Kentucky Derby Update Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Churchill Downs —-

ROUTINE MORNING AT CHURCHILL
DOWNS FOR KENTUCKY DERBY AND
OAKS HOPEFULS
LOUISVILLE, KY (Wednesday, May 3, 2023) – With all of
the heavy lifting done, it was a quiet morning beneath the
Twin Spires at Churchill Downs with routine gallops and some
gate schooling the order of the day for Kentucky Derby and
Kentucky Oaks entrants.
The respective morning line favorites for the Derby and
Oaks, Forte and Wet Paint, both galloped with the former
going 1 3/8 miles and the latter a mile and a half.

ANGEL OF EMPIRE/HIT SHOW/JACE’S ROAD,
VERIFYING – Gary and Mary West’s Hit Show, West
Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables’ Jace’s
Road and Coolmore’s Verifying went to out to train at 7:30
a.m. during the special training time Wednesday, while
Albaugh Family Stables’ Angel of Empire went out in the
next set. All four Brad Cox-trained Derby contenders stood in
the starting gate and then galloped 1 ½ miles.
“Everything went really well today,” Cox said. “We stood
all four Derby horses in the gate. They stood extremely well.
They are going to school tomorrow in the paddock. They are
doing great, they really are. They stood in the gate and had
really, really good gallops after that. Hopefully everything goes
good in the paddock and we’ll do as much as we can in the
mornings. Hopefully that will translate to them being settled
and handling everything well on Saturday.”
When asked if there was a specific reason Arkansas Derby
winner Angel of Empire didn’t go out with his stablemates,
Cox said, “I wanted to stand Verifying and Hit Show next to
each other because that’s where they’ll be on Saturday, in the 1
and 2 (posts). Also, exercise rider Edvin (Vargas) rides both
Hit Show and Angel of Empire. Angel of Empire is pretty
easy. You can do anything with him. I think a 7-year-old could
probably gallop him. He’s a super cool horse to be around.”

CONFIDENCE GAME – Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and
Ocean Reef Stables’ Confidence Game returned to the
track Wednesday after walking on Tuesday and galloped 1 ¼
miles under exercise rider Alex Cano.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux is known to give his horses
two walk days a week, but called the audible to walk Tuesday
based on what he thought was best for the horse.
“His last two works were strong,” Desormeaux said. “And,
you know, the main reason is that some horses don’t rest well
in their stall if they don’t train. He’s the opposite. If you get
him out early, he does his thing. He walks 30 minutes and he
goes back in his stall and rests. He lays down, he munches on
hay, even on a walk day. He takes full advantage of it. So, I’m
like you know what? Let’s leave the track alone and let him
sleep Tuesday. He’s going to train again Wednesday. He’s
going to train again Friday and I’ll probably train him Saturday
morning early. Since the race isn’t until 6:30 or something, I’ll
get him out and blow some steam off because by that time
he’ll know what’s going on.
“He did go to the paddock, so it’s not like he was sleeping
all day. he did get out there and get pumped up. That’s also
another reason I walked. Why get him fired up twice. Onto the
paddock isn’t enough.”

CONTINUAR – Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd.’s Continuar
(JPN) spent an hour training in the mile chute.
Trainer Yoshida Yahagi said Continuar would gallop in
the morning.

DERMA SOTOGAKE – Hiroyuki Asanuma’s Derma
Sotogake (JPN) walked the shedrow in the Quarantine Barn a
day after working a half-mile in :49.60.
Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi arrived in Louisville on
Tuesday and was at the Kentucky Derby Trainers Dinner
Tuesday night at the Speed Art Museum.

DISARM – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Disarm had a light
one-mile jog Wednesday morning for trainer Steve
Asmussen.

FORTE/KINGSBARNS/MAJOR DUDE/TAPIT
TRICE – The Todd Pletcher threesome of Derby colts went
trackside at their usual time, right when the track opened at
7:30 a.m. for the 15-minute session for Derby/Oaks trainees.
They also had their usual exercise riders on their backs –
Hector Ramos on Derby favorite Forte; Elder Flores on the
undefeated Kingsbarns, and Amelia Green aboard the Blue
Grass Stakes (GI) hero Tapit Trice.
Again, the trio went through their regular exercise, which is
a mile and three-eighths in a good gallop.
“Everything is right on schedule,” Hall of Famer Pletcher
confirmed when his charges had returned to his Barn 39
headquarters. “They’ll all paddock today with the horses for
Race 6.”
Forte is owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable and
will be ridden Saturday by Irad Ortiz Jr. Kingsbarns runs in
the colors of Spendthrift Farm and will be handled in the big
one by Jose Ortiz, while Tapit Trice runs for Whisper Hill
Farm and Gainesway Stable and gets regular rider Luis
Saez.

