Kentucky Derby 2023: Rocket Can has final workout

Rocket Can completed his major preparation for Kentucky Derby 2023 by working five furlongs in company in 59.8 seconds on a brisk Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Disarm was scheduled to work Monday morning at the Louisville, Ky., track for trainer Steve Asmussen, and works are possible Tuesday from Sun Thunder, Continuar and Derma Sotogake.

Trainer Tim Yakteen’s Derby duo of Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Practical Move and Reincarnate both jogged a mile in their first appearance on track at Churchill Downs.

Angel Of Empire, Hit Show, Jace's Road, Verifying. Trainer Brad Cox reported all four of his Kentucky Derby contenders were in fine fettle Sunday morning after their final works into this year’s Kentucky Derby.

All four horses could have light training Monday.

Confidence Game. A day after impressing onlookers with a 59.0-second five-furlong breeze under jockey James Graham, the best of 54 at that distance, Confidence Game walked the shedrow for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

“He’s worked that fast before at Fair Grounds,” his regular rider Graham said, “I’ve sat off some strong company with him and beat them to the wire. But that work yesterday, to do it by himself was something impressive.”

Having bought into Confidence Game earlier in April for an undisclosed amount, members of Ocean Reef Racing stopped by the barn Sunday to visit their son of Candy Ride. The young ownership group with 12 members is led by Louisville native William Paynter.

“I was on a business trip and was talking to a buddy who was in last year’s Don’t Tell My Wife, and he mentioned that they have a horse in the Derby,” Paynter said. “Jokingly I said we’ll buy half of him, but then I got back from the trip and started looking at his bloodlines, that he won the Rebel Stakes (G2), and the fact he has two wins at Churchill Downs. I followed up and here we are.”

Confidence Game schooled in the paddock after training hours.

Continuar. Continuar had a walk day at the quarantine barn.

Derma Sotogaka. Derma Sotogake had a walk day at the quarantine barn.

Disarm. Disarm galloped 1 1/2 miles Sunday morning under exercise rider Roberto Howell in the irons.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen was in Louisville and stated the colt will work Monday.

Forte, Kingsbarns, Major Dude, Tapit Trice. Trainer Todd Pletcher’s Derby colts all walked the shedrow Sunday morning after their final drills Saturday heading toward Saturday’s run for the roses.

Forte, Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns all have guaranteed spots in the Derby. Their stablemate Major Dude is No. 22 on the race’s list, which allows for 20 runners. If he does not make it into the big one, his connections are considering him for the American Turf (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, also on Saturday at Churchill.

“All four came out of their Saturday works fine,” Pletcher said. “I’m pleased with where we are.”

The trainer indicated that his charges would gallop their way up to the Derby for the balance of the week.

Lord Miles. Lord Miles was scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Sunday afternoon after vanning from Gulfstream Park.

Mage. Following his final timed breeze Saturday, trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. said the Good Magic colt will follow a maintenance program during the days leading up to the Derby.

Mage was timed in 1:16.8 for the six furlongs.

“Now there is this suspense,” he said. “We’ll find out tomorrow about the post position, and prepare for Saturday.”

Delgado said he’s seen rapid development in Mage in the last few months. In the Florida Derby, Delgado said, when he came up to challenge likely Kentucky Derby favorite Forte with jockey Luis Saez, it showed his potential.

“I don’t think that Luis knew the horse,” he said. “And when he asked him, it surprised him. When he moved, whoosh, he moved very, very fast. He goes to the front with Forte. He’s got that possibility to win the race.”

Most important, being in Louisville for the Derby, Delgado said, “We are very happy, and we are going to enjoy the week.”

Practical Move, Reincarnate. Trainer Tim Yakteen’s California pair of Practical Move and Reincarnate got their introductions to Churchill Downs Sunday morning when they both jogged a mile around the big Louisville strip. They had been flown in from their Santa Anita home base Saturday.

Practical Move, the Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner, was out first at 5:15 a.m. EDT under exercise rider Baltazar Contreras for his leg stretching. Reincarnate, the Sham Stakes (G3) hero, and Contreras followed during the special 7:30 to 7:45 training period for Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders.

“They both went well,” the rider said. “Both had good energy.”

Besides his Derby duo, Yakteen brought four other runners on the flight, all with designs on Churchill races this week. They, too, did some jogging Sunday morning. The quartet consists of Johannes, who is bound for Saturday’s American Turf (G2) for sophomores at 1 1/16 miles; Kangaroo Court and Fort Bragg are pointed to Saturday’s Pat Day Mile (G2), and Dillinger, a 3-year-old earmarked for a maiden race.

