Kentucky Derby Update: Tuesday, April 23, 2019

By Darren Rogers —-

ANOTHERTWISTAFATE TO WAIT FOR PREAKNESS; SERENGETI EMPRESS WORKS TOWARD KENTUCKY OAKS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Tuesday, April 23, 2019) – Trainer Blaine Wright said via text Tuesday morning that Peter Redekop’s Anothertwistafate would be flying back to his home base at Golden Gate in Northern California and train there for the Preakness (GI).

Anothertwistafate finished second in the Lexington (GIII) at Keeneland April 13 to boost his point total on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard to 38, good for 23rd that meant he would need three defections from horses above him to make the Derby field of 20 that is limited to the top 20 point earners and invitees.

Wright said that Anothertwistafate would train at Golden Gate and then fly to Baltimore the week of the May 18 Preakness. Anothertwistafate earned a berth in the Preakness by winning the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate in February.

On the track at Churchill Downs this morning, Joel Politi’s Serengeti Empress worked toward a likely start in the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) by breezing five furlongs in company in :58.20 over a fast main track with Tyler Gaffalione aboard for trainer Tom Amoss. The work was the fastest of 30 at the distance.

BY MY STANDARDS – Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing Stable’s Louisiana Derby (GII) winner By My Standards had a scheduled walk day in Barn 23 at Churchill Downs following his six furlong-move in 1:12.80 Monday morning beneath the iconic Twin Spires.
“All good – just living the dream,” assistant trainer Tom Morgan said. Morgan is overseeing trainer Bret Calhoun’s shedrow along with longtime barn staple Dennis “Peaches” Geier while Calhoun attends the OBS sale in Florida.

COUNTRY HOUSE/TACITUS – Trainer Bill Mott had his two Kentucky Derby hopefuls on the track during the special 7:30-7:45 (all times Eastern) training window for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses.

Mrs. J.V. Shields, E.J.M. McFadden Jr. and LNJ Foxwoods’ Country House visited the starting gate and then galloped a mile and half with exercise rider Marianne Scherer aboard.

No rider has been confirmed for Country House, who was third in the Arkansas Derby (GI) in his most recent start.
“We are shopping around for a rider,” Mott said. “For right now it is Jockey No Boy.”

Juddmonte Farms’ Tacitus, who worked a half-mile in :50 on Monday, also visited the starting gate and then jogged a mile under exercise rider Juan Quintero with Mott alongside on his pony.

Mott also was pleased about Monday’s announcement that Royal Delta had been elected to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

“She was good and you tend to forget how good they were,” Mott said of Royal Delta, a six-time Grade I winner who captured the first of her two Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classics (GI) at Churchill Downs. “That (the Hall of Fame induction in August) will be fun.”

IMPROBABLE – A day after trainer Bob Baffert supervised a half-mile work at Churchill Downs, the colt who races for WinStar Farm and China Horse Club International and Starlight Racing had a quiet morning, walking the shedrow.

Improbable, the Arkansas Derby (GI) and Rebel (GII) runner-up, had worked four furlongs on a fast racing surface, with regular exercise rider Jose Contreras up, in 48 seconds flat on Monday. Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said, “All is well; we’re very pleased with everything.”

Barnes said there’s no decision on when Improbable’s Derby stablemates, Game Winner and Roadster, will arrive from Southern California. Baffert had said they were probably coming in April 24 or April 27.

LONG RANGE TODDY – Rebel (GII) winner Long Range Toddy had a scheduled walk day in Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s Barn 38 at Churchill Downs following his five-furlong breeze in 1:02.60 Monday. The colt is expected to return to the track Wednesday.

MASTER FENCER – Katsumi and Yasuyo Yoshizawa’s Master Fencer (JPN) was scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 1:30 p.m. CDT, according to Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby representative Kate Hunter.
Master Fencer will quarantine for a minimum of 42 hours in Chicago, then arrive at Keeneland Thursday and train Friday.

OMAHA BEACH – Fox Hill Farm’s Omaha Beach galloped a mile and a half under Taylor Cambra during the special Derby/Oaks training window.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Omaha Beach “probably would work Friday” when jockey Mike Smith is scheduled to be in town. Smith has ridden Omaha Beach to victories in a division of the Rebel (GII) and the Arkansas Derby (GI).

PLUS QUE PARFAIT – UAE Derby (GII) winner Plus Que Parfait jogged in the chute, then had a light one-mile gallop Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs.

Plus Que Parfait was once again ridden by trainer Brendan Walsh’s assistant Tom Molloy.

