Churchill Downs Barn Notes: 5/02

By Darren Rogers —-

DERMA SOTOGAKE, SUN THUNDER PUT
IN HALF-MILE WORKS FOR DERBY 149
LOUISVILLE, KY (Tuesday, May 2, 2023) – Two entrants
for Saturday’s 149th running of the $3 million Kentucky
Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) put in half-mile
works on a sunny Tuesday morning beneath the Twin Spires at
Churchill Downs.
First to work during the 7:30-7:45 training window
reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses was Hiroyuki
Asanuma’s Derma Sotogake (JPN) who covered the four
furlongs in :49.60 under Masatoshi Segawa.
Following him was R. T Racing Stable and Cypress
Creek Equine’s Sun Thunder. With jockey Brian
Hernandez Jr. aboard, Sun Thunder was timed in :47.80.
Hiroaki Arai’s Mandarin Hero (JPN), who is an also eligible for the Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:05.60 with
Yuji Horita aboard.

ANGEL OF EMPIRE/HIT SHOW/JACE’S ROAD,
VERIFYING – Trainer Brad Cox split his four Kentucky
Derby contenders up for training Tuesday morning. Albaugh
Family Stables’ Angel of Empire and Westerberg, Mrs.
John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B Tabor’s
Verifying went out at 5:15 a.m., while Gary and Mary West’s
Hit Show and West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh
Family Stables’ Jace’s Road went out at 7:30 a.m. All four
galloped once around. Cox said they also will school in the
starting gate Wednesday morning.
Albaugh Family Stables is returning to the Kentucky Derby
for the first time since they were the co-owners of Thousand
Words in 2020. They return as sole owner of Arkansas Derby
winner Angel of Empire and co-owner of Jace’s Road.
“We were talking last night at dinner that since the
Arkansas Derby, it’s been the longest four weeks of our life,”
said Jason Loutch, the racing manager of Albaugh Family
Stables. “It’s all you think about, the excitement and trying to
get here. Now that that we are here, it’s really starting to hit us.
We’re excited for Saturday.
“I’m really happy. To have two runners is a huge
accomplishment for our stable. The way Angel came out of the
Arkansas Derby, Brad (Cox) thinks he’s doing even better than
before that race. Gives us a lot of optimism, but it’s all about
getting the right trip. We like our post positions.”

CONFIDENCE GAME – Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and
Ocean Reef Stables’ Confidence Game stayed in the barn
and walked the shedrow Tuesday and then schooled in the
paddock at 10:15 a.m., while his trainer Keith Desormeaux
went to Keeneland to oversee his horses there.

CONTINUAR – Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd.’s Continuar
(JPN) galloped a mile under Kazunari Yoshida after
warming up in the mile chute during the first harrow break of
the morning.
Continuar, who will be ridden in Derby 149 by Ryusei
Sakai, drew post 20 for Saturday’s Run for the Roses.
“I’ve been getting the outside draw in a lot of big races
lately,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi said. “I feel like I am cursed. It
isn’t a good draw at all, but there is only so much we can do.”

DERMA SOTOGAKE – Hiroyuki Asanuma’s Derma
Sotogake (JPN) warmed up in the mile chute during the first
harrow break of the morning and then breezed a half-mile in
:49.60 with Masatoshi Segawa aboard.
Trained by Hidetaka Otonashi, Derma Sotogake will be
ridden in the Derby by Christophe Lemaire. Derma Sotogake
drew post 17 for the Derby.
“I think from the outside he will be able to take a decent
position keeping an eye on the whole field in the early stages.
He broke quickly from the gate the other day, so I think it
won’t be a problem,” assistant trainer Masanari Tanaka said.

DISARM – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Disarm had a
scheduled walk day at trainer Steve Asmussen’s Barn 38
Tuesday morning following his half-mile move in :49.20
Monday.
Disarm will break from post 11 in Saturday’s Kentucky
Derby.
“He’s a very durable horse and I think the best is yet to
come from him,” Asmussen said. “I think it’s very obvious
that the major players in this year’s race lack a lot of early
speed. I see a lot of jockeying in the first eighth of a mile. So
I’m very curious what will happen in the early stages of the
race.”

