On a brisk Sunday morning at Churchill Downs April 7, Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Honor Marie and fourth-place finisher Track Phantom returned to the work tab as they train towards the 150th running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) May 4.
At 7:30 a.m. ET, Honor Marie breezed a solid half-mile in :47.80 and, two hours earlier, Track Phantom completed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.
Owned by Ribble Farms, Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver and Kenneth and Dave Fishbein, Honor Marie worked outside of recent Turfway Park maiden special weight winner Anthem King. The duo began their work through solid quarter-mile fractions of :12.20 and :24.20. Honor Marie finished one length in front of his workmate and easily galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
"I thought it was a really good move for his first work back here at Churchill," trainer Whitworth Beckman said. "He did well this winter down at Fair Grounds and the Risen Star (G2) is proving to be a very key race leading into the Derby."
Honor Marie will make the third start of his 3-year-old season in the Kentucky Derby. After winning the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) as a 2-year-old, Honor Marie made his first start of the year in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, finishing fifth to Sierra Leone. He returned five weeks later in the Louisiana Derby and improved to finish second to Catching Freedom.
L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom and Breeze Easy's Track Phantom had a change of equipment for his work Sunday morning: a small set of blinkers. The speedy son of Quality Road had jockey Joel Rosario in the irons for his workout and breezed outside 4-year-old Gatlinburg. The duo completed eighth-mile fractions of :13.40, :26.20 and :37.80. At the wire, Track Phantom began to gain the slight advantage over his stablemate and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.20.
"I thought it was a nice first work getting back to Churchill," Asmussen's assistant trainer Scott Blasi said.
Several connections of this year's Kentucky Derby contenders are making plans to ship to Churchill Downs. Trainer Danny Gargan reported recent Blue Grass Stakes (G1) fourth-place finisher Dornoch and his stablemate, Wood Memorial (G2) runner-up Society Man, are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs April 10.