WAR OF WILL – Gary Barber’s Risen Star Stakes (GII) winner War of Will arrived at Churchill Downs at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to begin his major preparation for the Kentucky Derby.
Trained by Mark Casse, War of Will is stabled in Barn 36.

ALSO-ELIGIBLES – Silverton Hill’s Sueno, now No. 23 on the Derby Leaderboard, jogged two miles under exercise rider Juan Diaz for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Likely starters in the 145th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) to be run for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 4: By My Standards (jockey Gabriel Saez), Code of Honor (John Velazquez), Country House (undecided), Cutting Humor (undecided), Game Winner (Joel Rosario), Gray Magician (undecided), Haikal (Rajiv Maragh), Improbable (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Long Range Toddy (Jon Court), Master Fencer (JPN) (Julien Leparoux), Maximum Security (Luis Saez), Omaha Beach (Mike Smith), Plus Que Parfait (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Roadster (Florent Geroux), Spinoff (Manny Franco), Tacitus (Jose Ortiz), Tax (Junior Alvarado), Vekoma (Javier Castellano), War of Will (Tyler Gaffalione), Win Win Win (Julian Pimentel).
Next up in order of preference: Bodexpress (undecided), Signalman (Brian Hernandez Jr.), and Sueno (undecided) and Bourbon War (undecided).

KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE

CHAMPAGNE ANYONE – Six Column Stables and Randy Bloch’s Champagne Anyone visited the starting gate and jogged once around the main track under exercise rider Kara Lee for trainer Ian Wilkes.
Winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her most recent start, Champagne Anyone had worked five furlongs in :59.80 on Monday.

LADY APPLE – Phoenix Thoroughbred III and KatieRich Stables’ Fantasy Stakes (GIII) winner Lady Apple jogged during the exclusive training window for Derby and Oaks horses at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday with exercise rider Juan Vargas aboard.
Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for the Longines Kentucky Oaks.

LIORA – Coffeepot Stables’ Fair Grounds Oaks runner-up Liora galloped about 1 ½ miles Tuesday with exercise rider Victor Garcia up. Even though trainer Wayne Catalano was more than 300 miles away in Chicago, he followed along closely with her training through FaceTime via his assistant Taylor Johnson at Churchill Downs.
“She looked great – I can’t wait to see her when I get back in town,” Catalano said. “I haven’t been able to even celebrate my wife’s birthday that was in October. I took a couple of days, flew back to Chicago and got our barn ready up here as well.”

MOTION EMOTION – Mark DeDomenico’s Motion Emotion jogged once around the main track for trainer Tom Van Berg,
“I just let her stretch her legs a little bit,” Van Berg said of the Fantasy (GIII) runner-up who arrived here from Oaklawn Park Sunday night.
Van Berg said that Motion Emotion, who was stabled here last fall, probably would work Friday or Saturday.

OUT FOR A SPIN – After Commonwealth Stable’s filly was a surprising 52-1 winner of the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland on April 6, trainer Dallas Stewart said everything has been very routine in the way she came out of the race as she trains for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks.
“She had her normal gallop and grazing, and she’s looking great,” said Stewart of the filly, a $75,000 yearling purchase at the September 2017 Keeneland sale, who ranks fifth in the points standings. Emerson Chavez is the regular exercise rider of Out for a Spin, who’s won two of her three starts this season, while Irad Ortiz Jr. will get the mount in the Oaks.

RESTLESS RIDER – Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm’s Ashland Stakes runner-up Restless Rider had a light gallop at 6 a.m. Tuesday for trainer Kenny McPeek.
The gray filly by Distorted Humor never has been worse than second in seven career starts.

