Ribble Farms, Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver, Kenneth Fishbein, and Dave Fishbein's Honor Marie drilled an eye-catching five-furlong bullet in :59 1/5 at Churchill Downs April 25, his final work before the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1).
"He looked like he was having fun and just doing his thing," said trainer Whit Beckman.
Breezing to the outside of multiple stakes-placed 3-year-old colt Agoo, Honor Marie clipped through a quarter in :23 4/5 and the opening half in :47 2/5 before stretching his stride down the lane. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27 3/5.
Honor Marie completing a strong five furlong move in :59.20. #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/uT8YEftdNU
— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 25, 2024
"My goal was for him to have a nice, solid, fairly sharp five-furlong drill," Beckman said. "He did it willingly, he just looked effortless and galloped out fantastic."
Honor Marie was ridden in his work by jockey Ben Curtis, who will have the mount in the Kentucky Derby.
"He felt fantastic," said Curtis. "He did everything smoothly and within himself. That should leave him absolutely spot on. After that, I'm even more excited."
The work was visibly impressive as Honor Marie opened up on his stablemate inside the sixteenth pole and drew away through the finish and into the gallop out. Agoo completed the five furlongs in 1:00, which was still fast enough to be the third quickest of 11 workers at the distance.
"Agoo, in his own right, did not work poorly," said Beckman. "A great work. With breezes it's tough to put too much into (seeing them pull away from a workmate), but just to know how effortlessly (Honor Marie) was doing it and how well he was moving. It just looked like he was very comfortable."
Connections have plenty to be optimistic about leading into the first Saturday in May. Not only has Honor Marie seemed to blossom in his training beneath the Twin Spires, but he also holds a 2-for-3 record over the track that includes a win in the Nov. 25 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2).
"We know he loves this track and we've been anticipating this work," said Kyle Zorn of Legion Bloodstock, the racing managers for Ribble Farms. "I love what Whit's plan was with the horse, he's plenty fit."
Beckman is hopeful that the best is yet to come for Honor Marie, who will only celebrate his actual third birthday on Derby day itself.
"The horse is just now rounding into his 3-year-old year," said Beckman. "There's a lot of development, growth, and maturity that will happen."
Pletcher Breezes Leslie's Rose, Candied for Oaks
Breezing at about the same time as Honor Marie were Todd Pletcher's Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders Leslie's Rose and Candied.
Whisper Hill Farm's Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Leslie's Rose breezed a half-mile by herself in :49 2/5 beneath jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
"I thought she breezed extremely well," Pletcher said. "She started off nice and relaxed, and then picked it up each furlong. Put in a really good gallop out and was full of energy. She was getting over the track really well."
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Candied, ridden by jockey Luis Saez, worked in company with graded stakes-placed 3-year-old filly Scalable for a half-mile. The pair was clocked in :47 3/5.
"We were looking for a good work, it seems like she did well," Pletcher said. "Galloped out strongly. We just need to see where we stand in terms of getting in."
Candied currently sits 17th on the Oaks leaderboard and would need three defections to participate. The daughter of Candy Ride had a late start to her year after a break that followed her third-place finish in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Candied finished fourth to Leslie's Rose in the Ashland, her only start this year. However, Pletcher believes she is ready should she be called up to the Oaks starting gate.
"I think based off of her run in the Ashland and her two works since then that she's ready to go if we get the opportunity," Pletcher said.
Pletcher will breeze his other potential Oaks candidate, UAE Oaks (G3) winner Manama Gold, and 2023 champion 2-year-old colt Fierceness April 26.
Notes from the Downs
- Willis Horton Racing's Tapit Jenallie breezed a half-mile in :49 2/5 for trainer Eddie Milligan Jr.
- Sierra Leone galloped a mile and a half after schooling at the gate for the second consecutive morning.
- D. Wayne Lukas trainees Just Steel, Lemon Muffin, and Seize the Grey all made their first appearances on the track in the daylight since arriving at Churchill Downs and schooled at the starting gate.
- Mystik Dan and Track Phantom schooled in the paddock at 10 a.m.
- Forever Young returned to the track one day after recording a six-furlong breeze, but only walked in the chute for nearly an hour beneath exercise rider Yusaku Oka.
- Grand Mo the First is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs around 9 p.m.
