Kentucky Derby 2025: Friday update for each of the contenders
Hopefuls for Kentucky Derby 2025 put in works Friday morning at three venues, and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks contenders had works at two locales.
At Churchill Downs, where the track was listed as good after the initial harrow break, Flying Mohawk worked five furlongs in 1:00 in company with Kentucky Oaks hopeful Drexel Hill for trainer Whit Beckman.
At Keeneland, Grande worked five furlongs in company in 1:01 over a fast track at 7:30 a.m. EDT, completing the breeze 10 minutes before a downpour.
At Turfway Park, Chunk of Gold worked five furlongs in company in 59.2 under jockey Jareth Loveberry over the fast all-weather surface for trainer Ethan West.
Likely scheduled to work Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, where the rains are forecast to subside Friday evening, are American Promise, Burnham Square, East Avenue, Final Gambit, Journalism, Rodriguez, Sovereignty and Tappan Street.
In addition to Drexel Hill, two other Oaks hopefuls worked at Churchill Downs, including likely favorite Good Cheer.
Trained by Brad Cox, Godolphin’s Good Cheer worked five furlongs in 1:00.8 during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT window.
Working at the same time was Simply Joking, who covered a half-mile in 47.6 seconds for Beckman.
At Keeneland, Quietside worked a half-mile over a fast track on her own in 48.2 seconds with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard for trainer John Ortiz.
At Palm Beach Downs, Five G was scheduled to complete her final move for the Oaks and to arrive early Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.
Oaks hopefuls on tap who likely will work Saturday morning at Churchill Downs are Anna’s Promise, Ballerina d’Oro, Fondly and Tenma. Take Charge Milady, possible to work Friday, had her work called off with what trainer Kenny McPeek called a “minor hoof issue.”
After training was complete, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners announced Built will be entered in the $600,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) instead of the Kentucky Derby. That means Neoequos is in now in the field.
Admire Daytona. UAE Derby (G2) winner Admire Daytona had a routine morning of training that consisted of jogging in the one-mile chute before galloping.
American Promise. American Promise galloped under exercise rider Tayja Smith during the training period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners.
Trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas, American Promise likely will work Saturday morning with jockey Nik Juarez aboard.
Burnham Square. Burnham Square, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and the leading point earner on the road to the Kentucky Derby, galloped a mile and a half at 7:15 a.m. EDT under Mark Cutler.
Trained by Ian Wilkes, Burnham Square is scheduled to work at 7:15 Saturday morning with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard.
Chunk of Gold. Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Chunk of Gold put in his final work ahead of the Kentucky Derby, cruising five furlongs in 59.2 seconds under jockey Jareth Loveberry.
Working to the outside of fellow 3-year-old Brodeur, ridden by trainer Ethan West, Chunk of Gold started about two lengths behind and breezed through fractions of 12.2, 24.2, 36.2 and 47.6.
“Now we just have to keep that same energy level up over the next week,” West said. “That was about as good as we could ask of him. He was galloping out really easy around the turn, then another horse came up to his outside and he wanted to get back in the bit.”
Chunk of Gold is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs Friday afternoon.
Citizen Bull, Rodriguez. Trainer Bob Baffert was in good form Friday morning as he sent his two colts trackside for gallops en route to their outings next Saturday in the Kentucky Derby.
He joked with fellow trainers and exercise riders at the mouth of the 5 1/2-furlong gap as they all lined up to take advantage of the training period for Derby and Oaks horses.
At the start of the session, he sent out the Wood Memorial (G2) winner Rodriguez as well as the Kentucky Oaks-bound filly Tenma, a multiple stakes winner in California.
Rodriguez had Eric Garcia in the tack and they covered a mile and a half in a solid gallop. Tenma did her exercise for a mile and a quarter with Humberto Gomez in the boot.
Shortly afterward, Gomez came back out with the second Baffert Derby colt, last year’s 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull, for a trip of once and a half around the big oval.
“I really would have liked to have had these horses in California and given them their final works on a fast track out there in good weather tomorrow,” the Hall of Famer and six-time Kentucky Derby winner stated. “Then I would have shipped in and set up shop. But they have rules about being on the grounds (by 11 a.m. Saturday), so we had to come in early. I’m just going to have to work around the wet track and the rain, but what can you do. It’s just good to be back on the scene.”
Coal Battle. Norman Stables’ Coal Battle visited the starting gate in the mile chute and then galloped a mile and a half with Bethany Taylor aboard for trainer Lonnie Briley during the Derby and Oaks training period.
“He was good in gate, such a gentleman,” Taylor said of Coal Battle, who walked into the gate and then backed out with Briley watching nearby.