Raise Cain. Raise Cain galloped Sunday morning at Keeneland for trainer Ben Colebrook.

Raise Cain is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Monday morning after training at 7:30 at Keeneland.

Rocket Can. Trainer Bill Mott waited until Sunday morning for the colt to put in his final breeze for the Derby. And his move during the cool, breezy training session with regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona aboard had his Hall of Fame trainer beaming.

The Into Mischief colt finished a five-furlong move in 59.8 seconds inside of workmate Mr. McGregor. The splits were 12.80 seconds, 24.40, 36.0 and out six furlongs in 1:13.0.

“I thought it went very well,” said Mott. “That’s racehorse time for this track. He had a workmate out there, both riders did a good job, and it worked out like we had hoped it would. I thought Rocket Can finished well and galloped out well. It was a very nice work.”

With the colt primed for the 1 1/4-mile Derby, now Rocket Can’s connections, along with those of the other 19 on the points leaderboard, await the post position draw Monday afternoon.

“To ensure a win, you’ve got to have a pretty good trip,” Mott said. “It’s such a competitive race, that the trip means a lot. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t in such a big field.”

Rocket Can worked in blinkers, and he’ll wear them again in the race.

“Visually, for me, they appear to be helping,” Mott said. “We had worked him before in blinkers and we had thought that they didn’t make an extreme amount of difference. But if they help just a little bit, that’s what you need.”

Before the post position draw, Mott doesn’t plan very much for Rocket Can after Sunday’s breeze.

“He’ll have an easy day tomorrow, then we’ll get him back on a medium exercise program until Derby Day,” said Mott. “We just hope that he stays healthy and in one piece until Saturday.”

The Derby will answer one important question: Which 3-year-olds can handle the distance?

“The one thing we all have to prove is if we can get 10 furlongs,” Mott said. “That’s always the question in the Derby, there’s not that many prep races at that mile-and-a-quarter distance. When they turn for home in the Derby, that really sorts them out.

“We hope this horse has the stamina to get the 10 furlongs. We think he has it, he has a pedigree that indicates he should get the distance. You never know if they can do it until they do it.”

Skinner, Skinner was en route to Churchill Downs Sunday and scheduled to arrive at the track at about 8:30 p.m. after his flight from California. His trainer, John Shirreffs, his wife Dottie and his right-hand stablehand Frank Leal were airborne with a Louisville arrival time of 2:30 p.m.

Skinner, who was a closing third in the Santa Anita Derby last out, will be handled by California’s top rider, Juan Hernandez, for the first time in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Skinner, a Curlin colt who fetched $510,000 at auction, will be reunited with his connections at Barn 41 on the backside.

Sun Thunder. After a gallop Saturday with exercise rider Martin Vargas, the runner-up in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds is pointing toward one last breeze on Tuesday. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who will ride the colt in the Derby, is expected to climb aboard him in that workout.

“He walked today, but he’s fine,” said Greg Geier, assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek.

Two Phil's. Patricia’s Hope, Phillip Sagan and Madaket Stable’s Two Phil’s was scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Sunday afternoon after traveling from his stable at Hawthorne Race Course.

Trainer Larry Rivelli confirmed that Madaket owns 10 percent of Two Phil’s, having bought half of Sagan’s share. The Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner will be stabled with Mike Tomlinson in Barn 1.

Waiting list

Trainer Dale Romans said his Kentucky Derby hopeful Cyclone Mischief came out of his five-furlong breeze Saturday in good shape. In 21st place on the points leaderboard, Romans has to wait and see whether there are any defections that would bring the colt into the field.

Cyclone Mischief was clocked in 1:00.8 for the five furlongs.

“I thought he worked great yesterday, and he came back real good,” Romans said. “Now we just have to wait and see if one of the other horses drops out. You don’t want to wish anyone else to have a bad day, since most of these people are my friends. But you want to get in.

“We’ll see what happens. We’re not going to name a rider yet, we’ll wait and see if there are changes. One other time, we were in this position, with Cherry Wine, and he didn’t get in. But then he went on to run second in the Preakness. If he doesn’t get in as the also-eligible, we’ll just go on to the Preakness.”

Mandarin Hero, No. 23 on the points list, galloped two miles under exercise rider Yuji Horita.

Mandarin Hero, runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), is trained by Terunobu Fujita, who is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Thursday.

King Russell, No. 24, walked the shedrow at trainer Ron Moquett’s barn the morning after working a half-mile in 47.8.