The connections of last year's Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Fierceness are back for the Run for the Roses with a horse flying just under the radar in Grande.
Trained by Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable, Grande posted his final breeze before the Derby April 25 at Keeneland, drilling five furlongs in company in 1:01. The Curlin colt completed his work just as the skies opened and sheets of rain engulfed the Lexington oval.
Jockey John Velazquez, Grande's pilot in the first two starts of his career—two victories—was aboard for the breeze.
"(Grande) went very, very nice. I'm happy with him," Velazquez said. "He has the same chance that everyone has once they get in the starting gate (for the Kentucky Derby). It's the luck of the draw, and seeing if we can break and get a good position, and a good trip."
The lightly raced Grande exits a runner-up finish in the April 5 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Bumped out of the gate and forced five wide into the first turn, Grande closed willingly from off the pace to get up for second behind the front-running victor Rodriguez. He earned a career-best 106 Equibase Speed Figure in the Wood.
"He seems to be handling everything well physically," Pletcher said of Grande. "He's continuing to mature and put on weight and doing what you'd like to see a young horse do this time of year. He's taken his races well and continued to improve."
A victory in the Derby would be the third for Pletcher and the first for owner Mike Repole.
Pletcher said the weather played a big role in his decision to give Grande his final pre-Derby work at Keeneland. The colt has been training at the track all week.
"We were watching the forecast pretty closely," Pletcher said. "I just felt like I had a little more confidence that this track would hold up if we got a lot of rain. Fortunately, we were able to get the work in just after the break before the rain hit."
Honeybee (G3) and Fantasy (G2) stakes winner Quietside, one of the favorites for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1), was another one that beat the Friday morning Keeneland showers and logged her final breeze.
Piloted by Jose Ortiz, her rider in the Honeybee and Fantasy, the daughter of Malibu Moon cruised through a solo half-mile in :48 1/5 for trainer John Ortiz.
"(Quietside) went into her breeze doing exactly what we needed her to do to a T," John Ortiz said. "Jose (Ortiz) and I had a plan just to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out and shut her off before the three-quarter (pole) just to keep her on her toes from here on out. She worked perfectly, broke off in :12 4/5 and quickened with each pole. Finished in :48 and change. Nice and steady. It looks like she's ready."
Grande and Quietside were both scheduled to depart for Churchill Downs later on Friday. Horses starting in the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks are required to be stabled on Churchill Downs' grounds by April 26.
Chunk of Gold Finishes Turfway Park Preparations for Derby
Also breezing away from Churchill Downs Friday morning was Chunk of Gold, though over the synthetic track at Turfway Park.
The gray and/or roan son of Preservationist covered five furlongs in company in :59 1/5, the fastest of 13 breezes at that distance during the morning at the Northern Kentucky track where trainer Ethan West bases his stable. A maiden winner at Turfway Park in December, the colt has since rattled off three consecutive runner-up finishes in stakes, most recently finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind Tiztastic in the March 22 Louisiana Derby (G2).
Chunk of Gold arrived at Churchill Downs Friday afternoon after being vanned from Turfway.
Jareth Loveberry, aboard Chunk of Gold in the Louisiana Derby as well as an earlier runner-up finish in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, retains the mount in the Derby. He was also aboard for Friday's breeze.
Loveberry guided Two Phil's to a second-place finish in the 2023 Kentucky Derby behind Mage in his only prior mount in the Run for the Roses.
This will be the first Derby starter for West.
"Now we just have to keep that same energy level up over the next week," West said after Friday's breeze. "That was about as good as we could ask of him. He was galloping out really easy around the turn, then another horse came up to his outside and he wanted to get back in the bit."
Good Cheer Continues Training EXCELLENCE for Cox
The Churchill Downs work tab was highlighted Friday by Godolphin homebred Good Cheer, the expected favorite for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Recording her fourth breeze over the surface since winning the March 22 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 under jockey Luis Saez and outside of 3-year-old stablemate Saucier. The pair stayed even through most of the stretch before Good Cheer began to open up in the gallop out.
"She was excellent," trainer Brad Cox said. "She's always consistent in the morning, she always works well. I think she's set up for a big effort."
A perfect 6-for-6, a big performance from Good Cheer in the Oaks would firmly solidify her placement atop the 3-year-old filly division. Cox credits the success to her class and easy-to-train attitude. A two-time winner of the Oaks, Cox said she's entering the May 2 race just as well as Monomoy Girl and Shedaresthedevil did in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
"She knows what she's meant to do. We've led her over there six times and she's never disappointed us," Cox said. "Everybody goes, 'Has she improved?' I don't think we need her to improve, she needs to stay the same. I'm very happy with what I've seen from her since the Fair Grounds Oaks."
Flying Mohawk, Oaks Fillies Impress Beckman in Final Works
Two of the fillies who will try to take Good Cheer down in the Oaks also recorded their final preparations over Churchill's good dirt course Friday for trainer Whit Beckman, as did his Kentucky Derby contender.
Grantley Acres, Ryan Conner, and Berkels0813's Simply Joking was the first of the trio to record her breeze, making a solo four-furlong move in :47 3/5 under jockey Florent Geroux. After recording her previous two breezes in company with Oaks rival Drexel Hill, Beckman opted to complete the Practical Joke filly's major preparations in a more relaxed fashion.
"It was perfect. I just wanted to get her out of company this week," Beckman said. "She's an intense filly who's going to give you 110%, maybe a little bit more, when she is in company. We just wanted something relaxed, fluid, and she did exactly what we wanted. It looked fast, :47 and change is not a slow work, but the way she did it was effortless."
While working solo was chosen for the filly who typically is forwardly placed in her races, an in-company move was chosen for Legion Racing's Drexel Hill and Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing, and Kaleta Racing's Flying Mohawk. In fact, the Oaks filly and Derby colt worked together.
"Both of them are more collected breaking off," Beckman gave as the reasoning for working the pair together. "You can kind of get them into a rhythm early and then slowly pick it up as the work goes. It went exactly according to plan today."
That plan was executed by assistant trainer and exercise rider Maurilio Garcia aboard Flying Mohawk and jockey Ben Curtis aboard Drexel Hill. With Flying Mohawk on the inside, the pair breezed five furlongs in 1:00.
"I thought it was perfect. For anyone to tell me Flying Mohawk is not a dirt horse after watching his works the last couple weeks, I'd argue with them," Beckman said. "He's doing as good as a horse can do. They went a minute flat and (1:12 4/5 for a six-furlong gallop out). These are racehorse times for the breezes. I'm really happy with how they both went."
