. “We will look at him today. Maybe he will go to Gulfstream Park with me.”

The two victories allowed McPeek to reach a Churchill Downs milestone. With Moon Town’s score, McPeek reached 250 victories at the track.  He is the 18th trainer to have reached that level.    

BARN TALK – Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner and “Horse of the Year” contender Rachel Alexandra left Churchill Downs at 5:30 on Friday morning headed to the Fair Grounds in New Orleans according to Scott Blasi, assistant to leading trainer Steve Asmussen. Undefeated in eight starts in 2009, Rachel Alexandra returned to light training on Monday after having seven weeks off after returning from Saratoga where she defeated older males in the Woodward (GI) in her most recent start on Sept. 5.

    Joseph Sutton’s Warbling, who overcame a bad start to improve her record to 2-for-2 on Thursday with a head victory, proved she can handle dirt as well as Polytrack. “She lost her footing coming out of the gate sideways,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said of Warbling, a 3-year-old daughter of Unbridled’s Song who won her debut by 7 ½ lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 30. “She’ll go to Florida and you’ll probably see her go in a stake soon. She’s a nice filly.”

It has been said that “good things come to those who wait,” and the adage was never more true than Thursday when Walking the Beach won the 12th race in his debut by 1 ½ lengths. “That was kind of the reason we stayed here, to run him and Indygo Mountain,” said Dennis “Peaches” Geier, assistant to trainer Bret Calhoun. “We thought he was pretty special the whole time and he ran like we thought he would.” Cobra Cooper Racing (Ted Cooper) owns Walking the Beach, a son of Medaglia d’Oro for whom he paid $325,000. “The owner is a great guy and he usually buys one horse a year for $200,000 or $300,000,” Geier said. “He hasn’t had a lot of luck, but I told him yesterday that he’d be getting a lot of calls (about selling the colt) and he said not to worry, he’s not selling.” Walking the Beach will spend the winter in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds along with Indygo Mountain, who was scheduled to make his return to the races from a February injury in Friday’s 10th race. “He acts like he’s ready,” Geier said.

Julian Leparoux concluded his stay at Churchill Downs for the Fall Meet with three victories Thursday, including a win aboard Serenading in the Falls City Handicap (GII). Leparoux, who will be riding this weekend in the Japan Cup in Tokyo, completed the meet with 27 victories and increased his career total at the track to 405. His Thanksgiving Day performance moved his past Earlie Fires (403) and into 14th place all time beneath the Twin Spires. Calvin Borel rode one winner to boost his meet total to 23. Borel is named on nine mounts Friday and 12 on Saturday,

Borel is looking for a fast finish to allow him to claim his third Churchill Downs riding crown after a pair of previous Fall Meet championships.  Should Leparoux hang on to his lead despite missing 24 races on Friday and Saturday, he would increase his collection of riding crowns at the home of the Kentucky Derby to six.  He has earned two consecutive Fall Meet titles and three of the past four Spring Meet titles.

WORK TAB – Tom McCarthy’s Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner General Quarters, gearing up for a 4-year-old campaign after missing the last half of 2009 recovering from injury, worked five furlongs in 1:04.80 over a fast track.  General Quarters finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby (GI) and ninth in the Preakness (GI).

After two days off and a 9 ½-hour van ride from Baltimore, Kentucky Derby (Grade I) winner Mine That Bird returned to the track at Churchill Downs for a light jog on Tuesday.
    Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s gelded son of Birdstone had regular exercise rider Charlie Figueroa in the saddle as he headed to the track around 7:15 a.m. (all times EDT).  It was Mine That Bird’s first trip to the track since his runner-up finish to the Kentucky Oaks-winning filly Rachel Alexandra in Saturday’s Preakness.  
    Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. said Mine That Bird jogged one mile the wrong way over a “fast” surface.
    “He went good, he looked good,” Woolley said.  “He was bucking and playing a little, so we’re in good shape I think.”
    Woolley said Mine That Bird would on gallop on Wednesday as the Kentucky Derby winner continues his preparation for the $1 million Belmont Stakes (GI), the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown.  There is no set schedule for Mine That Bird’s next work.
    The trainer’s phone continues to ring with offers from agents of jockeys who hope to pick up the mount on Mine That Bird for the Belmont Stakes.  Mike Smith, who rode Mine That Bird in the Preakness, cannot ride because of a previous commitment in California.  Calvin Borel, who was aboard for his 50-1 upset in the Derby, is committed to ride Rachel Alexandra, but her status for the Belmont Stakes (GI) has not been decided by majority owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen.
    Woolley said he would discuss the issue with Mine That Bird’s owners and they hope to have a decision in “a couple of days.”
    The runner-up finish in the Preakness improved Mine That Bird’s career record to 5-2-0 in 10 races and lifted his earnings to $2,011,581.
    Meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra walked under Asmussen’s shedrow on her second day back at Churchill Downs following her historic win in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
    Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to return to training on Wednesday.  Asmussen said the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro would go to the track with his second set of horses around 6:15 a.m.
    Her Preakness victory marked the sixth consecutive win for Rachel Alexandra, who has a record of 8-2-0 in 11 races with earnings of $1,618,354.

KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDER ADVICE WORKS – WinStar Farm’s Advice, winner of the Coolmore Lexington (GII), turned in his first serious training move since his 13th-place finish in Kentucky Derby 135 when he worked four furlongs around the dogs on Tuesday at Churchill Downs.
    The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Chapel Royal had exercise rider Kevin Willey in the saddle as he covered the distance on “firm” turf in :50.80.  The move ranked fifth out of seven at the distance on the Matt Winn Turf Course.
    Among the possible near-term options for Advice would be a run in the $150,000-added Jefferson Cup (GII) on the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) undercard on June 13.
    Other stars who worked on the Matt Winn Turf Course on Tuesday include three-time Louisville Handicap (GIII) winner Silverfoot.  The 9-year-old son of With Approval breezed six furlongs in 1:15.40 as trainer Dallas Stewart guides the veteran toward his 2009 racing debut.
    Demarcation, a dead-heat winner of last fall’s River City Handicap (GIII) for trainer Paul McGee, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80, which tied for second among eight works on the turf at that distance.
    Tuesday workers on the “fast” main track included Silverton Hill’s 2007 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Dominican, who covered four furlongs in :47.80.  The quick move was the second-fastest of 33 at the distance.
    Keep the Peace, who figures to be among the favorites in the upcoming $100,000 Winning Colors (GIII) for older fillies and mares, breezed a half-mile for trainer Eddie Kenneally in :47.40, which was the fastest work of the day at the distance.
    Be Fair, fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (GI) for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, breezed four furlongs in 1:01, which was the third-fastest move at the distance.
    Golden Yank breezed a half-mile in :51.

Keep tabs on your favorite Kentucky Derby 135 contender through Churchill Downs, as we offer daily updates on the training, workouts, and preparations of all the Derby hopefuls!

ADVICE / DUNKIRK / JOIN IN THE DANCE – At Churchill Downs, assistant trainer Mike McCarthy had two of trainer Todd Pletcher’s candidates for the 135th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) out for exercise early on a beautiful morning beneath the Twin Spires.

With the first set, shortly after the track opened at 6 a.m., Join in the Dance and exercise rider Kevin Willey took a mile and three-eighths tour of oval, galloping along in the dark with only a few other Thoroughbreds joining them on the mile oval.

At about 6:30, Willey switched tack to Advice and took him roughly the same distance. They had more company on the big strip for their leg-stretching just as daylight began to arrive on the scene.

Pletcher was scheduled to fly from Florida on Sunday and oversee Derby preparations for Join in the Dance and Advice, which will include works for each on Monday. Advice is slated to work a half-mile and Join in the Dance will breeze five furlongs.

Meanwhile, at Palm Meadows training center in Florida, another Pletcher charge – this one being the $3.7 million dollar yearling sales purchase Dunkirk – went back to the track for a light jog following his five-furlong drill in 1:01.05 on Saturday.

“He came out of that work in great shape,” Pletcher said. “His energy level was good this morning and we’re pleased with where he is.”

Dunkirk will ship to Louisville by air Monday.

Pletcher also will work Take the Points five furlongs after the break Monday. The Even the Score colt has $85,000 in graded stakes earnings and would need a couple of defections from the list of Kentucky Derby probables to secure a starting gate slot.

CHOCOLATE CANDY – Chocolate Candy ambled to the racetrack Sunday morning at 7 o’clock under exercise rider Lindsey Molina, stopping along the way to take in the scene, eyes bright and ears pricking.

“He’ll get there, one of these days,” stable overseer Galen May said with a smile, knowing that his big, easy-going son of Candy Ride liked to take his time about going about his business.

Chocolate Candy did, in fact, make it to the track in fairly short order and go for a good gallop of a mile and a half. Molina nodded when he walked off into the six-furlong gap. “He’s doing good,” she said.