SERENGETI EMPRESS – The connections to Joel Politi’s filly could breathe a little easier after her workout at Churchill Downs on Tuesday with jockey Tyler Gaffalione. A post-workout examination revealed no lingering problems from the March 23 incident at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, in which she bled.
“She bled through the nostrils after the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII),” said trainer Tom Amoss outside his barn, minutes after an endoscopic exam showed her lungs following a five-furlong workout were clear.
“I’m happy to report she’s perfectly clean,” said Louisville equine veterinarian Dr. Kevin Dunlavy. “Couldn’t have scoped any better I told Tom that I was really pleased, that in light of today’s workout, that was all we could ask for. I’m very pleased.”
Serengeti Empress worked five furlongs in :58.20 (splits of :12.00, :23.60, :35.00, :46.60). She finished out six furlongs in 1:11.60.
Amoss said, “We’re a go, as long as she looks good tomorrow, and trains correctly, we’ll run in the Kentucky Oaks (GI),” on May 3. The filly has won four of seven lifetime starts, including the Rachel Alexandra (GII) at the Fair Grounds prior to the Fair Grounds Oaks.
So far, Amoss said, there’s no decision on who will ride her in the Oaks.
In the Fair Grounds Oaks, Serengeti Empress was the heavy favorite. In that race, she did receive Lasix before the race, and Amoss plans to have the medication administered to her before the Kentucky Oaks.
“Certainly her short-term racing career was on hold,” following the Fair Grounds race, in which she finished seventh and had to be vanned off. “We’ve worked her twice at Churchill Downs. We really let her exert today, to see if she bled. And she did not. That’s really good news.
“It’s important to note that she had never bled before the Fair Grounds Oaks, for us,” Amoss continued. “So we’re hoping that it was just one of those things. Maybe we didn’t pick up that she wasn’t feeling good that day or something like that. But today’s effort which was extremely good, and the scope afterward, has us feeling really good about being able to run in the Kentucky Oaks – which is our plan if she’s feeling good tomorrow.”
Amoss was very impressed with the way Serengeti Empress worked the final eighth of a mile Tuesday. “I feel certain that the so-called experts will call that last eighth of a mile a real ‘wow.’ It was a real wow to me, and I’ve been doing this for 30-plus years,” he said.

STREET BAND – Larry Jones, Cindy Jones and Ray Francis’ homebred Street Band walked the shedrow at Larry Jones’ barn a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.40 under jockey Sophie Doyle.
She is scheduled to return to the track Wednesday morning.

ALSO ELIGIBLES – Arriving for a possible run in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks, Peter M. Brant’s filly, Dunbar Road, was out on the track for a light workout.
“She should be in good shape, so far so good,” said Baldo Hernandez, assistant to trainer Chad Brown. “She jogged, once around on the track. She’s doing everything the right way, I hope we get in.”
Brown will arrive later this week. Dunbar Road, who finished second as the favorite in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in just her second career start, is 16th on the Oaks points leaderboard, with only the top 14 that pass the entry box.
Also jogging for the Brown barn were Bricks and Mortar, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (GI) and Newspaperofrecord (IRE), the undefeated winner of last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) here.
Bricks and Mortar is being pointed to the 33rd running of the $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic (GI) on May 4 while Newspaperofrecord is scheduled to use the 35th running of the $250,000 Edgewood (GIII) on May 3 as her 2019 debut.

SHAPING UP: THE LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS – Likely starters in the 145th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) to be run for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, May 3: Bellafina (jockey Flavien Prat), Champagne Anyone (Chris Landeros), Chocolate Kisses (Julien Leparoux), Flor de la Mar (Joel Rosario), Jaywalk (Javier Castellano), Jeltrin (Luis Saez), Lady Apple (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Liora (Channing Hill), Motion Emotion (Mike Smith), Out for a Spin (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Positive Spirit (Manny Franco), Restless Rider (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Serengeti Empress (Tyler Gaffalione), Street Band (Sophie Doyle).
Next up in order of preference: Cookie Dough (Jeffrey Sanchez) and Dunbar Road (Jose Ortiz).

EARLY LOOK AT POSSIBLE FIELDS FOR KENTUCKY DERBY WEEK STAKES

$125,000 WILLIAM WALKER (Entries taken Wednesday, race Saturday, April 27) – Probable: Bulletin (trainer Todd Pletcher), Jo Jo Air (Wesley Ward), Legends of War (Doug O’Neill), Moonlight Romance (Wesley Ward), Sovereign Impact (Bill Denzik Jr.) and Uncapped (Brendan Walsh)

$115,000 CHAMPIONS DAY MARATHON (Entries taken Thursday, race Tuesday, April 30) – Probable: Biblical (Todd Pletcher), Krewe Chief (Mike Maker), Lookin for Eight (Mark Casse), Pinson (Randy Morse), Souper Tapit (Casse). Possible: Monongahela (Jason Servis).

$125,000 KENTUCKY JUVENILE (Entries taken Friday, race Wednesday, May 1) – Probable: Alcools (Wayne Rice), Alec and Arthur (John Hancock), Biddy Duke (John Ennis), Marva (Wesley Ward), Secretly Wicked (Jack Handcock) and Two Dot (Hancock).

$115,000 OPENING VERSE OVERNIGHT STAKES (Entries taken Saturday, April 27, race Thursday May 2) – Probable: All Right (John Ortiz), Ballagh Rocks (Bill Mott), First Premio (Mark Casse), Parlor (Eddie Kenneally) and Real Story (Ignacio Correas IV).

