Asmussen Duo Works; Nakatani To Ride Blue Burner
April 22, 2002
By John Asher

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Asmussen duo works
• Santa Anita Derby 2-3 finishers breeze
• Blue Burner works; Nakatani to ride

PRIVATE EMBLEM/WINDWARD PASSAGE - Trainer Steve Asmussen's pair of Kentucky Derby contenders - James Cassels and Bob Zollars' Private Emblem and Team Valor's Windward Passage - each breezed four furlongs Monday (Apr. 22) morning at Churchill Downs.

The works left Asmussen with somewhat mixed emotions. He said Windward Passage was his usually solid self, but Private Emblem was not quite as impressive as he had been in his works prior to his impressive victory in the Arkansas Derby on April 13.

Private Emblem, who is bidding to become the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby, breezed over a "fast" track in :51.40 under jockey Donnie Meche. Churchill Downs' clockers caught him in fractions of :13, :26, :38.40. No gallop out time was recorded.

"I thought Private Emblem was a little flat," said Asmussen. "He's usually a little more aggressive a work horse than that. Donnie said he traveled really well. He kind of seemed to have quite a bit in the Infield to take a look at - it is his first time to ever work at Churchill. Hopefully he'll be a little stronger and a little sharper through the week leading up to the Derby."

Asmussen had been careful throughout the winter and spring to provide plenty of time between races to keep weight on the long and lean son of Our Emblem, but now the colt has just three weeks between the Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

"He's flatter than I would like him to be," he said. "We purposely space his races and he responded beautifully and now I'm not going to tell you that I can't wait to run him back in three weeks. But it is the Derby. I'm a fan - I stood there on the apron (at Oaklawn Park) for the Arkansas Derby and watched his blaze come down through there and got excited. I'm just very proud of his performance and how he's stepped up. He has matured - there's a lot more to him than there was. But this morning I thought he was a little flat."

Asmussen was more pleased with Windward Passage as the son of Captain Bodgit breezed four furlongs in :50. He moved through his first quarter in :24.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.40.

"Windward Passage is very workmanlike," said Asmussen. "He trained here (at Churchill Downs) all last summer and won here last fall and that's kind of what I expected from him."

Asmussen said each of the colts would have one more work before Derby 128.

EASY GRADES - Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up Easy Grades had his first major pre-Kentucky Derby work at Churchill Monday (Apr. 22) morning, covering seven furlongs in 1:29.40 under new rider Jorge Chavez after the break.

Churchill Downs clockers caught fractions of :25.60 for the first quarter, :38.40 for three-eighths, :52.80 for the half and 1:17.40 for three-quarters.

"He just went nice and easy," said trainer Ted H. West Jr. "I just wanted to get a long work in him, nothing real fast at this point.

"I will probably give him a little more serious work in six days or a week. So far, so good. He acted like he handled the track really good, which is always a concern, but he has been looking really good in his gallops, so we thought he would probably handle the track well."

Chavez, who won last year's Kentucky Derby aboard Monarchos, was on Easy Grades for the first time.

"Jorge said he seemed to handle the track fine," West said. "He said the horse was looking around a little bit, but I kind of expected that with it being his first work at this track."

Lusty Latin - Joey and Wendy Platts' Lusty Latin was credited with a 49.20 half-mile work by Churchill Downs clockers after the renovation break on Apr. 22. Glenn Corbett, who will ride the El Prado colt in the Kentucky Derby, was up for the work.

"He worked good, I thought," said trainer Jeff Mullins, who caught Lusty Latin going five-eighths in a minute flat. "You always wonder how they are going to handle the track, different surroundings and stuff like that, but it looked like he handled it well."

Corbett, who like Mullins was spending his first day ever at Churchill Downs, was happy with the work that was a little slow in taking place because of a loose horse on the track.

"I loved the way he worked. He seemed to me like he handled the track real well," said Corbett, who is currently riding at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. "He wasn't bothered by the loose horse, or anything else. (The loose horse) delayed us a little bit, but not too much. It's a good thing this horse is so quiet, because it didn't really bother him at all."

Mullins, who was returning to California after the work to shift his operation from Santa Anita to Hollywood Park, said he would return to Louisville Sunday (Apr. 28) and plans to work Lusty Latin a half-mile next Monday (Apr. 29) with Corbett scheduled in for the work.

SUNDAY BREAK/FLYING DASH - Fusao Sekiguchi's Flying Dash (Ger) worked six furlongs on the main track at Churchill Downs, but it appears that the German-bred colt has been dropped from consideration for bid for Kentucky Derby 128.