May noted that trainer Jerry Hollendorfer would be in from his Northern California headquarters later Sunday and would no doubt be at the barn early Monday morning to call the shots for Chocolate Candy’s final major work heading toward Kentucky Derby 135 on Saturday.

“He’ll probably go out early,” May said. “Jerry likes to get things done as soon as he can.”

May, who for 31 years ran the testing barns at the Northern California tracks before “retiring” in 2003 and signing on as Hollendorfer’s “head traveling lad,” noted that this was his fourth trip to the Derby in that role.

“Eye of the Tiger (fifth in 2003) was my best finish so far,” May said. “But this colt – he’s special. He might be able to do better."

DESERT PARTY / REGAL RANSOM – The Godolphin duo of Regal Ransom and Desert Party walked the shedrow at Barn 41 a day after putting in five-furlong works.

Henry Spiller, an assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said both colts came out of their works well and would return to the track to jog in the morning with Regal Ransom going out first at 6 o’clock and followed soon after by Desert Party.

The duo posted the fastest works of 30 at the distance on Saturday with Regal Ransom going in :59.20 and Desert Party in :59.60. Exercise rider Bob Chapman handled both works.

Both colts broke their maidens in their first attempts with Regal Ransom debuting at Saratoga and Desert Party at Arlington Park. Alan Garcia, who rode Regal Ransom in his first two starts and partnered him again to victory in the UAE Derby (Grade II), has the Derby riding assignment on that colt. Ramon Dominguez will get a leg up for the first time on Desert Party in Derby 135.

FLAT OUT – Oxbow Racing’s Flat Out has been injured and is off the Kentucky Derby trail.

Trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey said a precautionary exam performed at Lexington’s Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Equine Clinic on Saturday revealed a stress fracture in the colt’s shoulder.  Flat Out, winner of the Smarty Jones Stakes this January at Oaklawn Park, will be sidelined “about four months,” Dickey said.

Flat Out stood 22nd on the graded earnings list and would’ve needed a couple of defections to make the field for Derby 135.

FLYING PRIVATE – Robert Baker and William Mack’s Flying Private galloped under exercise rider Taylor Carty.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has enlisted the services of Robby Albarado for Kentucky Derby 135, said Flying Private will work “Monday or Tuesday.”

FRIESAN FIRE – Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm’s Friesan Fire galloped a mile and a half under trainer Larry Jones after the renovation break.

Jones plans to work Friesan Fire five furlongs on Monday after the renovation break with jockey Gabriel Saez up.

“We just want him to go out and come back good,” Jones said when asked what he was looking for on Monday. “I’d just like to see him get over the track without a lot of effort.”

Friesan Fire will work in blinkers in the morning.

“He’s looking around now and the last two days he has not been focused,” Jones said. “Hopefully the blinkers will help.”

Friesan Fire’s final works before his three races at Fair Grounds this year ran the gamut, but the end result was always the same: a stakes victory.

“His work before the LeComte (:48.60 for a half, second-best of 69) was the first time Gabe got on him,” Jones said. “Before the Risen Star (1:04.40 for five furlongs), people thought it was too slow and before the Louisiana derby (:58.20 for five furlongs), people thought it was too fast.”

Jones is following a similar pattern with Friesan Fire as he did two years ago with Hard Spun, who would finish second to Street Sense in Derby 133. Hard Spun worked a mile at Keeneland in 1:42.40 on April 23 before shipping to Churchill Downs and then worked five furlongs in :57.60  on April 30. Friesan Fire worked a mile in 1:39.60 at Keeneland on April 19.

“I think he’ll work well, but not like Hard Spun did,” Jones said. “They are different types of horses. I just don’t want him going in 1:04 after seven weeks off.”

Immediately after the Friesan Fire work tomorrow, Jones and Saez will return to the track to work Kodiak Kowboy for Vinery and Fox Hill. Winner of the Grade I Carter in his most recent start on April 4, Kodiak is being pointed to Saturday’s $250,000 Churchill Downs (Grade II) at seven furlongs.
     
GENERAL QUARTERS – Former Louisville high school principal Tom McCarthy, owner/trainer of this year’s Toyota Blue Grass (Grade I) winner, did not hand out any demerits or discipline Sunday, but rather waited patiently for exercise rider Julie Sheets to arrive at Barn 37. General Quarters, however, was not as patient, pulling McCarthy’s son, Tom, around the barn with high energy and eventually going back into his stall before teaming with Sheets and heading to the track.

