We've still got another couple of weeks to go, but I couldn't be any happier with the way he's coming into the race at the moment. He just seems to be progressing and continuing to get better with maturity. Hopefully we'll get to gallop him tomorrow and work him Wednesday.”īob Baffert was thrilled with the work from the GI Pacific Classic winner–who many believe will ultimately be the post-time favorite in the Classic–and likes the changes he's seeing: “I was really happy with the work and the way he has been progressing since the Haskell, which was kind of a disaster all around. When asked for a reason, conditioner Rick Dutrow only said: “We weren't able to work this morning. Trainer Brad Cox started the Derby workout brigade early, sending out Hit Show and Verifying, workmates the previous week, in separate sets shortly before 5:30 a.m. Last year, the Jones-trained filly Eight Belles was equally impressive in the morning and finished second before sustaining a fatal injury after crossing the finish line.It was a tale of two Breeders' Cup preps Monday morning at Santa Anita for Arabian Knight ( Uncle Mo) and White Abarrio (Race Day), the former putting in an eye-catching six furlong work in 1:11.54 and then galloping out a mile in 1:37.57 without any pressing encouragement, as reported by the DRF in the Breeders' Cup Clocker Report, and the latter having it tentatively postponed until Wednesday. Welsch dismissed Hard Spun’s work as too fast, and was stunned when the colt hung on to finish second to Street Sense. Welsch, though, did not see that desire to go farther that he had seen in Street Sense.īut Larry Jones, who put a colt named Hard Spun through a similar work in 2007, trains Friesan Fire. Friesan Fire, the Louisiana Derby winner, blistered five-eighths of a mile on Monday in 57.80 seconds, which is wicked fast. Welsch is befuddled by at least one contender. “I want to see him on this track,” he said. He is curious about Dunkirk, who arrived here Tuesday from Florida. Training in idyllic conditions, the weather cool and clear throughout. He says Pioneerof the Nile has trained O.K., but not well enough to inspire fear or confidence. The Kentucky Derby winner turned in an eye-catching two-mile gallop over the main track shortly after the renovation break. While the bulk of the training has been completed by most of the Derby horses, Welsch has not landed on a favorite. Get Breeders Cup Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the DRF Clocker Team when you purchase a BC. He picked him, but it did not move the horse’s price: Denis of Cork went off at 27-1, and finished third. There were no official works to report during training hours on Tuesday. Instead, he became enamored with the efficiency of motion shown each morning by a horse named Denis of Cork. Last year, for example, Welsch had Big Brown pegged as the horse to beat, but he saw nothing in the morning that even whispered, “Bet me,” especially as a short-priced favorite. In fact, the clocker’s clocker thinks this is about as muddled a Derby field that he has seen at least among the contenders. The next year, Street Sense took the track for his final work with Calvin Borel aboard, and Welsch’s stopwatch nearly cracked because he was gripping it so excitedly. Welsch watched Barbaro glide effortlessly atop the dirt oval here in 2006, and knew he had found his Derby winner. His observations about what goes on in training in the morning have led many a horseplayer to the mutuel windows on Derby afternoon. Welsch writes its Clocker’s Report, and he has been called the E. “I want to see a workout from a horse that just screams: ‘Bet me,’ ” said Welsch, who has been clocking the Derby horses for the Daily Racing Form, widely considered the horseplayers’ Bible, since 2000. He is watching the Kentucky Derby contenders jog, gallop and breeze listening, really for one thing. Mike Welsch is standing in the dark on the rail at Churchill Downs with the collar of his windbreaker pulled up to his ears and a stopwatch clutched in his hand.
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