Kentucky Derby: Japanese Duo Post Final Works Tuesday

Tomoya Ozasa’s T O Password (JPN) worked a half-mile in :46.80 under jockey Kazushi Kimura. Working in company with Alysheba (G2) entrant T O Saint Denis (JPN), T O Password produced fractions of :23.80 and out five furlongs in :59.60 over track rated as “good” following overnight rain in Louisville.

“Everything was smooth this morning,” Kimura said. “I put him behind his workmate to get some kickback. We got everything we wanted this morning.”

With rain a possibility for Saturday, Kimura was asked if he was confident that T O Password could handle conditions similar to this morning.

“He was OK with the mud this morning,” Kimura said, “but with 20 horses, you never know.”

Trainer Daisuke Takayanagi agreed with his rider’s assessment and indicated that T O Password would return to the track in the morning.

Later Tuesday morning, trainer Brad Cox reported Encino will scratch from Kentucky Derby 150 allowing Epic Ride to draw into the field.

CATALYTIC – Tami Bobo, Julie Davies and George Isaacs’ Catalytic was back on the track Tuesday at the 7:30 a.m. time reserved for Oaks and Derby horses following a harrow break.

With regular exercise rider Olaf Hernandez aboard, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had the Florida Derby (G1) runner-up jog a mile. He’s hopeful that lightly tested Catalytic continues to improve in the Derby.

“On paper, it’s hard to see that he can win,” Joseph said. “But in racing, you have to have a hope and a dream. You need a perfect setup. He’s a horse who’s only had three starts, so you have to hope that there’s improvement to come. How much improvement, we don’t know.”

And the Derby will present an opportunity to show how much the $125,000 yearling purchase has come along.

“This is the most eyes we ever get,” Joseph said. “There’s pressure on the vets, pressure on the trainers, everyone wants everything to be perfect. That’s our wish, that we have a perfect week. Everyone’s watching, even those who don’t watch racing. It’s the biggest race in America, it’s America’s race, and the attention it gets for two minutes is second to none.”

With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, Catalytic was timed in :47.80 for the half-mile on Sunday. Ortiz will ride Catalytic in the Derby, starting from the No. 5 post as a 30-1 shot.

CATCHING FREEDOM/ENCINO/JUST A TOUCH – Trainer Brad Cox confirmed Encino will not run in Kentucky Derby 150 after being off after training this morning.

Cox’s other two contenders, Catching Freedom and Just a Touch both galloped at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and schooled in the paddock.

DOMESTIC PRODUCT/SIERRA LEONE - Grade 1 winner Sierra Leone and his stablemate, Tampa Bay Derby (G3) victor Domestic Product, took to the track separately Tuesday for their morning training under the watch of trainer Chad Brown.

Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Sierra Leone headed out first, galloping twice around the Churchill Downs track during the 7:30 a.m. training period. Shortly after 8 a.m., it was Domestic Product’s turn to get his legs moving as he also went twice around on the gallop days out from their expected run in the Kentucky Derby.

“Everyone’s doing great, we had a nice day of training,” Brown said. “The track is a little wet but it’s in good condition considering. I was happy with that.”

Sierra Leone specifically has gained his share of admirers with the strong impression he has made during the morning hours. Among those who have been on the colt’s bandwagon for some time now is his jockey, Tyler Gaffalione who, like Brown, will be aiming to capture the roses for the first time.

Gaffalione’s best finish in the Derby from six prior mounts came in 2019 when he guided War of Will to a seventh-place effort after the duo nearly went down due to inference from Maximum Security, who was disqualified from the victory.

Gaffalione rode Sierra Leone for the first time in the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes (GII) and the chemistry between the two was instant. After getting the colt to rally from ninth to score a half-length win that day, Gaffalione further showcased how well he got along with his mount during their victory in the Blue Grass Stakes when he was able to settle the son of Gun Runner following a prerace tantrum at the gate en route to a 1 1/2-length triumph.

