With just nine days remaining until the 152nd Kentucky Derby (G1) May 2 at Churchill Downs, likely favorite and Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Renegade recorded his final breeze for owners Repole Stable, Robert and Lawana Low, and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
Working outside of stablemate Powershift, a 3-year-old maiden who was most recently sixth in the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby (G3), at Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach, Fla., Renegade recorded an easy half-mile in :50.94.
Posting on X, owner Mike Repole said, "(Renegade) worked strong outside of Powershift. Both Todd Pletcher and Renegade came out of it happy and sharp."
The work was a second for the son of Into Mischief since winning the Arkansas Derby March 28 at Oaklawn Park. On April 16, he worked a half-mile in :48.87.
Repole's grade 2 winner and Kentucky Oaks (G1) starter Zany was also on the work tab for what Repole called a "really solid work" Thursday morning at Palm Beach Downs, recording a half-mile in :49.07. The work was performed in company with Calumet Farm homebred and fellow Oaks contender She Be Smooth, winner of the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) and third in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). The time was exactly the same as the pair fired off one week prior.
The Pletcher trio is leaving for Churchill Downs the morning of April 24. All Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders are required to be on property by 11 a.m. April 25 in Louisville, Ky.
Casse Horses, Litmus Test Breeze at Churchill Downs
The Derby and Oaks work tab Thursday morning at Churchill Downs included all three of Mark Casse's trainees: Derby contender Silent Tactic, runner-up in the Arkansas Derby, and Oaks contenders Counting Stars and Search Party, the 1-2 finishers of the Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 27 at Oaklawn.
All three went a half-mile; John Oxley's Silent Tactic in :48, West Point Thoroughbreds' Counting Stars in :48 3/5, and Tracy Farmer's Search Party in :47 3/5.
"Everything went great," Casse said. "Search Party worked phenomenal. Counting Stars, we know we have to slow her down because we know she'll go too fast. I thought Silent Tactic did great. He didn't take a deep breath."
READ: Silent Tactic, Casse Fillies Put a Bow on Derby/Oaks Prep
Also on the work tab at Churchill Downs was Litmus Test, who currently sits 21st on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and the large ownership group of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
The grade 2-winning son of Nyquist breezed 5 furlongs in :59 from the Churchill Downs starting gate Thursday morning with jockey Martin Garcia aboard. Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols recorded splits of :23 4/5, :35 2/5, and :47 1/5 and a gallop out of 6 furlongs in 1:11 1/5 and 7 furlongs in 1:24.
Most recently seventh in the Arkansas Derby, the breeze was Litmus Test's first since recording a half-mile in :49 2/5 April 11 at Oaklawn Park.
"He was going to work Sunday (at Oaklawn), but the weather was bad and the track was sealed, so we gave him a couple days to gallop here and he was good to go," Baffert's Churchill Downs assistant Dan Ward told Churchill Downs publicity.
Litmus Test received good news Thursday morning when trainer Michael McCarthy told Churchill Downs publicity that he intends to enter Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Stark Contrast in the American Turf Stakes (G1T) rather than the Derby. That allowed grade 1 winner Intrepido to slide into the 20-horse gate and bump Litmus Test up to the next one in should another defection occur.
An hour away at Keeneland, Hat Creek Racing's Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Percy's Bar worked a half-mile in company in :49 3/5 with jockey Luan Machado aboard. The Ben Colebrook-trained filly has never finished off the board in six career starts, with grade 1 placings in the Spinaway Stakes, the Alcibiades Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, all in 2025.
Scheduled to work Friday morning at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby are Emerging Market, So Happy, and Wonder Dean. Golden Tempo is expected to work at Keeneland.
Scheduled to work Friday morning at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks are Always a Runner, Bella Ballerina, Brooklyn Blonde, Meaning, Paradise, and Prom Queen.
