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Busy Morning of Training April 10 for Derby Hopefuls

Mandaloun, Helium, Like the King, and Hot Rod Charlie all breezed.

Helium gears up for his move to Churchill Downs with an April 3 work at Palm Meadows Training Center

Helium gears up for his move to Churchill Downs with an April 3 work at Palm Meadows Training Center

Dana Wimpfheimer

Preparation for the May 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) continued to heat up across the country April 10 with numerous horses working toward the 1 1/4-mile classic.

At Churchill Downs, Mandaloun  breezed five furlongs on a fast track in :58 4/5 and Helium went the same distance in :59 1/5. Like the King went six furlongs on turf at Keeneland in 1:16, and Hot Rod Charlie went five furlongs on a fast track at Santa Anita Park in 1:01 1/5.

Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Helium worked alongside of stablemate Ghost of the Mambo through fractions of :11 4/5, :23 1/5 and :35 2/5 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Jockey Julien Leparoux was aboard Helium while Declan Carroll rode the workmate. 

"Everything went as smoothly as we could've drawn it up," trainer Mark Casse's local assistant David Carroll said. "He came in from Florida on Wednesday and has been doing very well since."

Helium arrived with stablemate and fellow Kentucky Derby runner Soup and Sandwich, who is scheduled to breeze April 11, according to Carroll. Owned by Live Oak Plantation, Soup and Sandwich galloped about 1 1/2 miles Saturday, as did Godolphin's Essential Quality , the expected Derby favorite.

Other Derby contenders that trained Saturday morning at Churchill Downs were Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon and Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, and West Point Thoroughbreds' O Besos.

Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun, winner of the Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) this winter at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, worked alongside grade 2 winner Bonny South through opening fractions of :23 2/5 and :46 3/5 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:11 2/5 and seven furlongs in 1:25 3/5.

"I thought they both worked great," trainer Brad Cox said. "They both worked fast but looked like they were doing it really easy."

Seventy miles down the road at Keeneland, M Racing Group's Like the King, winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park last month, breezed on the grass, a frequent training surface of horses conditioned by Wesley Ward.

The work was the first of three at Keeneland that trainer Ward has scheduled for Like the King.

With jockey Drayden Van Dyke aboard, Like the King started far back of workmates and stakes runners Outadore and After Five, passing the former and making up five lengths on the latter.

"I wanted Drayden on him today because it is only his second time on him. (Like the King's) next two works will be on the main track with Julio (Garcia) with the last one on (April 25) if the weather cooperates," Ward said.

Van Dyke rode Like the King in the Jeff Ruby and is to ride the colt in the Kentucky Derby.

Like the King, who is third on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 104 points, is scheduled to ship to Churchill after his final work and gallop over the main track there. No Jeff Ruby participant has run in the Derby since Fast and Accurate was 17th in 2017. 

Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Turfway Park, raised the Jeff Ruby's points value this year, clearing the way for two or more of the race's top finishers to make the Derby,

Animal Kingdom won both races in 2011 before the Derby points era began, as did Lil E. Tee in 1992

Several contenders from trainer Todd Pletcher's squad are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Sunday, including Derby contenders Known Agenda  and Sainthood along with Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner Malathaat, according to senior director of the stable area Steve Hargrave. Pletcher's New York-based runners Bourbonic and Dynamic One are tentatively scheduled to arrive April 12.

St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda, widely considered Pletcher's best Derby Hope after winning the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) at Gulfstream Park, breezed five furlongs in :50.25 in company with grade 1-winning turf horse Colonel Liam  April 9 at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida.

Also breezing Friday for Pletcher was WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Sainthood, the runner-up from the Jeff Ruby, who went a half-mile in :48 3/5 at Keeneland.

On the West Coast Saturday, Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Hot Rod Charlie breezed in company with stablemate Hammering Lemon, going five furlongs in 1:01 1/5.

"He worked really, really well," O'Neill said of the Oxbow  colt owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, and Bill Strauss.

The two-time Derby-winning trainer (I'll Have Another, 2012; Nyquist , 2016) said both his trainees finished well in the workout but Hot Rod Charlie "was the better of the two."