The son of Dashing Blade, who has never raced on the dirt, breezed six furlongs at Churchill on Apr. 22 in 1:15.20 over a "fast" track under exercise rider Marcelino Olguin. But trainer Neil Drysdale said after the move that he believes the colt's future will be better served if he continues to focus on the turf.

"I've got to talk to Mr. Sekiguchi, but I'd recommend that he stay on the grass," said Drysdale. "This morning solidified it."

Drysdale was unsure if Flying Dash (Ger) would be pointed toward the Crown Royal American Turf (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day, May 3.

Drysdale's remaining Kentucky Derby contender, Koji Maeda's Sunday Break, jogged two miles under Olguin.

BLUE BURNER - Florida Derby runner-up (GI) Blue Burner worked five furlongs 1:02.97 over a fast track at Belmont Park on Apr. 22.

"He worked very well and I was pleased with the way he finished up," said trainer Bill Mott, who indicated the colt would ship to Churchill Downs on Thursday (Apr. 25). "Corey Nakatani will ride him in the Derby."

SAARLAND - Cynthia Phipps' Remsen (GII) winner Saarland worked a half-mile on Apr. 22 in :47.21 over a "fast" track at Belmont Park.

The Unbridled colt is schedule to ship to Louisville on Thursday (Apr. 25).

CAME HOME - Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Came Home galloped 1 3/8-miles under exercise rider Sal Gonzalez, Sr. before the renovation break Monday (Apr. 22) morning.

Trainer Paco Gonzalez said that Came Home is scheduled to work Tuesday (Apr. 23) morning after the break with regular rider, two-time Kentucky Derby winner Chris McCarron, coming in for the work.

Paco Gonzalez said the work would probably be six furlongs.

CRIMSON HERO - Tracy Farmer's Crimson Hero, second in Saturday's (Apr. 20) Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) at Keeneland, arrived at Churchill Downs Sunday (Apr. 21) afternoon along with three other Nick Zito-trained 3-year-olds and housed in Barn 36.

Zito, still at Keeneland, is scheduled to be at Churchill Downs on Tuesday (Apr. 23).

ESSENCE OF DUBAI - Godolphin Racing's Essence Of Dubai made his usual 6:45 a.m. appearance on the Churchill Downs oval Monday (Apr. 22) morning to gallop a mile and a quarter with Lee Roebuck up.

Tom Albertrani, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said that all continues to go well for the son of Pulpit, who is scheduled to work sometime between Wednesday (Apr. 24) and Friday (Apr. 26) depending on weather.

Godolphin's two Oaks hopefuls, Tempera and Imperial Gesture, galloped a mile and a quarter with Rachel Dore up on Tempera and Roebuck on Imperial Gesture. The two are scheduled to work early next week.

IT'SALLINTHECHASE - Darwin Olson's It'sallinthechase will be ridden by Eddie Martin Jr., according to trainer Wilson Brown.

"Eddie is familiar with him from watching him run at the Fair Grounds," Brown said from his home base in Oklahoma. "He saw the trouble the colt was in against Repent when he bumped him twice, so he knows the horse."

Brown said that he would arrive in Louisville on Wednesday and plans to work It'sallinthechase five furlongs after the break Sunday (Apr. 28) with Martin up.

With exercise rider Joe Higgins up, It'sallinthechase galloped 1 ¾-miles at Churchill Downs on Apr. 22 shortly after the track opened for training at 5:45 a.m.

HARLAN'S HOLIDAY - The winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) and Florida Derby (GI) galloped 1 ½-miles under exercise rider Helen Pitts on Apr. 22 at Churchill Downs. Trainer Ken McPeek said he also spent some time standing in the starting gate after his gallop.

Harlan's Holiday will breeze on Wednesday (Apr. 24). He will be ridden in the work either by jockey Edgar Prado or former jockey Tony D'Amico.

MEDAGLIA D'ORO - San Felipe (GII) winner Medaglia d'Oro galloped Monday (Apr. 22) morning after the renovation break with exercise rider Jose Cuevas up.

Cuevas said that trainer Bobby Frankel is scheduled to arrive in Louisville from his California base Tuesday (Apr. 23).

Frankel's Kentucky Oaks (GI) hopeful, You, galloped at Churchill on April 22 after the break.

Ocean Sound - Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) third-place finisher Ocean Sound (Ire) is scheduled to work after the renovation break Tuesday (Apr. 23) with Chris McCarron to be up.

Trainer James Cassidy is scheduled to be on the scene in the morning.