LORD MILES –Vegso Racing Stable’s Wood Memorial
(GII) winner had a light gallop Wednesday morning at
Churchill Downs.
Lord Miles drew post 19 in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

MAGE – The Florida Derby (G1) runner-up to Forte was out
for a gallop Wednesday with regular exercise rider J.J.
Delgado.
“He’s looking really well,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr.,
assistant to trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. “He galloped about a
mile-and-a-half again, and he finished the last three or four
furlongs increasing his speed. Most importantly, when he came
back, his breathing was nearly normal, and he wasn’t breathing
hard. I think he’s going to run well.”
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.

PRACTICAL MOVE/REINCARNATE – Trainer Tim
Yakteen changed his routine with his two Derby colts
Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs. He had his gray
Sham Stakes (GIII) winner Reincarnate take the early slot at
5:20 with exercise rider Baltazar Contreras attached. Then at
7:30 during the special Derby/Oaks training period, he had
Contreras take out the big bay Practical Move.
“Just put a little variety in it for the horses,” the conditioner
said.
Reincarnate, who is owned by an extended partnership led
by Gavin Murphy’s SF Racing, galloped a mile and threeeighths before returning to Barn 27. Conversely, Pierre and
Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley’s Santa Anita Derby (GI)
winner Practical Move merely jogged a mile, an unusual move
for a Derby horse midweek coming up to Saturday’s Classic.
Yakteen was asked if everything was OK with Practical
Move. The trainer said: “Everything is fine.”
Reincarnate, who’ll have the saddle services of Hall of
Fame rider John Velazquez for the Run for the Roses, will
break from Post seven in the 20-horse lineup. Practical Move
will break from Post 10 and have Ramon Vazquez at the
controls.

RAISE CAIN – Andrew and Rania Warren’s Raise Cain
visited the starting gate and galloped a mile and a half under
Rene Morales for trainer Ben Colebrook.
Winner of the Gotham (GIII) in the mud, Raise Cain
schooled in the paddock Tuesday and will have another
paddock session Thursday.
There is rain the forecast three days out from Derby 149
and that doesn’t bother Colebrook.
“Nick Zito (Hall of Famer and two-time Derby winner
including Go for Gin in the slop in 1994) said it was going to
rain Saturday,” Colebrook said. “I’ll take that. The forecast said
60 percent (chance of rain) Friday and 40 on Saturday … oh,
now it’s 54.
“He has handled an off track and that is nothing that we
have to worry about. Some handle it better than others, but
what we need is pace.”
Gerardo Corrales has the mount Saturday and will break
from post 16.

ROCKET CAN – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had the
Into Mischief colt, owned by Frank Fletcher Racing
Operations, on the track for a gallop of about a mile-andthree-eighths with regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona.
The colt, who drew the No. 18 post position and was
issued odds of 30-1, will have Junior Alvarado aboard in the
Derby.
“All’s good,” said Mott of Wednesday’s preparations for
Rocket Can. “His gallop went well, and he practiced at the
starting gate, standing in and backing out.”

SKINNER – The bay colt Skinner followed pattern
Wednesday morning for trainer John Shirreffs and went
trackside through the six-furlong gap at 9 a.m. with exercise
rider Donnie Balthazar in the tack. The pair backtracked with
a pony to the finish line, they moved up the tunnelway to the
new paddock that has been setup for Derby 149 while the
main paddock goes through its total remake.
Skinner did his paddock tour, then returned to the main
track for a solid mile and a half gallop. The C R K Stable
runner, a close-up third in the Santa Anita Derby in his most
recent try, was full of vigor as he moved past his trainer, who
looked on from the clocker’s stand on the backside. “I liked
his energy,” the conditioner said.
Shirreffs, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with the 50-1
shot Giacomo and handled the grand racemare Zenyatta
through several championship seasons, said he wasn’t sure
whether he would have Skinner paddock with horses
Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s a matter of saving energy,” the trainer said. “That and
the fact that what he’ll see for a crowd over there today won’t
be anywhere near what he’ll encounter Saturday.”

SUN THUNDER – Following Tuesday’s four-furlong breeze
with Derby jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., trainer Kenny
McPeek had his colt walking the shedrow on Wednesday. Sun
Thunder, owned by R.T Racing Stable and Cypress Creek
Equine, was clocked in :47.80 for Tuesday’s breeze, with
blinkers on.
“Everybody’s in good order,” McPeek said.
Sun Thunder and Hernandez will exit the Derby starting
gate from post position 13. He’s listed at 50-1 on the Derby
morning line.

