Kentucky Derby 2024: 7 work Saturday at Churchill Downs
With two weeks remaining until the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby the action was non-stop on a chilly Saturday morning at Churchill Downs as seven horses who have qualified for the main field worked over the track.
The action started Saturday at 5:15 a.m. EDT when trainer Brad Cox breezed his first two of 18 workers, Catching Freedom and stablemate Castlewarden. Catching Freedom began his work from the 4 1/2-furlong pole, starting about one length behind Castlewarden and finishing even at the completion of the move. Catching Freedom completed splits of 25.4 and 37.8 seconds before completing a recorded five furlongs in 1:00.8.
He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.2 and completed his move through seven furlongs in 1:26.2 according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
At 7:30 a.m. EDT, Cox’s second Derby contender, Blue Grass (G1) runner-up Just a Touch, returned to the work tab with a half-mile move in 48.2 seconds under jockey Florent Geroux. Owned by Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing and Marc Detampel, the lightly-raced colt completed an opening quarter-mile of 24.2 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.2.
“He’s doing great and feeling great,” Geroux said. “He’s a very nice colt with a very bright future.”
One of the more unique works of the morning was from BC Stable’s Just Steel, who encountered several planned and unplanned workmates. Just Steel began his work by himself until he got to just outside the five-furlong pole when stablemate Daily Grind joined to his inside. The duo was then briefly joined by a set of workers from the Norm Casse barn at the half-mile pole but by the quarter-mile pole they were able to get separated to finish their work together.
Just Steel completed fractions of 13.4, 37.2, 49.4 and 1:13.8 en route to a recorded one-mile time of 1:40.0, according to Nichols.
“When he won the Ed Brown Stakes as a 2-year-old he wasn’t nearly as tall and big and heavy as he is right now,” Lukas said. “I don’t think he’ll be winning any 6 1/2-furlong races (like the Ed Brown) anytime in the near future. He’s got a pedigree that he’ll have no problem getting a mile-and-a-quarter, unlike many of the horses in the race. We have opinions, horses have the facts. They have the brilliance to show that ability doing things at distances we know probably shouldn’t be the best for them.”
Other Kentucky Derby action Saturday included trainer Danny Gargan working his Derby duo of Dornoch and Society Man together going four furlongs in 48.2 seconds. Dornoch, the winner of the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, worked to the outside of his stablemate Society Man, who recently finished second in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct.
Trainer Kenny McPeek’s barns had a flurry of activity Saturday morning including Derby contender Mystik Dan recording a published workout outside fellow 3-year-old Northern Flame. Owned by Lance Gasaway, 4 G racing and Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. swiftly completed opening fractions of 23.8, 35.6 and 47.6 seconds en route to a recorded five furlongs in 59.4 seconds. The duo galloped out together six furlongs in 1:12.6.
“When Mystik Dan won the Southwest it was ultra impressive,” McPeek said. “After that race we decided not to come back until the Arkansas Derby where he got turned sideways in the first turn. All that said he ran a good race. He’s a fresh horse and hasn’t been over-taxed in the preps. I think it sets him up well for the Kentucky Derby.”
Saturday's work tab also featured Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner Endlessly, who covered five furlongs in 1:00.8. Sunday’s work tab at Churchill Downs could include Risen Star (G2) runner-up Track Phantom.