4.30.02	Photo By: Jeremy Lyverse
		Jockey Joe Deegan (above) addressed members of the media outside trainer Murray Johnson's barn at the Trackside Training Center in Louisville, Ky., after guiding Kentucky Derby (GI) 128 contender Perfect Drift through his final workout prior to the May 4 "Run for the Roses". A gelded son of Dynaformer, Perfect Drift breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60, getting his last eighth in in :10.20. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Four Horses Drill At Churchill; Buddha Arrives
April 30, 2002
By Derby Notes Team

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Four Horses Drill At Churchill
  
• Perfect Drift Works At Trackside
  
• Buddha Arrives From New York
  

"He came out of his work fine," said trainer Bill Mott. "He ate up last night and is walking fine this morning. If he's feeling all right tomorrow, we'll take him back to the track."

Kinsman Stable is the nom de course of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who Mott thought was likely to be in Louisville for Derby Day. "The Boss" has already run four horses in the Derby: Steve's Friend (fifth in 1977), Diligence (ninth in 1996), Concerto (ninth in 1997) and - with partners Spendthrift Farm Inc., B. Hurst and John and Pauletta Post - Eternal Prince (12th in 1985).

Buddha - Gary and Mary West's Buddha, the Wood Memorial winner, stepped off a van Tuesday morning shortly after 10 o'clock following his all-night journey from Belmont Park in New York. The roan/gray colt took right to a patch of Churchill Downs' grass and appeared none the worse for wear after the ride.

"He's a good shipper," said his trainer, H. James Bond, as he oversaw his charge's bedding down at Barn 48 on the Churchill backside. "It looks like he handled this one just fine. So far so good." Bond had flown into Louisville Monday evening and was happy to see his "big" horse join him safely along with three other runners from his stable. He wore a black baseball cap with a "Buddha" logo on the front on a beautiful, sunny morning under the Twin Spires.

Buddha will be handled by Pat Day in the 128th Run for the Roses.

CAME HOME - Santa Anita Derby winner Came Home, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 under jockey Chris McCarron Monday, came out of the workout in good shape and walked under the shed this morning.

The son of GoneWest also was reshod on all four feet, trainer Paco Gonzalez's normal routine four days out from a race when new shoes are required.

"He looks very good," said Gonzalez, who plans afternoon paddock schooling for his colt Wednesday and Thursday.

CASTLE GANDOLFO/JOHANNESBURG - Trainer Aidan O'Brien's Kentucky Derby twosome of Castle Gandolfo and Johannesburg were scheduled to arrive at Keeneland Race Course shortly after 5 o'clock this afternoon. They are being flown from their Ballydoyle headquarters in Ireland to Lexington.

The two Kentucky-breds are making the return home to perform in Saturday's 128th edition of the Run for the Roses. They will have to undergo a 48-hour quarantine period at Keeneland following the ship.

O'Brien reportedly will fly in Friday to join his pair. They are scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs Saturday morning at approximately 10 o'clock for the Derby slated to start at 6:04 that afternoon.

EASY GRADES - "He's just going to walk today," said trainer Ted H. West of his Kentucky Derby charge, Easy Grades. "He's doing good. He's a tough horse; I can't get him tired - even after a race. He's never missed an oat. That's good for a 3-year-old."

Easy Grades, the runner-up in the San Rafael (Grade II) and the Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) in his last two starts, drilled five furlongs Monday morning in 1:01.40 under his Derby rider, Jorge Chavez.

Chavez, of course, won last year's Derby aboard Monarchos. "We figured that fact couldn't hurt," West said.

ESSENCE OF DUBAI - Godolphin Racing's Essence Of Dubai worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 under exercise rider Lee Roebuck over a fast track Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. As is his norm, Essence Of Dubai wore blinkers in the work.

Going out shortly after 6:30, Essence Of Dubai was caught in fractions of :13, :25.60, :38.40, :50.20 and out the six furlongs in 1:14.80.

"I thought he went very well," said Tom Albertrani, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. "It looked like he was finishing up today a little better than he did the other day (a seven-eighths work in 1:28.40 last Thursday) and he galloped out good, so we are pretty happy with that work."

Essence Of Dubai was his usual feisty self before the work, a trait that did not bother Albertrani at all.

