Including appearances from a pair of Bill Mott trainees, Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Resilience and reigning 2-year-old filly champion Just F Y I, eight horses pointed to either the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (G1) or May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) turned in workouts April 28 at Churchill Downs.
Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman's Resilience and George Krikorian's Just F Y I went easy half miles without company, with the former timed in :49 1/5 and the latter in :49 2/5. Though their times were slower than some of their counterparts Sunday morning, the ease with which they traveled was apparent. Watch Just F Y I's work here.
"We put a good work in both horses six days ago," said Mott, who won a rough running of the 2019 Derby with Country House via the disqualification of Maximum Security . "We wanted our final works to be nice and smooth, cross our fingers and hope they come back good. It looked like they both breezed well, finished well and galloped out nicely. Neither one of them was being pushed."
Resilience galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 and Just F Y I in 1:02 2/5
Junior Alvarado, who will ride the duo in their upcoming races, was aboard Just F Y I for her move. He smiled while discussing the filly, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and second in the April 5 Ashland Stakes (G1) in her lone start this year. "She's just been skipping over this ground," he said.
She was one of three potential Oaks horses to breeze Sunday, the others being Everland (half-mile in :51 4/5) and also-eligible Our Pretty Woman (half-mile in :50 3/5).
Other Derby horses to breeze included Stronghold (five furlongs in :59 4/5); Catalytic (half-mile in :47 4/5), Track Phantom (five furlongs in 1:00), and Just Steel (four furlongs in 50 2/5).
Following this weekend's busy workout activity, only a small number of breezes are expected leading up to the race. Two scheduled to work April 30 are Japanese runners Forever Young and T O Password, with plans for them to breeze together.
Most Derby and Oaks competitors will finalize their training with routine jogs and gallops.
Stronghold a 'Different Horse' Since at Churchill in '23
Trainer Phil D'Amato was at Churchill Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET to see Eric and Sharon Waller's Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold complete his final Derby maintenance breeze before catching a 9 a.m. flight back to California.
Ridden in his work by jockey Joe Talamo, Stronghold went five furlongs to the outside of Motorious, a graded stakes winner who is competing in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) on Derby day. Watch the work here.
The pair worked slightly faster than D'Amato had originally asked, but he said that was expected since the track has been playing fast over the last few mornings.
"I couldn't have asked for any more; that was ideal," said D'Amato.
Stronghold stabled at Churchill Downs during the summer and early fall of his 2-year-old year, including breaking his maiden on the track Oct. 1. Through six starts, the son of Ghostzapper has managed to finish in the top two in each outing despite never racing at the same track twice.
"He's one of those horses that I think can really take his game to any track," D'Amato said. "Having his maiden win here is a nice advantage."
Talamo had ridden Stronghold for several works and both Kentucky starts last year, but had been on the colt since he moved to D'Amato's California base following his maiden win.
"He did it about as easy as one could do it," Talamo said of the work. "He's a different horse than the last time I got on him. That was really good."
Antonio Fresu, who has ridden Stronghold in his last four starts, will have the mount in the Derby. He was unable to work the horse Sunday due to weekend riding commitments in California, D'Amato said earlier this week.
Asmussen Looking for 100% From Track Phantom
Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner Track Phantom, expected to be one of the early leaders in the Kentucky Derby, wore blinkers during his Sunday workout, as he did in two earlier works this month.
Kentucky Derby contender Track Phantom breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.00 this morning, April 28. #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/bp2rTZpDxt
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 28, 2024
He will add them for the Kentucky Derby. Hall of Fame trainer Asmussen felt his colt had a misstep approaching the stretch and lost his momentum in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby (G2) when he led before fading to fourth down the lane.
"That's not something that can happen against this caliber of horse," said Asmussen. "We're going to need 100% of him and that's what we're expecting with the addition of blinkers.
Track Phantom, a son of Quality Road , races for L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom, and Breeze Easy.
Asmussen, the winningest trainer in North American racing history, is seeking an elusive Kentucky Derby victory. He is winless with 25 starters but has come close with three seconds and two-thirds.
The 1 1/4-mile distance in the Derby seems a question mark for Track Phantom who, after winning the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte, ran second to Sierra Leone in the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Couse & Slots. Those races preceded the March 23 Louisiana Derby.
"I think it's obvious from last night's times that Churchill is a lot quicker than the Fair Grounds is. It doesn't take you as long to get there," Asmussen said.
Joel Rosario will be aboard in the Derby.
Lukas Looking for Good Energy from Just Steel ahead of Derby
Just Steel was the first Derby worker on the track Sunday morning, appearing just before 5:30 a.m. After breezing one mile April 20, all Lukas wanted was an easy maintenance work to lead into the race. Watch the work here.
After Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Lemon Muffin worked faster than Lukas wanted April 27, being careful with Just Steel resulted in a little slower time than Lukas had hoped.
"We didn't shake the trees. It's okay, though." Lukas said. "The horse is either fit or not, you're not going to get him fit in the next five days."
Lukas believes the key for the final week of preparation is looking for vibrancy in training from a Derby participant.
"The only thing you like to see is his energy level come up," Lukas said. "That's the big thing with me. If his energy level jumps up, he's really into it. I would guess in the next four or five days, I could really get that."
Catalytic Takes Spin Under Jose Ortiz
Jockey Jose Ortiz familiarized himself with his Derby mount, Catalytic, by breezing him in company during the 7:30 a.m. ET training window that is reserved for Oaks and Derby starters.
The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee, a distant runner-up to Fierceness in the Florida Derby (G1), dispatched of workmate For Some Reason in the stretch and galloped out farther in front with five furlongs in 1:00 1/5.
Kentucky Derby contender Catalytic breezed 4 furlongs in 47.80 this morning, April 28.#KyDerby pic.twitter.com/0wHizDn9DF
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 28, 2024
"We were looking for a nice easy work—maintenance, 48 (seconds) or around there. I think he did that," said Ortiz, whose best Derby finish is a second aboard Good Magic in the 2018 race. "He traveled good through the wire. I put my hands down a little bit, passing the wire, and he galloped out the way he's supposed to. He's a nice horse."