TWO PHIL’S – Patricia’s Hope, Phillip Sagan, and
Madaket Stable’s Two Phil’s spent an extended period on
the track on Wednesday under exercise rider Gonzalo
Gonzales. Heading out at 7:30 a.m. with the other Derby and
Oaks horses, Larry Rivelli’s first Derby horse spent around 30
minutes on the track. He stood in his usual spot along the
fence outside his Barn 1 watching all the activity, then he took
time to school in the gates before galloping his usual one 1 and
1/4 miles.
Rivelli, jockey Jareth Loveberry, and owner Anthony
Sagan looked on, reflecting on how well he has traveled to
each track. Including Hawthorne, where Two Phil’s trained but
has yet to race, Churchill Downs is his seventh stop.
“If he runs his last race he’s going to have a huge chance,”
Rivelli said. “A lot of people think it’s the Tapeta that moved
him up (winning the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park), and it
could be. If it wasn’t, he’s got a serious shot. It’s a deep and
even year this year. There’s no Justify, no American Pharoah,
which gives us a shot.”
Two Phil’s schooled on Tuesday prior of Race 1, sharing
the paddock with fellow chestnut Rich Strike, who won
Kentucky Derby 148.

ALSO-ELIGIBLES –.Trainer Dale Romans again had
Cyclone Mischief galloping on the track about a mile-andthree-eighths with exercise rider Faustino Herrarte aboard.
The colt, owned by Albaugh Family Stables LLC and
Castleton Lyons, is the first also-eligible for the Derby, and
not in the field of 20.
Hiroaki Arai’s Mandarin Hero had a walk day in the
Quarantine Barn after working five furlongs in 1:05.60 on
Tuesday.
Brereton C. Jones and Naber Racing’s King Russell
galloped a mile and three-quarters Wednesday.

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE
AFFIRMATIVE LADY – AMO Racing USA’s Affirmative
Lady had a strong 1 ½-mile gallop under Kevin Lundie and
visited the starting gate.
Trained by Graham Motion, the Gulfstream Park Oaks
(GII) winner had a paddock schooling session after training
hours.
Winner of her past two starts, Affirmative Lady is one of
four Oaks entrants to have raced at the Oaks distance of 1 1/8
miles, something she has done twice.
“The farther she goes, the stronger she gets,” Lundie said
of Affirmative Lady, who will break from post 13 under John
Velazquez. “I just hope she gets a clean trip.”

AND TELL ME NOLIES – Peter Redekop’s And Tell
Me Nolies had an easy day Wednesday, walking the shedrow
of barn 24.

BOTANICAL, THE ALYS LOOK, WET PAINT –
Trainer Brad Cox sent Botanical, The Alys Look and Wet
Paint to the track all together first set at 5:15 a.m. for their
Wednesday training and they all galloped a 1 ½ miles. All
three, led by Oaks morning line favorite Wet Paint, will school
Wednesday during the first race.
“Overall, I’m super happy with them,” Cox said. “They all
schooled in the gate a couple of days ago and did well.
Everything has been fantastic with them.”

DEFINING PURPOSE – At the time reserved for Oaks
and Derby horses, the Ashland Stakes (GI) winner again
stepped onto the track Wednesday with regular exercise rider
Shelby Spalding aboard, for a gallop of about a mile and
three eigthths.
While some humans on the backstretch didn’t appreciate
the chilly weather with gusty winds, the equines appeared to
tolerate it well.
“It’s crisp, but it feels good,” trainer Kenny McPeek said.
“Horses like it.”
McPeek said Defining Purpose is progressing to his
satisfaction ahead of the Oaks. 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 Friday.

DORTH VADER – John Ropes’ Dorth Vader had a
routine 1 ½-mile gallop at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Dorth Vader would be the first start in the Oaks for
Florida-based trainer Michael Yates.
Yates appears to be enjoying his trip to Louisville which
included a visit to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association’s
Trainer’s Dinner Tuesday night.

FLYING CONNECTION – Brad King, Randy Andrews,
G. Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee
Lewis’ Flying Connection had a regular walk day in trainer
Todd Fincher’s barn and will return to the track to gallop at
7:30 Thursday morning.

