Monday Morning Notes
– Derby works: At Churchill, Big Truck breezed a bullet five furlongs in :59.40; Z Fortune, reportedly looking magnificent this weekend, worked four furlongs in a slow :51; at the same distance, Visionaire went :48.40 (“under some pressure“) and Bob Black Jack :48.60 (with rider Richard Migliore up). Pyro also worked this morning, without company, breezing four furlongs in :49.80 over the track.
– After missing two days of training due to fever, Smooth Air returned to the track on Sunday. Trainer Bennie Stutts said the colt would gallop for the remainder of the week, which means his his final Derby work happened on April 19, when he went seven furlongs in 1:25.80 at Calder. Last work two weeks out is not usually a positive going into the Derby.
– Oaks news: Battaglia Memorial winner Absolutely Cindy will start in the Oaks on Friday. The filly worked three furlongs in :37 at Churchill on Sunday.
– Sunland is seeking graded status for the Winstar Derby.
– Lava Man finished third in the Khaled Stakes on Sunday, his first start in six months. “I thought we were in a really good spot, and it was typical of a horse just needing a race,” said rider Corey Nakatani of the effort (Blood-Horse). Trainer Doug O’Neill said he was disappointed by the finish, but that the 7-year-old gelding got something out of the race for his next start, reports the LA Times:
– Also at Hollywood on Sunday, Bel Air Sizzle, fresh off an allowance win only three days before, won the Melair Stakes after Gambler’s Justice was disqualified for interference in the stretch and bumped to third. The 3-year-old filly was mistakenly entered in the Melair because of a racing office mistake; trainer Barry Abrams had planned to enter Santa Paula winner Lethal Heat instead.
– Shadai Stallion Station tries, tries again with War Emblem.