“I love everything about him,” Gaffalione said of Sierra Leone. “He was so impressive in the Risen Star making up all that ground, but I was even more impressed with him the last time in the Blue Grass. With that little bit of fit he threw behind the gate, for him to compose himself and get his mind back on running and put on the performance he did I thought was incredible. It shows the mind frame he has and the talent he has.”

Gaffalione was able to get a feel for what the competition experiences when alongside Sierra Leone as he worked stablemate Domestic Product when the two Brown trainees went in company together on April 27.

“Every time I got up closer to him, he would stick his head out a little bit more,” Gaffalione said. “I’ve definitely never had these feelings before, it’s pretty special. That’s the thing, you get a horse like this and it’s just so exciting. I’m living the dream right now.”

DORNOCH/SOCIETY MAN – Keeping his two contenders healthy and happy is the goal for trainer Danny Gargan as he readies for Kentucky 150 on Saturday. On Tuesday morning after his charges traveled over the drying out Churchill Downs surface, the Louisville native deemed it another day of mission accomplished on that front.

With Gargan looking on, Society Man and Dornoch each put in solid gallops beneath the Twin Spires. Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) runner-up Society Man was first on the scene, coming out early to take advantage of the quieter setting as he stretched his legs.

“Society Man is actually the tougher of the two to train. He’s stronger to gallop,” Gargan said. “That’s why we train him early because he’s more relaxed that way.”

The imposing frame of Remsen Stakes (G2) winner Dornoch was out and about during the 7:30 a.m. training session as he galloped twice around the Churchill Down main track.

“Everyone’s good. Everyone ate up well. They trained good,” Gargan said. “Dornoch always looks good out there on the track.”

ENDLESSLY – Amerman Racing’s homebred colt Endlessly galloped a mile and one-eighth Tuesday morning after standing in the starting gate during the special 7:30-7:45 training session for Derby and Oaks horses.

Assistant trainer Justin Curran noted further that the four-time stakes winner is likely to paddock school with horses in this afternoon’s fourth race, provided it wasn’t raining.

Trainer Michael McCarthy watched his charge’s exercises from the frontside grandstand, then returned to his Barn 35 headquarters.

He was asked for a short take on the dark bay, who has five tallies in six starts, though he has yet to race on a dirt surface.

“He’s always been a good-feeling horse,” the conditioner said. “He likes his work; he’s glad to do it.

“He’s continued in that fashion since he’s been here and, of course, that’s what we want to see.”

McCarthy will give rider Umberto Rispoli a leg up in the new $200 million paddock Saturday in the lead up to Derby 150. The two then will get to start their 1 ¼-mile journey from post 14 in the 20-horse lineup.

EPIC RIDE – Welch Racing’s Epic Ride officially drew into Kentucky Derby 150 following the defection of Encino Tuesday afternoon.

Trainer John Ennis reported the colt will continue his normal training plus have some gate and paddock schooling.

Epic Ride jogged a mile this morning under Sophie Doyle.

FIERCENESS – The morning line favorite for Kentucky Derby 150 this Saturday – Repole Stable’s homebred Fierceness – got his morning exercise in during the special 7:30-7:45 training session designated for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses at Churchill Downs on a track designated as “good” because of overnight rains in the Louisville area.

Danny Wright, the veteran British jockey who once rode for Queen Elizabeth II in England, was up on the City of Light colt, as he has been for the run up to his go in the $5 million headliner.

“He’s feelin’ good,” Wright reported back at Barn 39 following the gallop. “He’s been like that since Day One. He’s a neat little horse.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher noted that his handsome colt was likely to follow a similar pattern morning Wednesday with a side trip for schooling in the starting gate.

GRAND MO THE FIRST – Granpollo Stables’ Grand Mo the First galloped a mile and a half under Amel Macias for trainer Victor Barboza Jr.

Grand Mo the First began his career on the all-weather surface at Gulfstream Park and concluded his 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the Zuma Beach (G3) on the grass at Santa Anita.

