Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Always Dreaming looks sharp
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After raising some eyebrows for the wrong reasons during training hours at Churchill Downs the previous two mornings, Always Dreaming did so again for all the right ones on Friday, topping a group of eight prospective Kentucky Derby starters to work on a calm but crisp morning under the twin spires.
Always Dreaming was one of four potential Derby starters whom trainer Todd Pletcher sent out to work during the regular Derby-Oaks training session between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. The session became a bit more frenetic than originally expected due to a forecast that called for rain in the afternoon and evening.
Work of the day
Always Dreaming was the clear-cut winner of this honor, turning in the last and arguably best of his three works since his impressive victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby earlier this month.
Always Dreaming has been a handful and then some during routine gallops since his arrival from south Florida on Tuesday, with even the normally stoic Pletcher noticeably concerned by his antics the previous two mornings.
With regular rider John Velazquez aboard, Always Dreaming wasted little time getting into his work, tossing his head a couple of times on the way to the five-eighths pole
and still a trifle headstrong early before settling into a nice, rhythmic stride around the turn.
He switched leads almost imperceptibly once entering the stretch before completing the distance over a freshly manicured track in 24.47 seconds, 35.39, and 59.47 while
just nudged a tad by Velazquez approaching the wire.
He then galloped out with the same terrific energy he had displayed in his last several works at Palm Beach Downs, going six furlongs in 1:12.54 and seven-eighths in 1:25.65 under gentle prodding before easing up a mile in 1:40.25. The lightly raced 3-year-old just might be the most talented horse in the Derby field, although his demeanor certainly will bear watching when he returns to the track for his regular gallops early next week.
Battalion Runner was clearly the most disappointing of the eight Derby workers Friday, struggling under pressure to keep pace late nearest the rail with well-held workmate Made You Look, a 3-yearold turf specialist who was easily best of the pair to the wire after four furlongs in 23.87, 48.59.
The duo galloped out fiveeighths in 1:01.87, with Battalion Runner again urged along some just to keep pace into the turn. After watching him gallop so impressively here the previous several days, this work certainly fell well short of expectations.
Taprwrit and Patch worked five furlongs in company, with Tapwrit clearly best of the team, covering the distance in 24.08, 35.61, and 1:00.19 before galloping out six furlongs in a very respectable 1:13.48.
Tapwrit held a short advantage while just cruising to the wire outside his hard-pressed mate, the overmatched Patch continuing under steady urging just to match strides on the gallop-out. Tapwrit has the looks of a horse who may well be ready to rebound off a disappointing but troubled effort in the Blue Grass.
Classic Empire was the only one of the morning’s Derby workers to get his business done before dawn while teamed with Perfect Partner, a 3-year-old who finished second at Keeneland in his only start. The work was slated for four furlongs, although the pair got a little eager as they neared the five-eighths pole, dropping down on the rail to shade 13 seconds going to the halfmile marker.
Classic Empire settled in nicely thereafter, getting to the wire in 24.02 and 49.21 while nudged along a tad to finish, although he was somewhat lackluster on the gallop-out, pulling up five-eighths in 1:04.06 in what was clearly designed as a maintenance move coming off his game victory in the Arkansas Derby.
State of Honor actually upstaged his much more ballyhooed mate, Classic Empire, turning in arguably the secondmost-impressive drill of the morning, four furlongs solo in 48.50. The Florida Derby runner-up responded to light urging to complete his final quarter-mile in a sharp 23.50 before galloping out with similar enthusiasm, five-eighths, ears pricked, in 1:01.53.
The blinkers experiment took place, as expected, Friday with Practical Joke, who worked five furlongs in the hood in 37.08 and 1:01.58 with jockey Joel Rosario aboard. Practical Joke held a slight advantage to the wire outside his talented and speedy workmate Bobby On Fleek, before maintaining the advantage while galloping out willingly in 1:14.62.
Practical Joke is normally a very impressive-looking work horse, and Friday seemed like more of the same, making it immediately unclear whether the new equipment made any real difference, or whether trainer Chad Brown will opt to race Practical Joke with blinkers for the first time on Derby Day.
Trainer Antonio Sano said he was looking for nothing more than a maintenance-type effort from Gunnevera once he got to Churchill Downs following his “big” work last Friday at Gulfstream Park West, and that’s exactly what he got, a relatively easy half-mile, with blinkers, in 24.84 and 49.96 before easing up five furlongs in 1:04.65.
It should be noted that Gunnevera breezed Friday under exercise rider Victor Ofarril (jockey Edgard Zayas is his regular work rider in Florida) and thus carried considerably more weight than he had in any of his recent works.
At Keeneland, Blue Grass winner Irap breezed one mile in 1:44.20 in typical Doug O’Neill fashion, his final six furlongs in 1:14.35 (timed off the videotape) while going relatively easily throughout.