Essential Quality has ‘really good’ breeze for Kentucky Derby
Louisville, Ky.
The expected rain that had so many Kentucky Derby trainers moving their final workouts up one day held off early Saturday at Churchill Downs. Brad Cox was not one of those trainers.
On a cool, cloudy morning he sent Derby favorite Essential Quality onto a fast main track for a five-furlong breeze that was clocked at 1:00.4, according to Equibase. With exercise rider Edvin Vargas up, he worked in tandem outside regular workmate Spa City with splits of 12.8, 24.8 and 48.2 seconds with a gallop out of 1:14.6 to six furlongs, the Churchill Downs media team reported.
“It was a really good move,” Cox told reporters outside his barn. “I kind of instructed the rider after the five-eighths (pole) to reel him back in. He did. The rider did a fantastic job. Both horses cooled out great. They look fantastic so far. We’ll check them tomorrow morning, keep our fingers crossed and on to next Saturday.”
It was a continuation of the smooth week Cox has had preparing three colts for his first Derby. Mandaloun also worked Saturday, doing so with his regular jockey Florent Géroux and in company with allowance winner Joe Frazier. He was timed at 1:00.00 for his five furlongs with splits of 23.2, 35.6 and 47.6 and a gallop out to 1:27.2.
“They weren’t as close as we expected them to be in the first part of the work,” said Cox, who could be the first native of Louisville to train a Derby winner. “He definitely made up ground down the lane. He galloped out well. He’s a pretty flashy horse in the morning. Everybody who has been out here the last few weeks has seen that.”
Caddo River, Cox’s other Derby horse that is expected to set the early pace next Saturday, worked Friday with Géroux riding him alongside maiden winner Warrant. He went 1:00.6 with splits of 12.2, 23.8 and 47.6 and a gallop out to 1:14.
“He galloped out really well,” said Cox, who won last year’s Eclipse Award as the country’s top trainer. “We just keep marching forward with him. We put him a day earlier and weren’t looking to do quite as much with him. He was better than his workmate, and his workmate is a good horse. He really breezed well.”
While Luis Sáez is assigned to keep his ride on Essential Quality and Géroux on Mandaloun, Cox said he would choose Caddo River’s jockey no later than Sunday.
Essential Quality and Mandaloun were on the track before sunrise Saturday – and before the exclusive work time for Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. EDT. The only would-be Derby starters who breezed during that time were Highly Motivated (1:00.8 for five furlongs, out in 1:14.4) and King Fury (1:00.4, out in 1:12.8).
Midnight Bourbon is the potential starter with a timed work scheduled after Saturday. “I plan on breezing him on Monday,” his trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I expect a strong gallop from Midnight Bourbon tomorrow with what will be an easy half-mile work for him on Monday. With the weight that he carries and how big he is, I wanted him to have plenty of time to recover from what I thought was a serious move last Monday.”
With only one week left until the Derby, the Churchill Downs stables are becoming more populated with owners, including Godolphin president Jimmy Bell, and media, with a growing number from out of town. And it seems everyone wants time around Essential Quality – and with Cox.
“I’m good,” he said with a laugh. “I’m too busy to be nervous. That’s kind of the way I’m looking at it. We have a lot going on. I’m just trying to stay focused with each horse. Get them to the track and get them to the race in the best order we can.”