FORTE/KINGSBARNS/MAJOR DUDE/TAPIT
TRICE – The Todd Pletcher Derby trio of Forte,
Kingsbarns and Tapit Trice went trackside during their usual
exercise time as part of the Derby/Oaks special training period
from 7:30 to 7:45 at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning.
Each of the trio galloped about a mile and three-eighths
with their usual exercise riders aboard. That mean Hector
Ramos handled Forte, Elder Flores was up on Kingsbarns
and Amelia Green was aboard Tapit Trice.
Their Hall of Fame conditioner took it all in, then marched
with them back to his Barn 39.
The threesome drew well at Monday’s Derby Draw session.
Race favorite (3-1) Forte will start from Post 15 with Irad
Ortiz Jr. in the tack. Second choice (5-1) Tapit Trice drew
Post five (Luis Saez), while Kingsbarns (12-1) and Jose Ortiz
are right alongside in Post six.
“They’ll all paddock school this afternoon,” Pletcher noted.
“They’ll be in with the horses from the sixth Race.”

LORD MILES –Vegso Racing Stable’s Wood Memorial
(GII) winner jogged one-mile Tuesday morning at Churchill
Downs.
Lord Miles drew post 19 in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
MAGE – Trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. sent the Florida
Derby (GI) runner-up to Forte out for a gallop with regular
exercise rider J.J. Delgado. Javier Castellano will ride the son
of Good Magic, owned by OGMA Investments LLC,
Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH,
out of the No. eight post position. He’s 15-1 on the morning
line.
“So far, so good,” said assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado
Jr. “He definitely likes the cooler weather than it is in Florida.”
Mage will gallop each day heading into the Derby, with
maybe a “higher tempo” exercise on Wednesday. He’ll get
some schooling in the starting gate on Thursday.

PRACTICAL MOVE/REINCARNATE – Following a
pattern he set from right after he shipped to Churchill Downs
last Saturday from California, trainer Tim Yakteen split his
Kentucky Derby workers into an early one (Practical Move at
5:20 a.m.) and a later one (Reincarnate at 7:30 during the
special Derby/Oaks training session) on a sunny Tuesday
morning Louisville morning. That split allows exercise rider
Baltazar Contreras to pilot each horse.
Both trainer and rider were happy with the mile and a
quarter gallops the horses put in.
Yakteen also noted that his charges would visit the
paddock during racing in the afternoon. That was scheduled to
happen with the horses for today’s 2nd Race.

RAISE CAIN – Andrew and Rania Warren’s Raise Cain
jogged two miles under Rene Morales for trainer Ben
Colebrook and schooled in the paddock after training hours.
Raise Cain arrived at Churchill Downs Monday morning
from Colebrook’s main base at Keeneland. The Violence colt’s
appearance on the track this morning was not his first beneath
the Twin Spires.
“He had his debut here, if you could call it that,”
Colebrook said of the eighth-place finish in a 6 ½-furlong
sprint. “He was so laid back and the light bulb had not gone
on yet.”
Raise Cain, fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most
recent start, drew post 16 for the Derby and will be reunited
with Gerardo Corrales, who rode him in his first three starts.

ROCKET CAN – The Into Mischief colt, owned by Frank
Fletcher Racing Operations, was back to galloping with
regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona after Sunday’s fivefurlong breeze for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Junior
Alvarado will ride Rocket Can, listed at 30-1 on the Derby
morning line.
Rocket Can drew the No. 18 post position, the same spot
from which Mott trainee Country House left the starting gate
in 2019. Country House was declared the Derby winner by
disqualification.
“I’m fine with it,” Mott said the morning after the draw.
“You never know what a good post really is. You can have a
bad trip from a good post. So I’m happy to be out there.”

SKINNER – As he did Monday in his first day on the track,
trainer John Shirreffs took his Derby charge Skinner to the
Churchill oval at 9 a.m. with a pony alongside and exercise
rider Donnie Balthazar in the tack. They walked and jogged
from the six-furlong gap to the paddock where the bay Curlin
colt took a tour, then headed back to the track for a solid mile
and one-half gallop out in the middle of the big strip
“He’s settled in nicely and looked good galloping today,”
his conditioner offered.
Skinner drew Post nine for Saturday’s $3 million Kentucky
Derby and will be handled for the first time by California’s
leading rider, Juan Hernandez.

