Kentucky Derby: Grande, Flying Mohawk, Chunk of Gold drill
Trainer Todd Pletcher’s plan to give Repole Stable’s Grande his final tune-up at Keeneland in advance of Kentucky Derby 2025 worked to perfection Friday morning. With rain in the forecast for several days, Pletcher has had his eye on the weather and opted for Friday at 7:30 a.m. EDT to capitalize on the freshly groomed track immediately after the first renovation period.
With his Derby partner John Velazquez in the saddle and working in company with 3-year-old maiden winner Valentinian, Grande completed 5 furlongs in 1:01 over a fast track moments before a heavy downpour turned the track sloppy. The colt’s fractions were 13.0, 25.0, 37.2 and 49.0 with a gallop out for six furlongs in 1:13.4, according to Keeneland clockers.
“My instinct told me to bring him to Keeneland,” Pletcher said about Grande while walking back to his barn. “I thought we would have a more reliable surface. As it turns out, the track was muddy and sealed today at Churchill. With more rain in the forecast, I thought this was a safer play.
“Looking statistically at Derby winners, plenty of them have not had a breeze at Churchill,” Pletcher continued. “(In the Derby) he will either take to the surface or he won’t. With the restriction of having to be at Churchill (next) Saturday, I thought the timing was too risky to ship in (from Belmont Park).”
A $300,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase, Grande won his career debut Jan. 11 and captured an allowance race six weeks later at Gulfstream Park. In his only other start, he was runner-up in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5, 3 1/2 lengths behind fellow Derby hopeful Rodriquez.
Grande will be Pletcher’s 66th Derby starter, a record, and his lone Derby entrant this year. He has two wins in the race, with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017.
“We are thankful we have one,” he told FanDuel’s Scott Hazelton. “A couple of months ago, we weren’t sure we would be here at all. He stepped up, and I thought he ran a big race in the Wood. He had a tough trip in the first turn and came fighting to the wire. He is a relatively inexperienced horse and he is on the improve, and I am cautiously optimistic.”
Grande was scheduled to leave for Churchill around 2 p.m. EDT on Friday.
Post-position draws for the Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) will be held Saturday at 7:15 p.m. EDT at Churchill.
Two other Kentucky Derby contenders worked Friday.
Chunk of Gold went five furlongs in 59.2 seconds at Turfway Park, the fastest of 13 works at the distance. His previous work was six days ago going four furlongs at Turfway. In his last start he placed second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) going 1 3/16 miles on the main track at Fair Grounds on March 22 for trainer Ethan West.
Flying Mohawk worked five furlongs in 1:00.0 at Churchill Downs, the third fastest of 11 works at the distance. His previous work was six days ago going five furlongs at Churchill Downs. In his last start he placed second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) going 1 1/8 miles on the synthetic at Turfway on March 22 for trainer Whit Beckman.