Arkansas Derby: Barber Road works; We the People lands Prat

Barber Road moved closer to a scheduled start in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 with a half-mile work over a fast track Saturday morning at Oaklawn.

Breezing immediately following the surface renovation break, Barber Road covered the distance in 48.2 second under exercise rider Elexander Aguilar. Clockers caught Barber Road in 25 seconds for his opening quarter and galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:01 and 6 furlongs in 1:14.80.

Barber Road, on the outside, breezed with stablemate Greatheart, a 3-year-old Empire Maker colt who is winless in two career starts. Both horses worked from the half-mile pole to the regular finish line. Greatheart also was credited with a half-mile in :48.20.

Barber Road, who races for former Walmart executive William Simon, was breezing for the first time since finishing third, beaten a half-length, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26. The Rebel was Oaklawn’s final major prep for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby.

“Today, we were just doing a little maintenance half-mile in company to keep him fresh and on his toes,” trainer John Ortiz said. “We were trying to see a better gallop out, just something really strong after the wire. So, he went nice and steady.

"I got him in 48 and change and like a minute galloping out, so that’s kind of what I wanted to see. He looked a lot more fresh. He’s been acting fresher and I’m hoping that’s going to be the key to get him a little quicker out of the gate, get him a little bit closer to the lead.”

The consistent Barber Road finished second in Oaklawn’s first two Kentucky Derby points races – $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile Jan. 1 and $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 29 – and has never been worse than fourth in seven career starts.

Barber Road ranks 12th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points, according to Churchill Downs. A top four finish in the Arkansas Derby likely would secure Barber Road a spot in the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.

Ortiz said Barber Road will have his final work for the Arkansas Derby next Saturday.

Nominations to the Arkansas Derby closed Friday, with post positions to be drawn March 27. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

Other horses pointing for the Arkansas Derby include star filly Secret Oath for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Un Ojo (Ricky Courville), Chasing Time (Steve Asmussen), We the People (Rodolphe Brisset) and Cyberknife (Brad Cox).

Un Ojo and Chasing Time finished 1-5, respectively, in the Rebel, while We the People is unbeaten in two career starts at the meeting. Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert also is expected to be represented in the Arkansas Derby.

Secret Oath has dominated 3-year-old fillies in three starts at the meeting, winning the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes by 7 1/4 lengths Jan. 29 and the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) by 7 1/2 lengths Feb. 26. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Secret Oath had been under consideration for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles April 2 – Oaklawn’s final major Kentucky Oaks prep – before Lukas opted to send the filly against males for the first time in the Arkansas Derby.

Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with Althea, a week after she finished second in the Fantasy. Lukas finished third in the 1986 Arkansas Derby with another filly, Family Style, a week after she ran fourth in the Fantasy. Althea and Family Style were both Eclipse Award winners at 2.

Ramon Vazquez will retain the mount on Un Ojo for the Arkansas Derby, the jockey’s agent, Bill Castle, said Thursday afternoon. Florent Geroux will ride Fair Grounds-based Cyberknife, agent Doug Bredar said Saturday morning. Geroux had ridden We the People in both career starts. With Geroux committed to Cyberknife, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said Saturday morning that Flavien Prat will ride We the People in the Arkansas Derby.

We the People had been under consideration for several other major Kentucky Derby points races before Brisset chose to keep the Constitution colt at Oaklawn following his five-length entry-level allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles March 12.

“He’s 2 for 2 here,” Brisset said. “We just felt like it was the normal, logical step. If he does good, that will give us five weeks (before the Kentucky Derby) and gives us time to ship him wherever we want and let him adapt and go from there.”

Brisset said he’s leaning toward working We the People next Saturday, but that could change because of weather. Regardless of when We the People breezes for the Arkansas Derby, it will be an easy move, Brisset said.

“Based on the race and based on the timing, we’re going to be looking for a maintenance work,” Brisset said. “I don’t think we have to reinvent the wheel.”

Trainer Mike Puhich said Saturday morning that Call Me Jamal, a two-time winner at the meeting, remains under consideration for the Arkansas Derby and the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 9 at Keeneland. Puhich said Call Me Jamal returned to the track Saturday morning after breezing 5 furlongs Thursday.

“He came back today and trained really good,” Puhich said. “Still kind of undecided, but leaning towards here.”

Call Me Jamal rebounded from a seventh-place finish in the Southwest to capture an entry-level allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on the Rebel undercard.