General Quarters showed much more spark than in recent days, but relaxed nicely as he was hand led to the track by the elder McCarthy. Once into his 1 ½-mile gallop, it was clear that the son of Sky Mesa was feeling fresh. Said McCarthy as his colt cruised by, “He’s full of himself today. Easy Julie!”

“We only gave him a lackadaisical five-eighths work to keep some fire in the tank,” McCarthy said trackside, referring to last week’s workout, which was intended to be the horse’s last before the Derby. “Apparently, there’s plenty of gas still in there.”

If General Quarters remains this fresh, McCarthy said that he could give the colt a blowout later this week “if we need to take the edge off.”

Julien Leparoux will have the mount in the Derby. His first time getting a leg up on General Quarters will be when they call for “riders up.”

“That’s nothing new,” McCarthy said. “Julien rides a lot of horses that way. We’ll go over a few things right before the race.”

HOLD ME BACK – WinStar Farm’s Hold Me Back closed out his serious training for Kentucky Derby 135 by working five furlongs in company in 1:01.60 under three-time Kentucky Derby-winning rider Kent Desormeaux.

Working before 7 a.m., Hold Me Back reeled off fractions of :13,:25.20, :37.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.80 while working in company with Flying Warrior. The move was the 13th-fastest of 24 at the distance over a track rated as “fast.”

Hold Me Back broke off about a length and half behind Flying Warrior at the five-eighths pole, caught up to his workmate at the head of the stretch and moved by before the eighth pole.

“I thought the work was very good,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He was under a hold the whole way and finished well on his own. He appeared to handle the track very well and that is a good sign. Kent said he still wanted to gallop out after a mile.”

Hold Me Back’s lone race on a dirt track resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Grade II Remsen at Aqueduct to close out his 2-year-old campaign.

“He had trained well there, but he just didn’t show up that day,” Mott said. “He was immature at the time and I am willing to give him the benefit of doubt. He trained well on dirt before and has since.”

I WANT REVENGE – Wood Memorial (Grade I) winner I Want Revenge stayed on edge with a two-mile open gallop around the fast main track Sunday morning. Regular exercise rider Joe Deegan was aboard. I Want Revenge was scheduled to school in the paddock before the first race Sunday.

“He went really well this morning,” said trainer Jeff Mullins, who arrived on the Derby scene Saturday night from California. “We plan to breeze him on Tuesday, either a half or five-eighths, I haven’t decided yet.”

The colt by Stephen Got Even, who will be one of the favorites on Saturday, has breezed the last two Tuesdays at Churchill Downs, getting a half-mile in :50 flat on April 14, and five furlongs in 1:01.60 on April 21.

I Want Revenge, owned by the partnership of David Lanzman, IEAH Stables, Charles Winner and Puglisi Racing, has won his past two starts, the Grade III Gotham and Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Joe Talamo, who has been aboard in all the colt’s victories, has the mount Saturday.

MINE THAT BIRD – With his final major Kentucky Derby 135 workout looming Monday morning, Mine That Bird turned in an easy 1 ¾ miles Sunday, jogging a quarter-mile and “loping about a mile and a half,” trainer Chip Woolley said. Mine That Bird, last year’s Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s top juvenile colt, is scheduled to work at 8:50 a.m., but that time could be pushed back a few minutes given the busy schedule of jockey Calvin Borel.

“He’s working the big mare (Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra) at 8:30 and then my horse at 8:50,” Woolley said. “We’ll work five-eighths and I want to see him finish. I’d like to see something in about a minute-and-one (fifth); something that won’t kill him, but show he’s sharp. The main part of the work I want to see is how he does down the lane.”

Woolley is among a sizable list of Kentucky Derby rookie trainers this year, but they follow great company in recent history. Five of the past six Derbies have been won by trainers making their debut in the race (Barclay Tagg, John Servis, John Shirreffs, Michael Matz and Rick Dutrow).

MR. HOT STUFF – WinStar Farm’s Mr. Hot Stuff worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita on Sunday morning and will board an airplane for Churchill Downs on Monday with Kentucky Derby plans on his agenda.

Trainer Eoin Harty oversaw his charge’s drill in California and termed it “a nice, easy move.”

“We didn’t ask him to do too much today,” the transplanted Irishman said. “He just went about it in good fashion and finished up well. He’ll fly tomorrow.”

The brother to Colonel John, the sixth-place finisher in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, will be stabled in Barn 41.
Harty, who was flying to Louisville himself Sunday, said rider plans still have not been finalized for Mr. Hot Stuff.

