Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Off poor prep race, Mandaloun works sharply for Derby
LOUISVILLE, KY. – Mandaloun may have stolen a little thunder from his undefeated stablemate and Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality with an extremely impressive sixfurlong workout in 1:11.47 early Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.
Mandaloun and Essential Quality were two of three Derby hopefuls to work under cool, overcast skies over a fast track Saturday at Churchill Downs along with Soup and Sandwich, who waited until the special training session restricted to Derby and Kentucky Oaks starters only from 7:30-7:45 a.m. daily.
Mandaloun is seeking to rebound from a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the Louisiana Derby, and he gave every indication that just might happen with his effort Saturday morning under Florent Geroux. Breaking about a length off and outside stablemate Colonel Bowman, Mandaloun eased away from the five-eighths pole in 12.66 seconds under a strong hold before steadily picking up the pace. He came down the lane in 23.03, reaching the wire in 58.84 while still on his own, before readily running well clear of his overmatched partner into and around the turn, receiving just a little gentle reminder into the bend before easing up seven furlongs in a strong 1:25.48.
“I thought he breezed really well and Florent was very happy with him,” trainer Brad Cox said afterward. “I was looking to do a little more with him [than Essential Quality] since he hasn’t run since the Louisiana Derby. This is pretty much more of the same from Mandaloun.
For whatever reason, we couldn’t find anything physically wrong, he just wasn’t himself that day. We’re just going to draw a line through it and hope he can bounce back on the winning track.”
Essential Quality preceded Mandaloun while in tandem with Spa City, who hung in gamely nearest the inside before actually gaining the upper hand slightly at the end of the drill. Essential Quality, with regular rider Luis Saez up, also eased into the work and did accelerate nicely down the lane, getting his final quarter in 23.08 before wandering a tad wide on the bend before completing fiveeighths in 59.96, galloping out in 1:13.46, but dropping about a half-length back continuing widest on the turn.
“I thought it was a really good move for Essential Quality,” Cox said. “He also galloped out super. Both horses were well within themselves. I was very happy with him as well. They’re both on track. We’ve still got two weeks to go. We just want them to stay right where they are. I don’t what to change anything.”
Soup and Sandwich also had a pristine track to train over immediately after the break and, like the Cox pair, also had a target to run at, breaking several lengths behind Epic Dreamer. With regular rider Tyler Gaffalione aboard, Soup and Sandwich looked very sharp, readily corralling and then drawing well clear of his mate, opening a four-length advantage after five furlongs in 35.67 and 59.25 with plenty still in the tank running out, into, and around the clubhouse turn, completing six panels without need of any real prodding in 1:12.13 before galloping out seven-eighths in a solid 1:25.03.
Two candidates for the Kentucky Oaks also turned in what is likely to be their penultimate breezes before the race, with Gulfstream Oaks winner Crazy Beautiful looking as impressive coming out of that victory as she had been going in. Working solo, Crazy Beautiful covered five furlongs in a lively 58.86, galloped out six panels with her rider up in the irons in 1:12.65, continuing a full seven-eighths in 1:25.83 while purposefully kept well out from the rail down the lane and into the clubhouse turn.
Several hours earlier, Ava’s Grace turned in what appeared little more than a maintenance spin while getting her first real feel for the local surroundings, breezing an easy half-mile in 24.42 and 49.06 before easing up five furlongs in 1:03.23.