$125,000 UNBRIDLED SIDNEY (Entries taken Saturday, April 27, race Thursday May 2) – Probable: Luvin Bullies (Mac Robertson), Nootka Sound (Wesley Ward) and Pretty Greeley (John Ortiz). Possible: Morticia (Rusty Arnold).

$500,000 LA TROIENNE (GI) (Entries taken Monday, April 29, race Friday, May 3) – Probable: Blue Prize (ARG) (Ignacio Correas IV), Divine Miss Grey (Danny Gargan), Heavenhasmynikki (Bob Hess Jr.), Mopotism (Doug O’Neill), Secret Spice (Richard Baltas) and She’s a Julie (Steve Asmussen).

$400,000 ALYSHEBA (GII) (Entries taken Monday, April 29, race Friday, May 3) – Probable: Bandua (Jack Sisterson), Bourbon Resolution (Ian Wilkes), Instilled Regard (Chad Brown), McKinzie (Bob Baffert), Pavel (Doug O’Neill), Prime Attraction (Jim Cassidy), Silver Dust (Bret Calhoun) and Tom’s d’Etat (Al Stall Jr.).

$250,000 EDGEWOOD (GIII) (Entries taken Monday, April 29, race Friday, May 3) – Probable: Cambier Parc (Chad Brown), Concrete Rose (Rusty Arnold), Newspaperofrecord (IRE) (Chad Brown) and Winter Sunset (Wayne Catalano).

$250,000 EIGHT BELLES (GII) (Entries taken Monday, April 29, race Friday, May 3) – Probable: Bell’s the One (Neil Pessin), Im Evin Im Leavin (Greg Tracy), Mother Mother (Bob Baffert), Queen of Beas (Jorge Abreu) and Take Charge Angel (Ben Colebrook).

$250,000 TWIN SPIRES TURF SPRINT (GII) (Entries taken Monday, April 29, race Friday, May 3) – Probable: Angaston (Lon Wiggins), Bound for Nowhere (Wesley Ward), Eddie Haskell (Mark Glatt), Extravagant Kid (Brendan Walsh), Mr. Crow (Ben Colebrook), Will Call (Brad Cox) and World of Trouble (Jason Servis).

$1 MILLION OLD FORESTER TURF CLASSIC (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 30, race Saturday, May 4) – Probable: Arklow (Brad Cox), Bricks and Mortar (Chad Brown), Divisidero (Kelly Rubley), March to the Arch (Mark Casse), Markitoff (Mike Maker), Multiplier (Bill Mott), Raging Bull (FR) (Brown) and Ticonderoga (Brown).

$500,000 CHURCHILL DOWNS (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 30, race Saturday, May 4) – Probable: Bobby’s Wicked One (Al Stall Jr.), Do Share (Mike Maker), Limousine Liberal (Ben Colebrook), Promises Fulfilled (Dale Romans), Recruiting Ready (Stan Hough) and Warrior’s Club (D. Wayne Lukas).

$500,000 HUMANA DISTAFF (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 30, race Saturday, May 4) – Probable: Amy’s Challenge (Mac Robertson), Marley’s Freedom (Bob Baffert), Shamrock Rose (Mark Casse) and Talk Veuve to Me (Rodolphe Brisset).

$400,000 AMERICAN TURF (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 30, race Saturday, May 4) – Probable: A Thread of Blue (Kiaran McLaughlin), Avie’s Flatter (Josie Carroll), Casa Creed (Bill Mott), Digital Age (IRE) (Chad Brown), Forever Kid (Antonio Sano), Henley’s Joy (Mike Maker), Louder Than Bombs (David Fawkes), Marquee Prince (Brad Cox), Seismic Value (Mott) and Weekly Call (Vickie Foley).

$400,000 LONGINES DISTAFF TURF MILE (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 30, race Saturday, May 4) – Probable: Beau Recall (IRE) (Brad Cox), Capla Temptress (IRE) (Bill Mott), Daddy Is a Legend (George Weaver), Environs (GB) (Chad Brown), Got Stormy (Mark Casse), Precieuse (IRE) (Brown), Raven’s Lady (GB) (James Cassidy), Take These Chains (Matt Hogan) and Valedictorian (Kelly Breen).

$400,000 PAT DAY MILE (GIII) (Entries taken Tuesday, April 30, race Saturday, May 4) – Probable: Dream Maker (Mark Casse), Frolic More (Dallas Stewart), Global Campaign (Stan Hough), Great Success (Gustavo Delgado), High Crime (Darrin Miller), Hog Creek Hustle (Vickie Foley), Lexitonian (Jack Sisterson), Manny Wah (Wayne Catalano) and Mr. Money (Bret Calhoun).