Haikal 'finished strong' in breeze before Kentucky Derby

Shadwell Stable's homebred Haikal, winner of the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack on March 9 for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.21 on Thursday morning on Belmont Park's main track.

 

Haikal, who was a closing third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets on April 6, finished 10th on the leaderboard for the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby, slated for Saturday, May 4, with 70 points.

 

The Daaher bay, who posted a bullet breeze in 47.59 on April 19 at Belmont, was in hand under exercise rider Luis Perlaya on Thursday morning while travelling outside of unraced 3-year-old stablemate Taamer. The pair traveled together from the top of the lane with Haikal taking control at the wire and galloping out well in front.

 

"I loved what I saw this morning. He kept going out and finished strong. It was an excellent work," said McLaughlin. "He went a little fast last week, but it was probably the track. This week was really nice. The way he galloped out and the way he worked he looked really good. In hand. I really like this work better this week."

 

Haikal will ship by van to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday afternoon and arrive early Monday morning, with his conditioner slated to arrive on Tuesday at the historic track in search of his first Kentucky Derby win with his ninth starter.

 

"It's great to get there. It's very hard to get there. It's very hard to get a horse that's eligible points wise and a horse that is doing very well at this time of the year," said McLaughlin. "We're excited and it's a great owner that we've been with for 25 years so it's fabulous. He's a homebred so the whole farm in Lexington gets to enjoy it and a lot of them will be there. My whole team, my assistant Joe Lee and my staff, have done a great job with this horse all winter. It's great to get there and hopefully we'll be in good shape tomorrow [exiting the work]."

 

McLaughlin will have a busy Kentucky Derby day as he also saddles Leonard Green's streaking A Thread of Blue in the Grade 2 American Turf for 3-year-olds over 1 1/16-miles on the Churchill green and Qurbaan in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic.

 

"It's great to have these types of horses pointing to those races on such a big day. We're excited," said McLaughlin.

 

A Thread of Blue, by Hard Spun, enjoyed a productive winter at Gulfstream Park where he captured an allowance race on December 22 and followed up with wins in the Dania Beach and Grade 3 Palm Beach.

 

The talented dark bay launched his career on the main track on August 11 at Saratoga Race Course, finishing sixth, and came back in a turf mile at Belmont to run a strong second to Current, who took the Grade 3 Dixiana Bourbon in his next start.

 

A Thread of Blue graduated in an off-the-turf event on October 7 at Belmont and followed up with a good third in the Awad on the Big A green.

 

McLaughlin said a return to turf has brought out the best in the improving colt.

 

"He's always trained well. I think the surface change was big for him. He's improved getting back on the turf. In his first start on the turf, he was second to a very good horse in Current," said McLaughlin. "He had a troubled trip in the Awad and then we took him to Florida.

 

"He won three in a row in Florida and he's improving, yes, but he's on the right surface and learning. He's a very nice horse and doing well."

 

A Thread of Blue will breeze on Friday morning at Palm Meadows in Florida before shipping up to Kentucky.

 

Bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings Limited, A Thread of Blue is among the top contenders for the Turf Trinity, part of the recently launched Turf Triple series, which kicks off on July 6 with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, contested at 1 1/4-miles on the Belmont turf. The two additional legs of the Turf Trinity will include the inaugural $1 million Saratoga Derby on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course and concludes at Belmont with the first running of the $1 million Jockey Club Derby on September 7.

 

McLaughlin said he is hopeful that the ten-furlong distance of the Belmont Derby Invitational is within reach for A Thread of Blue.

 

"We hope so and we think so. We'll take it one race at a time, but after we get through Derby Day that's what we'll be pointing for," said McLaughlin.

 

Qurbaan, a 6-year-old Speightstown horse, breezed four furlongs in 48.20 on Thursday morning over the Keeneland main, and McLaughlin said he was pleased with the chestnut's effort last out.

 

"He ran very well. We thought we were going to win, and a couple got by us late," said McLaughlin. "We're going to run back on Derby day in the Old Forester going a mile and an eighth. We're hoping it will be a firmer turf. The extra distance should help him."

 

Stonestreet Stables' homebred Dawn the Destroyer breezed five furlongs in 1:00.87 on Thursday morning over the Belmont main track. The 5-year-old Speightstown mare won the Interborough in January at the Big A and followed up by completing the trifecta in both the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park and the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct.

 

Although nominated to the Grade 2 Ruffian at one mile on May 5, McLaughlin said he will point the talented bay to the Grade 3, $200,000 Vagrancy here at Belmont.

"She's doing very well. She's going to point to the Vagrancy on May 11 going six and a half furlongs. She's been going six and seven [furlongs], so we'll point that way," said McLaughlin.

 

New York-bred maiden winner Flush, who ran third in the Franklin Square and sixth last out in the Maddie May, will take some time off before making her next start.

 

McLaughlin said the Carl Pollard-owned Violence filly is well but has missed some training.