Exercise rider Adam Kitchingman galloped Ocean Sound (Ire)1 ½-miles on Apr. 22 at Churchill before the renovation break and confirmed that Alex Solis would ride in the Derby.

PERFECT DRIFT - Stonecrest Farm's Perfect Drift returned to the track at the Trackside Training Center on Apr. 22 to gallop 1 ½-miles under Joe Deegan.

Trainer Murray Johnson reported all was well with the Lane's End Spiral Stakes (GII) winner who is scheduled to work a half-mile after the break at Trackside on Wednesday (Apr. 24) with Deegan up.

Proud Citizen - The winner of Saturday's (Apr. 20) Coolmore Lexington (GII) walked in the shedrow on Apr. 23 for a second consecutive day and trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that would also be his schedule on Tuesday (Apr 23).

Lukas said that he has received a Derby commitment from jockey Mike Smith, who rode Proud Citizen in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII).

REQUEST FOR PAROLE - Battaglia Memorial winner Request For Parole stood in the starting gate and then galloped 1 ¾-miles on Apr. 22 at Churchill Downs under exercise rider Loren Diego after the renovation break.

Trainer Steve Margolis plans to jog the son of Judge T C on Tuesday (Apr. 23) with his final Derby prep slated for Thursday (Apr. 25) at six furlongs under Derby rider Robby Albarado.

WAR EMBLEM - The Thoroughbred Corp's winner of the Illinois Derby (GII) galloped 1 5/8-miles on Monday (Apr. 22) at Churchill Downs under exercise rider Mick Jenner.

Trainer Bob Baffert said that War Emblem is scheduled to work on Wednesday (Apr. 24).

Baffert has not named a Kentucky Derby rider for War Emblem.

Wild Horses - Arkansas Derby (GII) runner-up Wild Horses galloped 1 3/8- miles at Churchill Downs on Apr. 22 under exercise rider Cindy Hutter before the renovation break.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to be here Thursday (Apr. 25).

In Oaks News...

BELLA BELLUCCI - Michael Tabor's winner of the Comely (GIII), trained by Neil Drysdale, jogged one mile on Apr. 22 at Churchill under exercise rider Marcelino Olguin.

BELTERRA/TAKE THE CAKE - Robert Manfuso's Belterra, winner of the Golden Rod (GII), galloped 1 ¼-miles at Churchill on Apr. 22 for trainer Carl Nafzger under exercise rider Tracey Wilkes. Ashland runner-up Take The Cake, trained by Nafzger and owned by Elizabeth Valando, jogged a mile under Wilkes.

LAKE LADY - Trainer Steve Asmussen worked his Kentucky Derby contenders Private Emblem and Windward Passage at Churchill Downs on Monday (Apr. 22) - but it was Kentucky Oaks contender Lake Lady who was the stable star on the morning.

The daughter of Salt Lake, owned by Coast To Coast Racing Fund LLC, breezed four furlongs in :49.40 over a "fast" track under jockey Donnie Meche. She carved out fractions of :12.40, :25, and :37.20 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.40.

"She's a very nice filly that I don't think has necessarily shown her best this year," said Asmussen. "I'm very anxious to run her here at Churchill Downs. I'm not under the illusion that the Oaks isn't extremely deep and talented this year, but Lake Lady at Churchill Downs has been nothing short of brilliant."

Lake Lady scored a pair of impressive victories at Churchill Downs last fall.

MS BROOKSKI/CHAMROUSSE - Gary Tanaka's Ms Brookski, winner of the Bonnie Miss (GII), galloped one mile under assistant trainer Jennifer Brown. Trainer Niall O'Callaghan said Ms Brookski is scheduled to work on Wednesday (Apr. 24). O'Callaghan also confirmed that jockey Jorge Chavez will ride the filly in the Kentucky Oaks.

Arthur B. Hancock III and James Stone's Chamrousse also galloped a mile on Apr. 22 under Brown. O'Callaghan said she remains a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks, but may be more likely for the Black Eyed Susan (GII) on May 17 at Pimlico.

TAKE CHARGE LADY - Select Stable's Ashland (GI) winner galloped 1 ½- miles at Churchill Downs on Apr. 22 under exercise rider Helen Pitts.

Churchill Downs Work Tab (Track: FAST) - 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) winner Spain breezed five furlongs in 1:03...Descapate breezed six furlongs in 1:13.80...Snow Ridge breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60...Derby Trial (GIII) candidate Clergy breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40...Gold Dollar breezed four furlongs in :48.20...Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI) candidate Pisces breezed five furlongs in 1:01.

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