Classic Empire gallops at Palm Meadows Training Center Wednesday
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John Oxley’s Classic Empire stepped onto the road to the Kentucky Derby Wednesday at Palm Meadows Training Center, where he galloped for the first time since capturing the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Nov. 5.
“He started back today. He’s back doing some exercise under tack,” said trainer Mark Casse, whose leading 2017 Triple Crown candidate had been walking twice a day at Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “He just started.”
Classic Empire, who has won four of five starts, is currently expected to launch his 3-year-old season at Gulfstream Park in the $350,000 Holy Bull (G2) Feb. 4.
“If everything went right, he’d run in the Holy Bull – that’s what we’d aim for,” Casse said. “That’s the plan right now – the Holy Bull, the Fountain of Youth (G2; March 4). We’ll worry about those two races, but there could be a chance to run in the Florida Derby (G1; April 1).”
The Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland is also under consideration for the son of Pioneerof the Nile’s final Kentucky Derby prep.
“I love the way horses do in the spring in Kentucky, and I was kind of wanting to get him to Kentucky for that reason,” Casse said. “We’ll see. With what’s going on, we may just stay in Florida for the Derby, but we’ll worry about the first two, first.”
Classic Empire has won four of five starts and is the overwhelming favorite to be named the 2016 2-year-old champion colt or gelding at the Eclipse Awards Dinner at Gulfstream Park’s Sport of Kings facility Jan. 21.
“He’s an extremely talented horse – without a doubt the most talented 2-year-old that I’ve ever training. I think that kind of goes without saying,” Casse said. “He amazes me. He amazes me, one, how fast he is and, then, his ability to carry it.”
Classic Empire launched his career with two straight wins, including a last-to-first triumph in the Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs July 2.
“He broke from the one hole and he tried to make the gap. He was probably 15, 16 lengths behind, and how he won just amazed me. So many horses can win when everything goes their way, but I think it takes a great horse to win when things don't go his way,” Casse said.
“He won in 1:09-and-change. When you figure out how much (ground) he lost, he probably won in 1:08-and-change. We felt like he was a nice horse, and after the Bashford Manor, I said, ‘I think this horse could be a great horse.’ ”
Classic Empire sustained his only loss when he wheeled and was pulled up shortly after the start of the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga Sept. 5.
“I was as confident as a person could feel going into the Hopeful. It wasn’t a question whether he would win but how much he would win by,” Casse said.
“At Saratoga, they park the auxiliary gate on the track – not outside the track but on the track, just on the outside rail. When he took his right hand turn, he went over to the gate. We don’t know if he just saw the gate there or why he did it.”
Casse equipped Classic Empire with blinkers for a three-length victory in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland and his victory by a neck over Not This Time in the Juvenile at Santa Anita.
“The blinkers made a huge difference. He breaks much faster,” Casse said.
Source: Gulfstream Park
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