Barn Tour: O'Neill updates Hot Rod Charlie, 3 Derby prospects

After traveling to see Hot Rod Charlie run second in Saturday's rich Dubai World Cup (G1), and then earning a berth into the Kentucky Derby a day later with Slow Down Andy, trainer Doug O'Neill was able to take a brief exhale this week before gearing up for next week's Santa Anita Derby (G1). 

On Wednesday, Horse Racing Nation caught up with the two-time Kentucky Derby-winning conditioner for a Barn Tour. 

Hot Rod Charlie. The Grade 1 winner and fan favorite had a lucrative trip to the Middle East, with a win in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 followed by a runner-up effort to Country Grammer in the $12 million Dubai World Cup. 

The 4-year-old son of Oxbow arrived in Kentucky earlier this week, where he will spend quarantine before flying to back to Santa Anita on Saturday. 

In the $12 million Dubai World Cup going 1 1/4 miles, Hot Rod Charlie appeared to be toiling for much of the race on a deep track. But in the stretch, he found his best stride along the inside under Flavien Prat and surged to be second by 1 3/4 lengths. 

O'Neill was understandably pleased with the effort. 

"He definitely looked like he was spinning his wheels early on," he said. "But all credit to Charlie and Flavien. Neither one of them gave up. They just kept plugging away, and when he finally got a hold of the surface, they started marching along really well. Really strong, really gutsy. I'm just proud of him."

O'Neill added there are no immediate plans for Hot Rod Charlie. He plans to huddle up with the ownership group and plot a path toward a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic once Hot Rod Charlie returns to Santa Anita. 

"He'll get back late Saturday and we'll probably come up with something on Sunday or Monday," O'Neill said. 

Owned in partnership by Boat Racing, Roadrunner Racing, Strauss Brothers Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Hot Rod Charlie has banked $5,121,200 with a record of 15: 4-4-3 in two-plus seasons of racing. 

Slow Down Andy. O'Neill, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 with I'll Have Another and 2016 with Nyquist, will be back for the first time since since 2017 with this Reddam Racing homebred by Nyquist. 

Slow Down Andy earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Sunday when just prevailing in the Sunland Derby after a wicked pace duel. He and jockey Mario Gutierrez, the winning rider aboard both of O'Neill's Kentucky Derby winners, locked up with Straight Up G through an opening half mile in 45.35 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.54. He put that rival away and then just held off a fast-closing Bye Bye Bobby by a half length. 

Slow Down Andy received a moderate 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. He is shipping to Keeneland, where he will do his serious training for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. 

"I love the spacing between the Sunland Derby and the Kentucky Derby," O'Neill said. "The idea now is to just get him settled in and having his energy tank as full as possible. We're asking for arguably the performance of his life on May 7, so we need to keep him injury-free and prepped as best we can."

Slow Down Andy was fitted in blinkers for the Sunland Derby, which likely will be removed for the first Saturday in May. 

"If we entered for the Kentucky Derby today, I would probably take them off. They were probably a little bit too much of an accelerator" at Sunland, O'Neill said. 

Before the Sunland Derby, Slow Down Andy was sixth in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds after capping off his 2-year-old campaign with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). 

Happy Jack. The homebred son of Oxbow for Calumet Farm will get another try on the Kentucky Derby trail in next Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby. After winning his debut at Santa Anita on Jan. 22, he returned to be fifth in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) and third in the San Felipe (G2) on March 5.

O'Neill said he is "optimistic" about Happy Jack's chances a week from Saturday, when he is likely to again face top Kentucky Derby contenders Messier and Forbidden Kingdom, among others. 

"He's lightly raced, and we threw him into the deep end off the maiden win, but he hasn't disappointed us. He's run into some beasts in Forbidden Kingdom and the Baffert horse (Messier)," O'Neill said. "But the fact he is still lightly raced, I'm optimistic he'll get a little better. Hopefully we'll see a forward effort in the Santa Anita Derby and if we do, you might see him in the Kentucky Derby."

Win the Day. This is the new 3-year-old on the scene for O'Neill after a 5 1/2-length maiden win at Santa Anita under Umberto Rispoli on March 6. The gelding by Midshipman will next take his shot in the Santa Anita Derby as well.

"He's a really mature-acting colt who is lightly raced and I loved his win going two turns there at Santa Anita," O'Neill said. "We know he likes the surface, and Rispoli came and worked him the other day a nice six furlongs (in 1:12.8). The sky is the limit for him. What I saw in that maiden win was exceptional for him, and he's come back to train really well. 

"Now, whether he is a Kentucky Derby horse," O'Neill added, "we'll know more a week from Saturday."