East Avenue. East Avenue galloped at 7:15 a.m. EDT under exercise rider Stephen Dolan. He’s scheduled to work on Saturday.
Final Gambit, Tappan Street. Brad Cox's duo of Final Gambit and Tappan Street galloped at 7:15 a.m. EDT They’re both scheduled to breeze Saturday.
Flying Mohawk. Flying Mohawk worked five furlongs in 1:00 in company with Kentucky Oaks hopeful Drexel Hill for trainer Whit Beckman.
Flying Mohawk, with assistant trainer-exercise rider Maurlio Garcia in the irons, worked to the inside of Drexel Hill and covered eighth-mile fractions in 12.4, 24.2 and 35.8. They galloped out together six furlongs in 1:12.8 and seven furlongs in 1:26.4, according to Churchill Downs clocker Adam Wallace.
“He’s doing well and handled training over this track as we expected,” Beckman said. “We never had any issues with him training over the dirt, and he’s shown that in his works.”
Grande. Grande drilled five furlongs in company at Keeneland Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. EDT in his final bit of major exercise coming up to Kentucky Derby 151 next Saturday.
The 3-year-old son of Curlin went in company with fellow sophomore Valentinian, a recent maiden winner. The Keeneland clockers gave Grande a final time of 1:01 for the drill over a strip labeled fast. They listed fractions of 13.0, 25.0, 37.2, 49.0, 1:01.0 with out times of 1:13.4 and 1:27.2.
“I got him in 1:01 and four,” said his trainer, seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. “But that’s just splitting hairs. The main thing was it was a very good work. I was very pleased and thought he worked super. He showed good energy throughout and galloped out strong.”
The conditioner noted a bit of good fortune for his Wood Memorial runner-up regarding the move.
“Ten minutes after the work it started to pour,” he stated, referencing the precipitation that has been on and off in Kentucky over the past few days. “Our timing turned out to be just right.”
Hall of Famer Pletcher has lined up Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez for the Derby go on Grande. That twosome clicked in the 2017 Derby with the colt Always Dreaming.
Grande was scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday.
Journalism. Trainer Michael McCarthy, along with his right-hand man Justin Curran, brought their Kentucky Derby runner Journalism to the racetrack Friday morning in time for the 7:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. EDT training session at Churchill Downs. The Curlin colt presented a striking figure heading trackside under exercise rider Marc Witkowski, drawing a nod of approval from the head man in his Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners ownership group, Aron Wellman.
Journalism already is a three-time stakes winner, including his most recent tally in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5, and is considered to be the likely favorite for the 151st run for the roses.
The husky youngster galloped a strong mile and a half, and McCarthy said he’s now ready for his next step along Derby road.
“He’ll probably work five-eighths tomorrow,” noted the conditioner. “That’s my best guess today. We’ll see what the racetrack looks like then.”
Luxor Cafe. Fukuryu Stakes winner Luxor Café jogged in the one-mile chute prior to galloping under exercise rider Naoto Suzuki.
Trainer Noriyuki Hori is expected to arrive in Louisville on Monday.
Neoequos. Neoequos is now in the top 20 for the Kentucky Derby field after the defection of Built. The Florida-bred colt is slated to arrive Saturday.
Owen Almighty. Owen Almighty jogged over a sealed muddy track early Friday morning with Antonio Orellana aboard for trainer Brian Lynch.
Owen Almighty had worked five furlongs in 1:01.6 under Orellana on Thursday morning.
Publisher, Tiztastic. Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Derby duo of Publisher and Tiztastic both schooled in the Churchill Downs paddock before galloping. They’re scheduled to breeze Sunday.
Sandman. Sandman came on the track at 7:15 a.m. EDT for his morning activity, which included a trip to the paddock and then jogging under Froylan Garcia for trainer Mark Casse.
The Arkansas Derby (G1) winner had worked five furlongs in 1:02.4 on Wednesday and had a walk day Thursday.
Soverreignty. The Into Mischief colt Sovereignty went trackside during the Derby-Oaks training period with trainer Bill Mott looking on from his pony. The double stakes winner and Florida Derby runner-up proceeded to gallop a solid 1 1/2 miles on the big Churchill Downs strip.
Exercise rider Guesler Cardona was in the boot for the move, and Mott indicated he’d be up again for the bay’s final work for the Kentucky Derby.
“We’re hoping to go tomorrow,” the Hall of Fame conditioner stated. “Or Sunday or maybe even Monday if the weather and track don’t cooperate.”
The local weatherman is offering a thumbs up for Saturday prospects. Derby connections are surely hoping he’s right.