“We’re still working on it,” he said. “We’ll have one by Wednesday morning.”

Entries for Kentucky Derby 135 will close at 10 a.m. on Wednesday with the order of post position selection starting at 12:04 p.m. and the actual post position selections beginning at 12:15 p.m.

MUSKET MAN – The day after working five furlongs in 1:01.60, Musket Man had an easy morning Sunday, walking under the Barn 41 shedrow.

Trainer Derek Ryan said he will bring Musket Man up to the Derby with daily gallops, and has scheduled a session at the gate for Wednesday.

This is the first Derby for Ryan, who trains primarily at Monmouth Park in New Jersey during the summer and Tampa Bay Downs in the winter. Musket Man came into prominence by winning the Pasco Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby (Grade III) this winter, and then added to his resume by taking the Illinois Derby (Grade II) at Hawthorne in his most recent start on April 4. The colt has won five of six career starts.

This will be the third Derby mount for jockey Eibar Coa, who finished fifth on Eye Of The Tiger in 2004, and fourth on Tale of Ekati last year.

Eric Fein, who owns the horse in partnership with Vic Carlson, has a starter in the Derby for the second straight year. He made the big show last year with Big Truck, who finished 18th.

PAPA CLEM – No news was good news around the barn of the Arkansas Derby (Grade II) winner, one day after he worked seven furlongs in 1:29.20. The Gary Stute trainee was given an easy morning walking the shedrow and is scheduled to walk for a second straight day Monday before returning to the track Tuesday.

Rafael Bejarano will ride Papa Clem on Saturday in search of his first Derby score. A leading jockey in California and Kentucky, Bejarano’s best Triple Crown race finish was his second-place run aboard Andromeda’s Hero in the 2005 Belmont Stakes.

PIONEEROF THE NILE – Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) winner Pioneerof the Nile was out early on the racetrack Sunday for a mile and a half gallop under exercise rider George Alvarez.

“He went good,” Alvarez said enthusiastically afterward. “He’s doing really well. He couldn’t be doing any better. I gallop him in California, too, and this is the best he’s felt."

Pioneerof the Nile, an Empire Maker colt, will partner with two-time Eclipse Award winner Garrett Gomez in Derby 135 and is scheduled for his final major breeze Monday morning.

QUALITY ROAD – “Tinges” of blood appeared twice on the pesky right-front quarter crack of potential Kentucky Derby favorite Quality Road on Sunday morning as trainer Jimmy Jerkens, hoof specialist Ian McKinlay and owner Edward Evans continue to race against the clock. All in all, it was an eventful Belmont Park morning for the Florida Derby (Grade I) winner, who galloped 1 ¾ miles after McKinlay outfitted him with an acrylic patch and drain.

After galloping sound and going over the ground well under exercise rider Juan Moreno, Quality Road returned to the Jerkens barn with a “tinge” of blood seeping from the newly patched quarter crack.

“Everything had been stabilized,” McKinlay said. “When I changed the wires today, the crack opened up a bit during the process. A bit of sensitive tissue was aggravated. Hopefully tomorrow when he breezes there won’t be a tinge of blood.”

The Quality Road camp will press on toward Monday’s scheduled workout over the Belmont training track. If the son of Elusive Quality is to travel to Churchill Downs on Tuesday and be entered in the Run for the Roses on Wednesday, he’ll have to pass Monday’s 9:20 a.m. test with flying colors. The six-furlong breeze will determine his Derby fate.

“He has to work to our liking and come out of it perfect,” Jerkens said. “If he takes one bad step anywhere, forget it. I would have liked to have seen no blood (this morning), but it didn’t surprise me because he was still tender.”

“It’s not a soundness issue,” McKinlay said, adding, “He is well on the mend. This is live tissue; we’re not changing a flat tire. There are a lot of judgment calls.”

Quality Road’s original right-hind quarter-crack patch has held perfectly and has not been problematic. Still, the latest set-back looms over his Derby 135 .

“I’m optimistic it’s going to work out,” Evans said.
-- NYRA notes writer Jenny Kellner contributed to this report.
 
SQUARE EDDIE – Following a mile and one-half gallop around the big Churchill Downs oval, Square Eddie put it in drive for exercise rider Tony Romero and drilled four furlongs in :50.20 Sunday morning.  The son of Smart Strike broke off  at the three-eighths pole and finishing up at the seven-eighths, with a solid gallop-out around the clubhouse turn.