"I would be concerned if he wasn't like that," said Albertrani, who has been schooling Essence Of Dubaiin the paddock the past two mornings and plans another afternoon session Thursday.

"I'm not too worried about him getting hot (in the paddock before the Derby). He has seemed more professional the last couple of days going out there. I think what we are doing has really helped him since he has been here. He is getting more familiar with his surroundings. There have been more horses here than we have in Dubai. He is taking everything in stride."

HARLAN'S HOLIDAY - Starlight Stable's Harlan's Holiday put in his final work for the 128th Kentucky Derby by breezing a half-mile in :49.60 after the renovation break with Derby rider Edgar Prado up. Harlan's Holiday came to the gap by the clockers' stand trailed by a huge contingent of media and onlookers.

"He doesn't pay any attention to that. Nothing bothers him at all," said trainer Ken McPeek, who watched the morning's activity from the clockers' stand.

Harlan's Holiday was clocked in splits of :12.40, :24.60 and :37.40 with out times of 1:02.20 and 1:15.40.

"He was a little aggressive going to the pole and a little hard for Edgar to handle," said McPeek. "I think that toned down his breeze a little bit."

"I was pretty happy with it," Prado said. "He went pretty easy and did it all by himself. He was full of himself and I tried to slow him down early, and then when I asked him, he responded."

Harlan's Holiday will represent Prado's third Derby runner, following trips on Commendable in 1999 and Thunder Blitz in 2000. Neither of those runners was as fancied as Harlan's Holiday, the probable morning-line favorite.

"It's better to be on the favorite than a longshot," said Prado, who has guided Harlan's Holiday to two daylight victories the two times he has ridden him.

Prado was asked about the experience of riding in the Derby. "I had ridden in the Preakness a few years before the first time I rode in the Derby and it is pretty similar," Prado said. "Being the second leg of the Triple Crown, it is not as exciting as the first because it (the Derby) is a Pandora's box, because you never know what is going to happen.

"It is great because the people are cheering for you from the time you get on the horse in the paddock until you go to the gate. It is a great feeling. If I start talking about a special feeling, I will never finish. It is incredible."

McPeek said Harlan's Holiday would walk Wednesday and return to the track Thursday.

IT'SALLINTHECHASE - The "experienced" horse - Darwin Olson's It'sallinthechase - walked for the second straight day following a Sunday workout at Churchill Downs ahead of his scheduled start in Derby 128.

The Kentucky-bred colt by Take Me Out has 14 lifetime starts to his credit, including five this year, making him the leader in both of those departments coming into Saturday's classic.

"He's doing great," said trainer Wilson Brown, his cowboy hat and Oklahoma smile affixed in their usual spots. "He's eating everything in sight and sleeping hard. We've got to go in there (his stall) and wake him up. I know he's going to have a battle on his hands Saturday and we're just trying to get him ready for it."

Brown said he'd like two things for his charge for the big day. "I'd like him to have the 8 hole and a fast pace to run at."

LUSTY LATIN - Joey and Wendy Platts' Lusty Latin walked the shedrow Tuesday morning, a day after working five furlongs in 1:01. Trainer Jeff Mullins said everything was fine with Lusty Latin this morning and that the El Prado colt was eating better than he was after he worked last week.

"What it was last week was he got a little belly ache from eating all that grass," Mullins said. "He is fine."

Lusty Latin is scheduled to return to the track Wednesday.

The owners are scheduled to arrive in Louisville Tuesday from their home in Lyman, Wyo.

MAYAKOVSKY - Michael B. Tabor's Mayakovsky galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break with exercise rider Cyril Desplanques up. Trainer Patrick Biancone said the Matty G colt would work five-eighths of a mile Wednesday morning after the break and a decision on entering the Kentucky Derby would be made after that.

"Demi O'Byrne (adviser to Tabor) is scheduled to be here tonight, and after the work, we'll decide," said Biancone, who sports an "I like Kentucky-bred Johannesburg" bumper sticker on his car. "The first factor (on entering) will be how he works, and the second factor is he is a fresh horse and he is improving every day. If we do enter, we will run and not scratch."

Mayakovsky was scratched out of last Saturday's Derby Trial because of track conditions, and his scheduled Wednesday work will be his fourth here since April 16.

MEDAGLIA D'ORO - Edmund Gann's San Felipe (Grade II) winner Medaglia d'Oro, who worked six furlongs in 1:13.80 Monday morning, was a walker on the Robert Frankel shedrow Tuesday morning.