SUN THUNDER – Trainer Kenny McPeek had his colt
breeze four furlongs Tuesday morning, under jockey Brian
Hernandez Jr., who will ride him in the Derby.
With blinkers on, after starting off in :24, the R.T Racing
Stable and Cypress Creek Equine colt was clocked for the four
furlongs in :47.80, before finishing up five furlongs in 1:01.40.
“It was just a maintenance half for him,” McPeek said.
“Brian was happy with him. He was going evenly, that’s what
we wanted.”
Sun Thunder and Hernandez will leave the Derby starting
gate from post position 13. He’s listed at 50-1 on the Derby
morning line.
Since 1995, McPeek has had eight Derby starters, with his
best finish coming home second in his first try. Tejano Run
finished 2 1/4 lengths behind longshot Thunder Gulch.
“I finished second in that race. So if you had asked me how
28 years later I still hadn’t won it, you’d have to ask the
question, how did that happen,” McPeek said. “It takes a
certain amount of things lining up. You’ve gotta have the right
horse, the right luck, the right jockey … a lot of things have
got to come together.”

TWO PHIL’S – Exercise rider Gonzalo Gonzales took Two
Phil’s out for another spin on Tuesday, galloping 1 1/4 miles
for the second straight day since arriving from Hawthorne.
“He was good,” Gonzales said. “He was a little nervous
when we began, but once we got on the other side where there
was more traffic, he was relaxed and liked his time standing
there watching everything. He’s been steadily improving
(throughout the winter and spring).”
Trainer Larry Rivelli and jockey Jareth Loveberry were
on hand to watch the Patricia’s Hope, Phillip Sagan, and
Madaket Stable’s Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) winner stretch his
legs. Two Phil’s will break from post four in the Derby.
“It looks like the closers all drew to his outside, so as long
as he breaks well, we’re in a good spot, and they can come
down and get behind him,” Rivelli said.
“It looks like I’ll be able to find a good trip,” Loveberry
said. “My horse has tactical speed. I don’t mind where we’re at
all. We’ll have a good shot to track behind the two speed
horses who drew to each side.”

ALSO-ELIGIBLES – Cyclone Mischief (No. 21),
Mandarin Hero (No. 22) and King Russell (No. 23) all
officially entered the Kentucky Derby on the also-eligible list.
Hiroaki Arai’s Mandarin Hero warmed up in the mile
chute during Tuesday morning’s first harrow break and then
worked five furlongs in 1:05.60 under Yuji Horita.
Following the work, the Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up
visited the gate and the paddock.
Mandarin Hero is trained by Terunobu Fujita.

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE
AFFIRMATIVE LADY – AMO Racing USA’s Affirmative
Lady put in her first on-track appearance Tuesday morning by
galloping a mile and a half under Kevin Lundie for trainer
Graham Motion.
“I couldn’t be any happier with her,” Lundie said of
Affirmative Lady, who drew post 13 for Friday’s Oaks. “But
she is going to have to run the race of her life.”
Affirmative Lady will be reunited in the Oaks with Hall of
Fame rider John Velazquez, who was aboard for her first
three starts. Velazquez won the 2021 Oaks on Malathaat.
Winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her most
recent start, Affirmative Lady is scheduled to have a trip to the
starting gate Wednesday as well as a paddock schooling
session.

AND TELL ME NOLIES – Peter Redekop’s And Tell
Me Nolies was reunited with regular jockey Ramon
Vazquez, who was aboard the filly for her 1 ¼-mile gallop
Tuesday during the 7:30 a.m. training time set aside for
Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders.
Vazquez, who has seen his career skyrocket since moving
to the tough Southern California circuit after the Oaklawn
meet ended last May, has been aboard And Tell Me Nolies for
all seven of her career starts, including his first American
Grade I in the Del Mar Debutante last August. He earned his
second Grade 1 this spring aboard Practical Move in the Santa
Anita Derby. And Tell Me Nolies will be the first Oaks mount
for the native of Puerto Rico, while Practical Move will be his
first Derby mount.
“I’m excited,” Vazquez said. “I feel amazing to be here.
And, grateful for the opportunity.”
After finishing a disappointing eighth in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies (GI) last fall, And Tell Me Nolies earned her
way into the Oaks by finishing second in the Santa Ysabel
Stakes (GIII) and the Santa Anita Oaks (GII).
“She’s doing good,” Vazquez said. “She’s galloping good.
She’s getting better and better. Before she would get so
nervous and be sweaty. Now, she’s much more relaxed.”