“We went to California for the Breeders’ Cup, but he didn’t get in,” owner David Geofrey said. “He ran OK out there (in the Zuma Beach in which he was defeated by Derby rival Endlessly). After that we regrouped to see if could go on dirt and we put him in the Swale and he did OK.”

OK was a third-place finish in the Swale that was followed by a close third in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and then third in the Florida Derby (G1).

“And now, here we are,” Geofrey said.

HONOR MARIE – Ribble Farms, Michael Eisterman, Earl Silver, Kenneth and Dave Fishbein’s Honor Marie galloped 1 ½ miles at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday under regular rider Maurilio Garcia.

JUST STEEL – BC Stables LLC and Henry Schmueckle’s Just Steel hit the track early Tuesday morning along with stablemate and Kentucky Oaks contender Lemon Muffin, putting in an easy jog two days after breezing a half mile in his last series work before the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas was pleased with what he saw from the son of Justify on Tuesday as he believes the colt was wanting to do a little more than was being asked.

“That’s what I wanted to see today, he had very good energy,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “Actually, watching him go around there, I was thinking we probably should have galloped him. He’s got a lot of energy.”

Just Steel was installed at 20-1 odds on the morning line and will break from post 6 on Saturday.

MYSTIK DAN –Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing and Daniel Hamby III’s Mystik Dan was out for trainer Kenny McPeek for a typical gallop with exercise rider Martin Reyes on Tuesday.

“He galloped a mile-and-a-half and stood in the gate,” said McPeek.

Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride Mystik Dan, 20-1 on the Derby morning line, from the No. 3 post. Last Saturday, Mystik Dan was timed for the five furlongs in 1:01.20 with Hernandez.

RESILIENCE – It was another good morning for Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Resilience as he galloped twice around the Churchill Downs oval on Tuesday during the 7:30 p.m. training period for Oaks and Derby contenders.

For many horsemen, the Kentucky Derby represents the pinnacle achievement in Thoroughbred racing. In that respect, it would be especially fitting if Resilience is able to deliver a victory in the 10-furlong classic to the man who has been as responsible for equine excellence as anyone over the decades.

The Bill Mott trainee is co-owned by Emily Bushnell, daughter of longtime owners Pam and Marty Wygod, and renowned bloodstock consultant Ric Waldman, whose numerous achievements include managing the career of the legendary stallion Storm Cat at Overbook Farm. Through Waldman’s guidance, Storm Cat became a commercial powerhouse in the Thoroughbred industry, commanding a $500,000 stud fee at the peak of his career en route to creating a bloodline that has its finger prints over the best sires and runners to this day.

Throughout his career, Waldman has counted the Wygods among his top clients and closest friends. In a move that speaks to the level of camaraderie and respect he commands, the Wygods gifted partial ownership of Resilience to Waldman.

That generous gesture took on greater emotional importance when Marty Wygod passed away on April 12 at the age of 84 -- just six days after Resilience prevailed in the Wood Memorial. For Waldman, having the chance to become a Kentucky Derby-winning owner pales in comparison to the honor he has of being part of Marty Wygod’s legacy.

“For the historical perspective of it, that would be quite unique that someone years from now would look back on that and see my name (in the Derby),” Waldman said. “But I don’t get caught up in it. My mind hasn’t been trained in that way. How I came about owning this horse is so personal. I said this before and I still believe, I consider myself more of a steward of this horse for Marty and Pam Wygod.

“It was a very personal gift that they gave me,” Waldman continued. “It’s a continuation of our friendship that we’ve had the whole time. I’m grateful for that. Some people think, I’m sure even Bill (Mott) thought ‘Why would you give away the best horse that you might have ever had?’ And the answer to that, if I can put words in Marty’s mouth, is that is the only horse he would give because he would want it to be meaningful. He would want it be to a meaningful gift, something of significance. That’s how Marty would think.”

In Resilience, Waldman sees the culmination of years of diligence on the part of the Wygods - and himself.