GAMBLING GIRL/JULIA SHINING – Repole Stable’s
Gambling Girl and Stonestreet Stables’ Julia Shining
flexed their equine muscles Wednesday morning at Churchill
Downs as they put some finishing touches on their
preparations for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks.
Gambling Girl, a daughter of the Mineshaft stallion Dialed
In, is assured a spot in the $1.25 million mile and one eighth.
Stablemate Julia Shining, who is by champion Curlin, remains
on the outside looking in in the 16th spot for the 14-horse
field.
Both 3-year-old fillies galloped a mile and three eighths,
with Carlos Quevedo handling Gambling Girl and
Humberto Zamora up on Julia Shining for trainer Todd
Pletcher.
Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to handle “Girl” on Friday,
while “Julia,” should she get to run, would have the saddle
services of Luis Saez.
Both fillies will paddock today with horses from Race 6.

MIMI KAKUSHI – Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al
Maktoum’s Mimi Kakushi followed her regular routine of
jogging a mile with the pony and then galloping a mile under
Xavier Ziani.
Mimi Kakushi has not raced since the Feb. 17 UAE Oaks
(GIII) and enters Friday’s Run for the Lilies off a 12-week
layoff, the longest of any Oaks starter.
“She had had a busy campaign and she got a short break
(after the UAE Oaks),” said trainer Salem bin Ghadayer,
who currently oversees 72 horses in training in Dubai. “She
got back on our program and she has been breezing every
week (prior to coming to Churchill Downs).”
Mickael Barzalona has the mount in the Oaks and will
break from post one.

PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS – Keeping to her routine,
moving well, Godolphin’s Pretty Mischievous galloped one
mile and a half on Wednesday during the designated
Derby/Oaks training time at 7:30 a.m. Exercise rider Albino
Martinez reported she is feeling good.
The Rachel Alexandra (GII) winner, who wintered in New
Orleans at Fair Grounds Race Course, took time ahead of
Race 6 on Tuesday to get comfortable in the paddock as
trainer Brendan Walsh saddled the eventual winner,
Farfellow Farm’s Fuente Ovejuna (GB).

PROMISEHER AMERICA – After arriving at Churchill
Downs safely on Sunday night, Hoffman Thoroughbreds,
Tom McCrocklin, and Medallion Racing’s Promiseher
America had her first gallop across Churchill Downs’ main
track. After jogging Tuesday, the Gazelle (GII)-winner
galloped 1 and 1/4 miles under exercise rider Fernando
Tapara.
“Fernando said she felt awesome and was looking around a
lot today,” trainer Ray Handal said. “We did all the heavy
lifting back home so I wanted to ship her in, jog, change her
shoes, and get her comfortable with her surroundings. She
galloped today and looked around a bit. She’ll gallop tomorrow
and look around less, so she’ll be relaxed on race day.”
Handal returns to Churchill Downs for the first time since
May of 2013, and he brought Kentucky Derby alumni Giant
Finish with him. Having worked for trainer Anthony Dutrow
prior to beginning his own barn, Handal was on hand for
Giant Finish’s 10th-place finish to Orb.
“Giant Finish is my pony now,” Handal said. “I saddled
him for the Derby. He’s kind of the reason I started training
(on my own) because the owners were so thrilled, and they
gave me my first two horses to start training. I kept Giant
Finish and now he’s 13, so hopefully we can make a Derby
with him around. It would be a nice way to come full circle.”

SOUTHLAWN – Robert Masterson’s Southlawn had a 1
½-mile gallop Wednesday morning for trainer Norm Casse.
Jockey Rey Gutierrez will pilot the Fair Grounds Oaks
(GII) winner in the Longines Kentucky Oaks.
“I love a rider that’s confident walking into the paddock
and I know Reylu will be,” Casse said. “I’ve never had another
trainer tell me before that they heard from my rider that they
will win a race and that’s what happened in the Fair Grounds
Oaks. I came into the paddock in the second or third race and
(trainer) Bret Calhoun came up to me and said ‘Rey told me
you’re going to win the Fair Grounds Oaks today.’ So, I’m
confident that Rey will be confident coming into the race.”

WONDER WHEEL – After arriving on Tuesday, trainer
Mark Casse was on hand for Wonder Wheel’s Wednesday
morning work. Breaking from her 5:45 a.m. routine training
time, D.J. Stable’s filly made an appearance during the Derby
and Oaks training window at 7:30 a.m. Her regular exercise
rider David Carroll guided her for a jog along the outside rail
before galloping easily twice around the track.
“She went nicely and did everything right,” Casse said.
“We’re going to conserve her energy a couple days before the
race. She’s carrying more flesh than she probably ever has.
Numbers-wise, I don’t think her race in the Ashland was as
bad as some have said. I think she got confused out there. One
problem was, and I knew I was going to run into it, but there
was two months between races (before the Ashland). I’m
thinking that maybe I didn’t do enough to get her in a
competitive mindset. The timing is much better for this.”

2023 KENTUCKY DERBY WEEK SCHEDULE
* 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.)