Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: The contenders’ training plans

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 4 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

Omaha Beach arrived by van Tuesday afternoon to Churchill Downs amid a 2019 Kentucky Derby season in which we’ll get to see plenty of the top choices do significant training under the Twin Spires.

“Official” training begins Saturday, with a 15-minute window of exclusive time on track for only Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders at 7:30 ET each morning. Churchill Downs bringing back its live streaming show to analyze what you’re seeing, with these horses, in points order, already on the grounds…

1. Tacitus

2. Omaha Beach

4. Plus Que Parfait

6. By My Standards

11. Improbable

13. Long Range Toddy

17. Country House

Here’s what we know about the rest…

• Trainer George Weaver has relocated Blue Grass (G2) winner Vekoma to his base at Palm Beach Downs in Florida with plans calling for him to ship in race week. Todd Pletcher also has based there Cutting Humor and Spinoff, and he said “recent history shows it is not necessary to have a work over the track.”

• Florida Derby (G1) winner Maximum Security is already back to work at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida. Last year, Servis did not work his first Derby starter, Firenze Fire, at Churchill.

• Trainer Bob Baffert has his two other top points earners, Roadster and Game Winner, at Santa Anita Park. Last year, he did not work his Derby contenders at Churchill.

• Code of Honor and War of Will are both located at Keeneland, on the work tab since their final preps and pointed toward final breezes under the Twin Spires.

• Tax and Haikal, who ran behind Tacitus in the Wood Memorial (G2), are based in New York. Kiaran McLaughlin has said Haikal will work just once between races.

• Win Win Win will do his training up to the Derby at Maryland’s Fair Hill, with his final work occurring there, too.

• Gray Magician, the UAE Derby (G2) runner-up, has shipped back to trainer Peter Miller’s base at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in California. He will ship in the week of the race.

• Master Fencer, Japan’s contender, is scheduled to travel to the U.S. on April 23, will quarantine in Chicago, then van to Keeneland on April 25 before arriving to Churchill the Tuesday of race week.

As always in horse racing, the above plans are subject to change.

Derby links

• Continuing a wave of momentum for Omaha Beach, William Hill U.S. has coined him its favorite. See the updated Kentucky Derby odds out of Las Vegas.

• When’s it too early to consider a 3-year-old the best horse in training? HRN’s Matt Shifman isn’t waiting until after the Derby.

• We haven’t heard much about Spinoff since the Louisiana Derby, but handicapper Justin Dew lays out why the Todd Pletcher-trained longshot will key his tickets.

In case you missed it…

Monday’s Derby Daily report ran down some key decisions already made — with more on the way — by jockeys.