Resilience’s dam, Meadowsweet, was bred by the Wygods and is herself the only filly produced from multiple Grade 1 winner Tranquility Lake. The colt is also by five-time leading sire Into Mischief, who counts Storm Cat as his great grandsire.

“I love the horse, I care about the horse, and I can’t wait for the horse’s second career,” Waldman said of Resilience. “As a stallion, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he ended up having some good turf horses as well as dirt horses. But I always get ahead of myself on this breeding thing. Emily is always in the present on racing and I’m always thinking way past that and forget to smell the roses.”

If the best case scenario happens for Waldman on Saturday, he will have ample chances take in that floral fragrance. Regardless, he believes the colt’s presence in the race itself is worthy of celebration.

“The difference between my emotional barometer on this between winning and losing is more narrow than most people,” Waldman said. “If he wins, I’m not going to jump over the barn and if he loses, I’m not going feel like the world has collapsed. If the horse comes back safely and soundly then there is nothing that could happen that could alter that barometer reading much from that.”

STRONGHOLD – The Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold went trackside early Tuesday morning under exercise rider Sherri Alexander. The two entered the strip termed sloppy following overnight rains in the Louisville area just after 5:30 and did a 1-mile jog around the big oval.

“He’ll go back to galloping tomorrow,” Alexander said.

The exercise rider triples as stable foreman and wife of trainer Phil D’Amato, who had headed back to California Sunday to take care of their large string at Santa Anita. Tuesday she took all five of the D’Amato contingent on board for races this weekend to the track for a bit of leg stretching.

D’Amato is scheduled to return to Kentucky this afternoon.

TRACK PHANTOM – Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner Track Phantom had an early training session where he jogged about a mile at 5:30 a.m.

The Steve Asmussen trainee is likely to school in the gate Wednesday.

WEST SARATOGA – Harry Veruchi’s West Saratoga galloped two miles under Donte Lowery and visited the paddock Tuesday morning for trainer Larry Demeritte.

West Saratoga never has raced on an off track and with a chance of rain Saturday, Demeritte was asked about how his colt would fare on sloppy going.

“I don’t want to ruin the day for anybody (with rain), but I’d take it,” Demeritte said. “I know his daddy liked it.”

That would be Exaggerator, runner-up in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and subsequent winner of the Preakness (G1) and Haskell (G1), both of which were run on sloppy tracks and made up a good chunk of Exaggerator’s $3.5 million in earnings.

ALSO-ELIGIBLE – Average Joe Racing Stables and Dan Wells’ Mugatu (No. 21) walked the shedrow for trainer Jeff Engler.

THE KENTUCKY DERBY FIELD – Here is the field for the 150^th running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) in order of post positions (with rider and morning line odds): Dornoch (Luis Saez, 20-1), Sierra Leone (Tyler Gaffalione, 3-1), Mystik Dan (Brian Hernandez Jr., 20-1), Catching Freedom (Flavien Prat, 8-1), Catalytic (Jose Ortiz, 30-1), Just Steel (Keith Asmussen, 20-1), Honor Marie (Ben Curtis, 20-1), Just a Touch (Florent Geroux, 10-1), Encino (Axel Concepcion, 20-1), T O Password (JPN) (Kazuski Kimura, 30-1), Forever Young (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai. 10-1), Track Phantom (Joel Rosario, 20-1), West Saratoga (Jesus Castanon, 30-1), Endlessly (Umberto Rispoli, 30-1), Domestic Product (Irad Ortiz Jr., 30-1), Grand Mo the First (Emisael Jaramillo, 50-1), Fierceness (John Velasquez, 5-2), Stronghold (Antonio Fresu, 20-1), Resilience (Junior Alvarado, 20-1), Society Man (Frankie Dettori, 50-1), Epic Ride (Adam Beschizza, 50-1). Also-Eligible: Mugatu (Joe Talamo, 50-1). All starters will carry 126 pounds.