2018 Kentucky Derby workout report for April 15

The final two Kentucky Derby (G1) preps took place on Saturday, April 14, paving the way for the field to be set ahead of the 144th Run for the Roses on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

The final press now commences as connections attempt to keep their hopefuls both healthy and sharp over the next three weeks.

FREE Brisnet Past Performances of Kentucky Derby Leaderboard contenders

(Workers in Leaderboard order)

Audible (110 Derby Points) – Todd Pletcher trainee breezed a bullet half-mile in :48.75 over the fast dirt at Palm Beach Downs on April 13 in his first move since taking the March 31 Florida Derby (G1); Into Mischief colt scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on April 23 and a have breeze over the surface; “I think that final breeze at Churchill will give us a big clue as to who likes (the surface),” Pletcher said.

Noble Indy (110) – Louisiana Derby (G2) hero clocked five furlongs in 1:01 over Palm Beach Downs’ fast dirt on April 13 for trainer Todd Pletcher; bay son of Take Charge Indy set for one more work in Florida before shipping to Churchill Downs April 23 along with Pletcher’s other three Kentucky Derby contenders.

Bravazo (54) – Risen Star Stakes (G2) winner breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 over Churchill Downs’ fast main track on April 13, clocking splits of :12.80, :24.80 and :37 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:16.40; “It was a really good maintenance work. He was getting over the ground well and we will do more with him in his next two works,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said; Awesome Again colt was last seen running a subpar eighth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds on March 24.

Promises Fulfilled (52) – Dale Romans pupil breezed a half-mile in :49 over the fast main track at Churchill Downs on April 14 in his first move since a last-place finish in the March 31 Florida Derby (G1); Grade 2-winning Shackleford colt tired to finish ninth in that Gulfstream Park feature last out after dueling on the lead through blazing early splits.

Lone Sailor (42) – Majestic Warrior colt breezed a half-mile in :47.80 over Churchill Downs’ fast dirt on April 11 in his first major work since just missing by a neck in the March 24 Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds; “He’s just doing things nice and easy. The track is pretty fast this morning but he’s doing things in hand,” trainer Tom Amoss said after the move while also confirming jockey James Graham will have the call in the Kentucky Derby.

Hofburg (40) – Bill Mott trainee breezed a half-mile in :49.02 over the fast dirt at Payson Park Training Center on April 15; Tapit chestnut rallied to get second while making his stakes bow, and first start against winners, in the Florida Derby (G1) last out on March 31 at Gulfstream Park; “We gave him plenty of time to recover from that race and we had been picking it up, picking it up and today was his first breeze and it sounded like it was good. It sounds like he went very well,” said Mott, who wasn’t on hand for the work after missing a connecting flight Saturday night.

Combatant (32) – Steve Asmussen charge breezed four furlongs in :50.20 on April 9 over the fast main track at Oaklawn Park; Scat Daddy colt sits in 21st on the Leaderboard and needs a defection to make the Kentucky Derby field after finishing fourth only five days after that move in the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

The horses listed below have either not worked or are exiting a recent race.

Magnum Moon (150) – Todd Pletcher trainee will enter the Kentucky Derby unbeaten from four career starts after taking the April 14 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park; “Tentative” plans call for the bay son of Malibu Moon to fly to Churchill Downs on April 23 and “probably” breeze eight days before the Run for the Roses, according to Pletcher.

Good Magic (134) – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion sits in second on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 134 points thanks to a nice victory in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on April 7; chestnut son of Curlin remaining at Keeneland for now before heading to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby; “He’ll have his first breeze back here in a couple weeks then (go) over to Churchill,” trainer Chad Brown said.

Vino Rosso (107) – Chestnut son of Curlin scheduled to breeze in Florida next weekend prior to shipping to Churchill Downs on April 23 with the rest of trainer Todd Pletcher’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls; earned shot at May 5 Run for the Roses with a three-length victory in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct last out on April 7.

Bolt d’Oro (104) – Owner/trainer Mick Ruis has tabbed jockey Victor Espinoza to ride the Medaglia d’Oro colt in the Kentucky Derby; dual Grade 1-winning bay sophomore enters the race off a second last out in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 7.

Enticed (103) – Medaglia d’Oro colt headed to Kentucky Derby off bumpy second-place finish in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on April 7; Kiaran McLaughlin keeping trainee at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida to complete his Derby preparations; “It’s very quiet there in the month of April…almost like a private training center,” McLaughlin said.

Mendelssohn (100) – Will jockey Ryan Moore come over to ride the track record-setting U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) winner in the Kentucky Derby is the big question; Aidan O’Brien trainee would take away from the mount on Saxon Warrior in the English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) on the same day at Newmarket.

Justify (100) – Bob Baffert pupil is one of two headed to the Kentucky Derby with perfect records after taking the April 7 Santa Anita Derby (G1); Scat Daddy colt made his stakes bow in the Santa Anita Derby and faces winners for just the third time in the Run for the Roses.

Quip (90) – Despite runner-up effort in the April 14 Arkansas Derby (G1) that earned him a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, Distorted Humor colt is not yet confirmed for the Churchill Downs flagship event; “I don’t know. He ran hard. Good effort and we’ll see what happens,” said Elliott Walden, president/CEO and racing managed for breeder and co-owner WinStar Farm, when asked if Kentucky-bred would show up on the first Saturday in May.

Flameaway (70) – One of three Scat Daddy colts running in this year’s Kentucky Derby; Mark Casse charge last seen finishing second in the April 7 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.

Solomini (54) – Bob Baffert trainee sits in the middle of the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard following a third-place run in the April 14 Arkansas Derby (G1); Curlin colt brings only one official win into the Run for the Roses and no stakes scores after being disqualified from victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) on December 9.

My Boy Jack (52) – Creative Cause colt secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby with a hard-fought head victory in the April 14 Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland; Keith Desormeaux trainee scheduled to remain at that venue for the remainder of the week before heading to Churchill Downs; “I’d like to stay here (at Keeneland) a few more days and let him chill out,” assistant trainer Julie Clark said.

Free Drop Billy (44) – Grade 1 victor moved up to third in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) on April 7 after crossing under the Keeneland finish line in fourth; Dale Romans charge galloped 1 1/2 miles on April 14 at Churchill Downs and is scheduled to breeze next weekend.

Firenze Fire (39) – Jason Servis trainee will enter the Kentucky Derby off a fourth-place run in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on April 7; Poseidon’s Warrior colt just made the field on Saturday and sits in 19th after Runaway Ghost was ruled out with a shin injury.

Snapper Sinclair (22) – Bay son of City Zip currently resides in 22nd on the Leaderboard with 22 points accumulated for placings in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and Risen Star Stakes (G2); Steve Asmussen pupil ran fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds on March 24 in his final prep for the Kentucky Derby.