The move was accomplished shortly after the morning renovation break at approximately 8:30 with trainer Doug O’Neill, along with his brother Dennis, in the grandstand overseeing the exercise. The O’Neills arrived Saturday evening and are signed on to stay through Derby 135 on Saturday.

Clockers timed the move with the following early splits -- :12.80, :25, :37.60 – then a gallop-out time 1:03.20.

“I thought it was an awesome work,” Doug O’Neill said afterward. “We’re very pleased with it. We know we’re asking a lot of this horse, but we think he’s up to it. Obviously, when you want a horse to come back in two weeks (off his third-place finish in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 18) following a three-month break in his racing schedule (his prior start was the San Rafael at Santa Anita on Jan. 17) to run in a race as tough as the Kentucky Derby, you’re asking a lot. The only way you could do that is to think you’ve got a ‘super’ horse. And in our minds that’s what he is – a ‘super’ horse.”

The trainer indicated that Square Eddie would get a day off tomorrow and merely walk the shedrow, followed by a jog day Tuesday, gallop days Wednesday and Thursday, then jogs on Friday and Saturday as his final preparations for the Run for the Roses.

Corey Nakatani will get a leg up on Square Eddie in Derby 135 next Saturday, the first time he’s handled the Canadian-bred, who’ll be making the ninth start of his career and first on a pure-dirt surface.

SUMMER BIRD – Summer Bird, a son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, jogged two miles around the Churchill strip Sunday morning with jockey Chris Rosier aboard.

Trainer Tim Ice was on hand to supervise the exercise after traveling to Lone Star Park Saturday to saddle runners in two stakes. Affirmed Truth ran third in the Richland Stakes, while Catmantoo finished out of the money in the Texas Mile, both with Rozier aboard.

This is the first Derby experience for Ice, a 34-year-old Ohio native who went out on his own just this year after serving as assistant to Morris Nicks, Cole Norman and Keith Desormeaux.

“To make it here to the Derby in my first year as a trainer is extraordinary,” Ice said Sunday while watching Summer Bird graze behind the barn. “Just extraordinary. I’m thrilled to be here.”

Summer Bird, a good-looking chestnut, has had just three lifetime starts, his only win in maiden company at Oaklawn Park on March 19. He went right from that race into the Grade II Arkansas Derby, where he finished a fast-closing third behind Papa Clem and Old Fashioned.

Summer Bird’s final breeze, six furlongs in 1:15 4/5 on Friday, was dismissed by some observers as too slow, but the trainer was satisfied.

“He got what he needed out of the work,” Ice said. “He’s looking and acting really well. I look for him to run good Saturday. He won’t disappoint me no matter what he does.”

The colt was bred by his owners, the husband-wife team of Drs. K.K. and V. Devi Jayaraman. They had a Derby starter in 1989, when Irish Actor ran seventh behind Sunday Silence.

WEST SIDE BERNIE – West Side Bernie who had his final Derby breeze on Saturday, just walked under the shedrow Sunday morning.

“He cooled out well, and he’s got the right demeanor today,” said trainer Kelly Breen, who is experiencing his first Derby. “He ate good, and he’s acting good. That’s all I can ask.”

The son of Bernstein, a $50,000 yearling purchase by Breen on behalf of George and Lori Hall, breezed a half-mile in :48.20 Saturday with jockey Stewart Elliott aboard. In his most recent start, West Side Bernie ran second to I Want Revenge in the Grade I Wood Memorial.

WIN WILLY – Win Willy, a red-roan son of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, had a busy Sunday morning, schooling at the gate and then galloping a mile and a half around the Churchill Downs oval.

Trainer Mac Robertson, who will be participating in his first Derby, is still at Canterbury Downs, bedding down a large string of horses that will race there this summer. His wife, Cyndi, a veterinarian, was on hand Sunday to supervise preparations with the aid of groom Luis Moldonado and exercise rider Elias Lopez.

“Mac will work him either Monday or Tuesday,” Cyndi said. “Whatever day he gets here, the horse will have his final breeze.”

Win Willy took the Grade II Rebel at Oaklawn Park, with Old Fashioned more than two lengths behind, but then finished fourth behind that rival in the Arkansas Derby. He has not worked yet at Churchill Downs since shipping in from Arkansas.

The colt is owned by Jerome and Marlene Myers, who campaign as the Jer-Mar Stable, and was a $25,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland.

The 35-year-old Robertson got his start on the racetrack working for his father, trainer Hugh Robertson, who campaigns at the Chicago-area tracks.