BOTANICAL, THE ALYS LOOK, WET PAINT –
Trainer Brad Cox split his three Oaks fillies up this morning,
sending The Alys Look out with his first set and Botanical
and Oaks morning line favorite Wet Paint out at 7:30 a.m.
The Alys Look, with exercise Luis Hernandez, went out
at 5:15 a.m. with stablemates Angel of Empire and Verifying,
who are running in the Kentucky Derby, and galloped 1 ½
miles.
Wet Paint, with exercise rider Edwin Vargas, and
Botanical, with exercise rider Fernando Espinoza, also
galloped 1 ½ miles when they went to out to train.

DEFINING PURPOSE – At the time reserved for Oaks
and Derby horses, the Ashland Stakes (GI) winner stepped
onto the track Tuesday with regular exercise rider Shelby
Spalding aboard for a gallop of about a mile-and-threeeighths.
On Monday, the filly, who races in the silks of Magdalena
Racing, Collette Marie Vanmatre and James Ball, drew the
No. 11 post position in the field of 14. Brian Hernandez Jr.
will ride 12-1 Defining Purpose in the Oaks on Friday.
“Just a little maintenance work for her,” trainer Kenny
McPeek said. “In the Oaks, we’ve done a good job in bringing
horses up to the race. We’ve had a little bit of second-itis. But
seconds are a respectable run. Maybe this is the year.”

DORTH VADER – John Ropes’ Dorth Vader had a
routine 1 ½-mile gallop at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Ropes stated he named Dorth Vader after his wife,
Dorothy, and played into the Star Wars theme.
Her half-brother, who Ropes also owned and bred, will
also be named as a tie in to Star Wars.

FLYING CONNECTION – Brad King, Randy Andrews,
G. Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee
Lewis’ Flying Connection visited the starting gate and then
galloped a mile and a half under Oscar Rojero.
Winner of the Sunland Park Oaks (Listed) in her most
recent start, Flying Connection is scheduled to school in the
paddock this afternoon with horses in the third race.
Two-time Oaks-winning rider Florent Geroux will have
the mount Friday and exit post position 10.
“There were a few other spots I wouldn’t want,” trainer
Todd Fincher said of watching the Post Position Draw unfold
Monday afternoon.
Flying Connection is scheduled to have a walk day on
Wednesday.

GAMBLING GIRL/JULIA SHINING – Trainer Todd
Pletcher’s Oaks fillies – Repole Stable’s Gambling Girl and
Stonestreet Stable’s Julia Shining – went trackside Tuesday
morning during the special Derby/Oaks training period
between 7:30 and 7:45. Each had their usual exercise rider
attached, meaning Carlos Quevedo handled Gambling Girl
and Humberto Zamora was up on Julia Shining. They both
galloped about a mile and three-eighths.
Gambling Girl was drawn well for Friday’s 149th edition of
the Longines Kentucky Oaks, getting the post three with Irad
Ortiz Jr. scheduled to ride. They’re listed as 15-1 on morning
line.
Julia Shining remains a “hope” for the stable to make the
Oaks, but currently sits at No. 16 on the list for the 14-horse
race. She, too, was tabbed at 15-1 in the morning line and is
scheduled to have Luis Saez up if she gets to run.

MIMI KAKUSHI – Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al
Maktoum’s Mimi Kakushi jogged a mile and galloped a mile
under stable rider Xavier Ziani.
Winner of the UAE Oaks (GIII) in her most recent start
on Feb. 17 at Meydan, Mimi Kakushi is scheduled to school in
the paddock thuis afternoon with horses in the seventh race.
Winner of her past three starts, Mimi Kakushi will break
from post one in the 14-horse Oaks field.
“You can’t buy luck,” said trainer Salem bin Ghadayer,
who had hoped for a spot in the middle of the gate. “She is
not what you would call a super breaker, so she will be right
behind the speed.
“She has not had any gate issues and she will not go to the
gate this week.”

PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS – A day after drawing to the far
outside in post 14, Pretty Mischievous galloped her regular
distance of one mile and a half on Tuesday during the
Derby/Oaks training time at 7:30 a.m. Trainer Brendan
Walsh has decided to add blinkers for the Rachel Alexandrawinner’s run in Friday’s Oaks.
“I think she loses focus a little bit,” Walsh said. “She’s got
such a high cruising speed. It might be time to change things
up and add an extra dimension.”

PROMISEHER AMERICA – After arriving at Churchill
Downs safely on Sunday night, Hoffman Thoroughbreds,
Tom McCrocklin, and Medallion Racing’s Promiseher
America made her track debut on Tuesday. Foregoing the
Derby/Oaks-only training window to spend time with the
farrier, at 8:30 a.m she merged from Barn 42 outfitted in new
shoes. Accompanied by assistant trainer Rodrigo Montecino
on pony, Promiseher America jogged about one mile under
exercise rider Fernando Tapara.
“We just jogged today, let her see the sights,” trainer Ray
Handal said. “We’ll have an easy gallop tomorrow.”

SOUTHLAWN – Robert Masterson’s Southlawn had a 1
½-mile gallop Tuesday morning for trainer Norm Casse.
“She’s turned into a very kind horse in her races,” Casse
said. “I think she can be wherever the rider tells her to go and
she knows her cues when it’s time to show her best run.
Drawing inside shouldn’t be a factor because of that ability.”

WONDER WHEEL – Emerging from Mark Casse’s barn
at 5:45 a.m., Wonder Wheel took to the track on Tuesday after
Monday’s walk day. Assistant trainer David Carroll jogged the
D.J. Stable’s filly one lap around the outside rail before
leading her through an easy gallop.
In Monday’s Oaks draw, Wonder Wheel drew Post No.5–
the same position she broke from when winning the Breeder’s
Cup Juvenile Fillies. Trainer Mark Casse arrived on Tuesday.
“Great spot,” Casse said. “It’s kind of funny that Norm (son
Norm Casse, trainer of Southlawn who drew post four) and I
are next to each other. We can keep an eye on each other’s
horse. (from post five) I can see Wonder Wheel gathering
herself and getting into a nice stride. We have one of the best
riders in the world in Joel Rosario—I usually don’t try to give
too many instructions.”

ALSO-ELIGIBLE – Taxed (No. 15), Julia Shining (No. 16)
and Hoosier Philly (No. 17) all entered the Kentucky Oaks as
also-eligibles.

2023 KENTUCKY DERBY WEEK SCHEDULE
* Tuesday, May 2: 502’sDay / Live racing (First of 9 races:
12:45 p.m.; Last race: 4:55 p.m.) / KTA’s Kentucky Derby
Trainers’ Dinner at The Speed Art Museum (6 p.m.)
* Wednesday, May 3: Champions Day / Live racing (First of
10 races: 12:45 p.m.; Last race: 5:25 p.m.)
* Thursday, May 4: Thurby presented by Old Forester / Live
racing (First of 11 races: 12:45 p.m.; Last race: 6:14 p.m.)
* Friday, May 5: Kentucky Oaks Day / Live racing (First of 13
races: 10:30 a.m.; Last race: 7:00 p.m.) / Race 11: Kentucky
Oaks (5:51 p.m.) / Fillies & Lilies at Kentucky Derby Museum
(7:30-10 p.m.) / Barnstable Brown Gala (Barnstable residence)
/ Unbridled Eve at The Galt House (7:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.) /
Rockin’ Derby Eve at Paristown Hall (7:30 p.m.)
* Saturday, May 6: Kentucky Derby Day / Live racing (First of
14 races: 10:30 a.m.; Last race: 8:30 p.m.) / Race 12: Kentucky
Derby (6:57 p.m.) / Winner’s Party at Kentucky Derby
Museum (7:30-9:00 p.m.)