LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Charlie LoPresti all but confirmed a Kentucky Derby Day appearance by the reigning Horse of the Year early Monday from Keeneland, saying that “unless something unforeseen happens,” Wise Dan will run Saturday in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.
“It’s sure looking like it,” LoPresti said. “Obviously, we’ll monitor everything up to race day, but he is really sharp right now. If things stay the same, we’ll run. All systems are go.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky -- The likely field for the 139th Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs came into sharper focus Monday, when trainer Bob Baffert finally made it official that neither Govenor Charlie nor Code West would run, trainer Todd Pletcher decided to pass the race with Winning Cause, owner Stephen Young said Tiz a Minister would not travel from California, and trainer Mike Maker added Fear the Kitten to the prospective line-up.
[bc_video_id:290780:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When it came to this year’s Kentucky Derby workouts, they saved the best for last.
The majority of the final Derby works were already in the books by the time the racetrack opened for training Monday morning at Churchill Downs. Only one important piece of business remained, a final breeze from Florida Derby winner Orb, who delivered all that everybody expected and then some.[:slideshow-right:]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Shrug held off a determined Devil in Disguise to win the $50,000 George Royal Stakes by a head at Hastings on Sunday.
Shrug ($6.90) broke sharply with Frank Fuentes aboard and was allowed to set leisurely fractions of 22.84 and 46.21 seconds in the 6 ½-furlong feature. Devil in Disguise stalked the early pace, made a strong move on the stretch turn but couldn’t get past Shrug. Commander, who went off as the 6-5 favorite, was pinned down on the rail for most of the trip and finished third.
The final time was 1:16.59.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Rafael Bejarano and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer were at it again at Betfair Hollywood Park on Sunday.
A day after teaming to win two stakes on Saturday, Bejarano and Hollendorfer won Sunday’s top race, the $100,500 Wilshire Handicap for fillies and mares on turf with Halo Dolly.
Sent off as the second choice, Halo Dolly ($8) was always near the pace, took the lead in early stretch, and won by 1 1/2 lengths over 14-1 Long Face for her first win since the Miss America Stakes at Golden Gate Fields last October.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario— A pair of longshots, Acting Naughty and Starship Universe, duked it out in Sunday’s $152,200 Whimsical Stakes, and when the smoke cleared, Acting Naughty prevailed by a head in the Grade 3 sprint at Woodbine.
Owner Stephen Young and trainer Paul Aguirre will decide on Monday whether Tiz a Minister, who finished third in Saturday’s $300,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, will make a quick turnaround in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Aguirre has reserved a spot on a horse transport plane to Kentucky for Tiz a Minister on Tuesday. He said on Sunday that he will rely on Young to make the final call.
[DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with odds and video]
Sunday afternoon was a pleasant one for owner Charles Fipke, who learned that his 3-year-old colt Golden Soul is likely to secure a starting berth in the Kentucky Derby, and then watched his 4-year-old filly Munnings Sister win the Gold Princess overnight stakes at Belmont Park.
[bc_video_id:290689:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Saturday’s workout mayhem led to a relatively calm Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, where a couple of Kentucky Oaks workers stole most of the thunder, at least temporarily, from this year’s Kentucky Derby field.
With half the prospective Derby lineup having worked on Saturday, many of those drills moved forward 24 hours because of weather and track considerations, only Code West breezed on Sunday and afterwards his status as a Derby starter was deemed “very unlikely” by trainer Bob Baffert.