"I came back and saw him yesterday afternoon following the work," Frankel said. "He was walking great and he's doing great. All's good."

The dark El Prado colt, a photo-finish second in the Wood Memorial (Grade I) in his most recent start, comes into the 128th Derby with only four lifetime starts under his belt. Is his conditioner concerned about his apparent lack of seasoning?

"No, I'm not," Frankel stated. "He's got something better - talent. Which would you rather have, a horse who could run or a horse who had run a lot? Talent makes up for a lot of things."

Laffit Pincay, Jr. is slated to handle the riding chores on Medaglia d'Oro on Saturday.

OCEAN SOUND (Ire) - KM Stable, Ford and Pearson's Irish-bred Ocean Sound, who figures to be among the longshots in the 128th Kentucky Derby Saturday, had his final major tune-up for the mile and one-quarter race this morning when he breezed a half-mile in :47.20 under jockey Chris McCarron.

Working after the renovation break for trainer Jim Cassidy, the son of Mujadil registered fractions of :12.20, :24 flat and :36.20 en route to his final time. He was timed in 1:00.20 galloping out.

"He worked really good," said Cassidy. "I wanted to wake him up a little today and he was a different horse from a week ago. He made the turns well. I still am not totally convinced he's getting a hold of the track as well as I'd like. It might have been breaking away from him slightly today.

"We want this horse to relax early and finish and he's still learning. It's a progressive process."

McCarron confirmed Cassidy's assessment of the workout, saying, "This was a better workout for him than last week when he didn't get across the ground that well. It was deeper then and the track was cut up. But he was very kind today and relaxed well early. When I asked him to go, he responded. Last week, he was very quiet. Today he was bouncing and showed a lot more life but it seemed to me the ground was still breaking out from him a little bit."

Cassidy said Ocean Sound, who will be ridden by Alex Solis Saturday, will walk Wednesday and gallop Thursday and Friday with a paddock schooling set for Thursday afternoon.

PERFECT DRIFT - Trainer Murray Johnson sent the Spiral Stakes winner through his final major paces this morning, drilling five furlongs in 1:00.60 at the Trackside Training Center. Jockey Joe Deegan put the gelding on the rail through fractions of :13, :25.40, :37.40 and :50.60 according to official track clockers. Those splits produced a final furlong time of :10.20. Perfect Drift galloped out six panels in 1:13.40.

"He was on the bit, broke off at the five-eighths and finished strong," Johnson said. "He's done everything right. There's nothing more I can do. It's up to the gods."

Johnson said he would like to see the stretch-running Perfect Drift placed somewhere between eighth and 14th down the backside. A fast pace helps his contender, but Johnson worries that a hard-packed Derby Day track could work against his chances.

PRIVATE EMBLEM/WINDWARD PASSAGE - Trainer Steve Asmussen's Derby duo of Arkansas Derby winner Private Emblem and Windward Passage, who deadheated for third in the same race, walked under the shed this morning. Both worked half-miles Monday under jockey Donnie Meche, Private Emblem timed in :48.80, while Windward Passage was clocked a fifth-of-a-second faster in :48.60.

"They came back great," said Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen. "They'll be back on the track Wednesday to gallop."

Meche rides Private Emblem Saturday, with Richard Migliore taking over on Windward Passage.

PROUD CITIZEN - Bob Baker, David Cornstein and Bill Mack's Proud Citizen walked the shedrow a day after working five furlongs in :58.80, the best of 49 for the day at the distance.

"That (the bullet) didn't surprise me at all," said trainer D. Wayne Lukas as he grazed the son of Gone West on the Longfield Avenue side of Barn 42 before 6 o'clock. "He was just breezing."

Proud Citizen brings Lukas back to the Derby after not having a starter in the race last year for the first time since 1981.

"I liked to watch the circus go by," Lukas said with a laugh. Lukas said he watched last year's race with longtime client W.T. Young of Overbrook Farm.

"I may do that again this year," Lukas said. "It didn't bother me (not to have a rooting interest) because Todd and Dallas (former assistants Todd Pletcher and Dallas Stewart) were in there and I was pulling for them to do well."

Lukas said Proud Citizen would jog in the morning and then gallop the next two days.

