El Kabeir 'Nice and Sharp' Going Into Derby

Local hope El Kabeir logged his final work in preparation for the May 2 Kentucky Derby, breezing four furlongs in 46.81 seconds over the Belmont Park main track on Saturday morning.

"Everything looked good," said El Kabeir's trainer, John Terranova. "From our vantage point, everything seemed to go well. He's nice and sharp, and coming into the race well."

Owned by Zayat Stables, who will also be represented in the Derby by likely favorite American Pharoah and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Mr. Z, El Kabeir most recently finished third in the Grade 1 Twinspires.com Wood Memorial on April 4. The gray/roan colt competed in all four local preps for the Derby, winning the Grade 3 Jerome to kick off the year, finishing second in the Grade 3 Withers, and capturing the Grade 3 Gotham before his third-place finish in the Wood.

Following the Wood, in which El Kabeir was ridden by C.C. Lopez, it was announced that three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel would replace Lopez aboard the Scat Daddy colt in the Derby. Borel rode El Kabeir to victory in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs last fall, but Lopez picked up the mount for the Jerome after Borel was unable to take the call.

El Kabeir is Terranova's second Derby starter; the trainer sent out sprinter Falling Sky to a 19th-place finish in the 2013 edition of the "Run for the Roses." According to Terranova, El Kabeir is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday afternoon.