Derby notes: Denis of Cork joins the party

Behindatthebar to await Preakness;
several put in final training moves


From Churchill Downs

Todd Pletcher stated Monday morning that the Coolmore Lexington Stake winner would bypass the Kentucky Derby and instead point for the Preakness Stakes two weeks later.

“I spoke with Mr. Sanan (Padua Stable owner Satish Sanan) today and we agreed that the best thing for the colt was to pass this race and point instead for the Preakness,” Pletcher said. “The Lexington was just April 19 and he’d run 16 days before that in California (winning an allowance race at Santa Anita) and asking him to come back again this Saturday would have just been too much.

“We’ll go up to Baltimore with him and see what we can do there. We’ll see if we can get lucky.”

The defection now opens the door for Denis of Cork. Calvin Borel, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby aboard Street Sense, has the call on the Harlan’s Holiday colt for trainer David Carroll and was up for a Monday morning, a half-mile in :48.

“He worked so good. Nothing this horse does surprises me,” Carroll said after the work that was the fifth fastest of 44 at the distance Monday morning. Splits on the work were :12.80, :25, :36.80 and out five furlongs in 1:00.20.

“I am over the moon,” Carroll said after hearing the news that there is room in the starting gate. “It’s great news.”


Big Truck demonstrated a distinct fondness for the Churchill Downs racetrack with a bullet five-furlong workout. The Barclay Tagg-trained colt, who finished 11th in the Blue Grass Stakes over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface last time out, was clocked in :59.40, posting the fastest of 22 works at the distance. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.

“He worked very well,’’ said Tagg. “He did everything right. He likes the surface.”

“The Mig” watch went past 9 a.m. at Barn 45, but still no sign of the California-based rider who was jetting in to work the Santa Anita Derby runner-up at. Then a minute later Richard Migliore was there, thanks to a quick ride from the Louisville airport from trainer James Kasparoff.

“Got an 11:30 red eye out of California,” the affable veteran offered, “and this was as early as I could get here. I booked so late I was stuck back in coach between two guys and didn’t get a lot of sleep. But it went OK. Got to get this done, then go grab an 11:30 (a.m.) flight right back.”

The rider and Bob Black Jack made it trackside at 9:30 and registered one of the final works of the morning on the big oval. Breaking off at the four-furlong pole, the dark son of the Bertrando sire Stormy Jack clipped off steady fractions of :12.20, :24.20, :36 and :48.60. The track’s clockers caught him galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.

Steve Asmussen’s Derby duo of Pyro and Z Fortune worked back-to-back fashion. As Z Fortune was pulling up from his half-mile breeze Pyro rolled past him to kick off his half-mile move.

Pyro, the Louisiana Derby winner, posted a time of :49.80 for his half-mile drill, ranking 29th fastest of 44 at the distance on Monday morning. Under regular exercise rider Dominic Terry, the son of Pulpit clicked off splits of :13.20, :25.60 and :38 flat, galloping out in 1:03.40.

Z Fortune preceded that move with a slower breeze in :51 flat, rating the 38th fastest worker at the distance. With Carmen Rosas in the irons, the son of Siphon posted splits of :13.60, :26.20 and :38.80. Official clockers did not give a gallop-out time as Z Fortune eased his way around the clubhouse turn.

“They went over the track well,” Asmussen said of his Derby hopefuls. “We were very fortunate with the weather and the track was in excellent shape this morning.”

Visionaire turned in his final workout Monday morning under jockey Jose Lezcano. The Gotham winner put in a half-mile just after the renovation break in :48.40, 11th fastest of 33 at the distance.

Owned by Team Valor and Vision Racing, Visionaire worked in company with the maiden filly Novel Twist, who will run on Oaks Day. “He just needed a little target to go at; he’s not a very good work horse,” said Matz, who shortly thereafter added, “They don’t give away money for works before the race.”

Matz was in a powerful position with Barbaro in 2006, who came into the Derby unbeaten and one of the favorites, but Visionaire has a longshot look. He was fifth in the Blue Grass last time out.

“The pace was slow and I thought at the end he was the only one gaining on the leader at that point,” Matz said. “If he runs good on Saturday, we’ll all be happy with it (as a final prep). We’re going to take a shot like everyone else is.”