REQUEST FOR PAROLE - Battaglia Memorial winner Request For Parole galloped a mile and three-quarters under exercise rider Loren Diego before the renovation break.

"He galloped great this morning," said trainer Steve Margolis. "He might open gallop tomorrow, or I might two-minute lick him later on. He is doing good now and I expect him to run well. I know he will try."

Request For Parole has run three times previously at Churchill Downs, the most of any prospective starter.

"He has spent a lot of time here," Margolis said. "He was here for three months last spring before we went to Ellis Park. Then we were back in the fall for three months and then here all spring."

SAARLAND - Cynthia Phipps' Saarland, fourth in the Wood Memorial in his last race, walked under the shed this morning after having breezed five furlongs in 1:02 flat Monday.

According to Robert Medina, assistant to trainer Shug McGaughey, the son of Unbridled came out of his drill in good shape and will return to the track to gallop Wednesday. Also on the agenda is an afternoon schooling session in the paddock either Wednesday or Thursday.

STRAIGHT GIN - Marylou Whitney's Straight Gin galloped under exercise rider Jamie Sanders.

Trainer Nick Zito said a decision would be made in the morning whether to enter Straight Gin in the Derby, a race he may not get in because of only $52,500 in graded earnings, a figure that would not land Straight Gin among the top 20 earners.

SUNDAY BREAK - Trainer Neil Drysdale said this morning that Sunday Break, whom it doesn't appear will break into the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field, emerged from his six furlong workout Monday in good shape.

"He's feeling well," said the conditioner who sent the talented son of Forty Niner to the track today to 'trot.' "He bounced around the track."

Although it's extremely remote at this late stage that Sunday Break will move up enough on the graded stakes earnings list to allow him to run in the Derby, Drysdale said he will go through the formality of entering the horse Wednesday.

U S S TINOSA - The "submarine" horse - U S S Tinosa - is scheduled to surface at Churchill Downs Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock He'll be bedded down in Barn 42.

U S S Tinosa, named for a highly-decorated American submarine in World War II, will need some help to actually get to run in Saturday's Derby 128. He remains No. 21 on the earnings' list and needs a withdrawal from one of the 20 ahead of him if he's to run in the mile and one-quarter classic. Kent Desormeaux is scheduled to handle the Foxhound colt for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

WAR EMBLEM - The Thoroughbred Corp.'s recently-acquired War Emblem sharpened up this morning for his race in Saturday's Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 after the renovation break for two-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert.

With regular workout partner Dana Barnes in the saddle, the son of Our Emblem, reportedly purchased for almost $1 million, stepped off even fractions of :12.20, :24.40, :36.40 and :48.40. He galloped out to the seven-furlong pole in 1:14.60 for three quarters of a mile.

"If this horse wins the Derby it'll be the best and shortest training job ever," joked Baffert later at the barn. "He went nice today; he's getting better all the time. He's learning and relaxing and he was just cruising in twelves over the track today. He's blooming now and that kind of reminds me of the way Real Quiet came up to the Derby. It's a good time to be blooming.

"We've put in a lot of work with him in a short time and he's adapted well to the training program. He's tough but smart and has his little quirks. He's as ready as he can be.Whether he's good enough, you can't predict in a 20-horse field. He hasn't had one setback. He's sound and going great. He has a really nice way of going and covers a lot of ground.

"We're not going to change his style; I just hope he can be contained and not go too fast early, " continued Baffert, who indicated War Emblem will have a change of equipment Saturday, wearing a ring bit and tongue tie. Previously, he was equipped with a 'D' bit. "He may not win, but I know he won't embarrass us."

Victor Espinoza will ride War Emblem for the first time Saturday.

WILD HORSES - Peachtree Stable's Wild Horses got a break from the rigors of being a racehorse coming up to the Kentucky Derby this bright, beautiful morning and merely stretched his legs around the shedrow of trainer Todd Pletcher's barn.

"He's just walking today," the conditioner said. "An easy day for him."

Wild Horses, a colt by Saint Ballado who finished second in the Arkansas Derby (Grade II) in his most recent effort, is still lacking an 'official' rider for the Run for the Roses.

"It's looking more and more like it will be Rene (Douglas)," Pletcher noted. "We'll have to get that done today." Douglas, a Florida-based rider, handled Wild Horses in the Arkansas Derby.

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