Tiztastic leads 5 Kentucky Derby horses on Saturday work tab

With three weeks remaining until Kentucky Derby 2025, preparations intensified Saturday morning at Churchill Downs with three contenders recording timed workouts. Tiztastic and Publisher, who worked in company, covered five furlongs in 1:00.8. Flying Mohawk worked four furlongs in 50.8 seconds.

Two other Kentucky Derby horses worked at other tracks. At Turfway, Chunk of Gold worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.4 seconds. Across the country at Santa Anita, Madaket Road worked four furlongs in 47.0 seconds, earning a bullet in his first work since the Florida Derby (G1).

Trainer Steve Asmussen sent out Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Tiztastic and Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Publisher at 5:45 a.m. Jockey Joel Rosario was aboard Tiztastic and worked outside of Publisher, ridden by Asmussen’s longtime exercise rider Carlos Rosas. The duo worked through eighth-mile splits of 13.0, 24.8 and 36.6 seconds before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.4 and completing seven furlongs in 1:26.6.

“Both horses moved in here to Churchill nicely,” Asmussen said. “With all of the weather we had in the area last week, it was nice to have a fast track to work over. I was extremely pleased with how they handled and traveled over the racetrack. They looked capable of doing more.”

About 90 minutes later, Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Flying Mohawk worked in company with stablemate Honor Marie, who finished eighth in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The duo, trained by Whit Beckman, completed a composed opening quarter-mile in 26.0 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.4.

“It was both of their first works back after running so I just wanted an easy move,” Beckman said. “(Flying Mohawk) has worked well on dirt before so I figured he’d handle it just fine.”

Jockey Joe Ramos was aboard Flying Mohawk for the move and will ride the Karakontie colt in the Kentucky Derby, according to Beckman.

“Joe has always given me his best,” Beckman said. “This horse is fairly straightforward to ride but I’m always confident with Joe knowing that he’ll give me his top effort every time. That’s all you can really ask.”

Earlier in the morning, Beckman also sent out Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopefuls Drexel Hill and Simply Joking, who worked a half-mile together in 48.6 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.8.

“(Simply Joking) is a really nice filly,” said jockey Florent Geroux, who was aboard the Fantasy (G2) runner-up. “It was a good work, pretty easy and not asking much of her.”

In addition to the trio of timed workers at Churchill Downs, it was a routine morning for other Derby hopefuls stabled at Churchill Downs, including Arkansas Derby winner Sandman and Southwest (G3) winner Coal Battle, who both galloped.

UAE Derby (G2) winner Admire Daytona, who cleared USDA quarantine Friday afternoon, is scheduled to train for the first time over the Churchill Downs surface Sunday morning.

Also on Saturday morning at Turfway Park, Louisiana Derby runner-up Chunk of Gold had a strong five-furlong move in 59.6 seconds on trainer Ethan West’s watch.

“Jareth (Loveberry) came in town to work him and it was a really good move,” West said. “I had him (in) 47 and change for a half-mile and he galloped out three-quarters in 1:12.0.”

Saturday at Santa Anita, Madaket Road returned to the work tab for trainer Bob Baffert for his first drill since a fourth-place finish behind Tappan Street in the Florida Derby. Madaket Road made it into the Kentucky Derby field with the Friday defection of Gotham (G3) winner Flood Zone, who was taken out of consideration after a disappointing effort in the UAE Derby (G2) last Saturday. Madaket Road's four-furlong time of 47.0 seconds over the Santa Anita dirt was the fastest of 56 at the distance.