Weekend before Ky. Derby: Workouts, videos, backside buzz
Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Journalism topped a work tab of six entrants for Kentucky Derby 2025 by working five furlongs over a fast track in 1:01.4 on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism put in his morning breeze during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) horses. Sovereignty, East Avenue, Rodríguez, Publisher and Tiztastic also breezed Sunday.
Kentucky Derby 2025 odds & pace analysis.
Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Sovereignty, the second choice on the morning line behind Journalism, worked five furlongs in company in 1:01.8 for trainer Bill Mott.
Wood Memorial (G2) winner Rodríguez, the co-fourth choice on the morning line, worked five furlongs in 1:00.0 for trainer Bob Baffert.
Blue Grass (G1) runner-up East Avenue worked five furlongs in :59.4 seconds for trainer Brendan Walsh.
Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Derby duo of Tiztastic in 50.20 and Publisher in 49.0 seconds each worked a half-mile.
Citizen Bull, Coal Battle and also-eligible Baeza are scheduled to work Monday morning.
Admire Daytona. UAE Derby (G2) winner Admire Daytona had a planned walk day on Sunday. The colt is scheduled to have a published workout Tuesday.
American Promise. BC Stables’ American Promise took to the grass Sunday morning. That would be the grass behind barn 42 to graze early, a day after working five furlongs in 59.4 seconds under jockey Nik Juárez. Winner of the Virginia Derby in his most recent start, American Promise drew post 5 for the Derby and was listed as a 30-1 proposition on the morning line. “That’s a good spot,” four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas said as he watched American Promise graze. “He had a good work yesterday, and everything has been positive.” Also looking on was part owner Brian Coelho, who teamed with John Bellinger last year on the ownership of Just Steel for the Derby. Coelho lives in central California and Bellinger in San Antonio, Texas. Bellinger is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Tuesday afternoon.
Baeza. The Kentucky Derby’s lone also-eligible, McKinzie colt Baeza galloped during the special Derby-Oaks training session Sunday at 7:15 a.m. EDT. Trainer John Shirreffs had veteran exercise rider Frankie Herrate up. They are planning on working the Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Monday. Shirreffs was told that more than a few people believe that through belief in luck, bad luck and Derby gods, one of the other runners will come out before Friday morning and give his charge a chance to compete. “We’re ready,” Shirreffs said with a smile.
Burnham Square. Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square returned to the track Sunday morning, a day after working five furlongs in 59.4 seconds to jog in the mile chute under Mark Cutler. Co-fourth choice on the morning line at 12-1, Burnham Square drew post 9 for the Derby and will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. “That’s a good spot,” trainer Ian Wilkes said.
Chunk of Gold. Terry Stephens’s Chunk of Gold had his first training session at Churchill Downs, jogging under trainer Ethan West. The son of Preservationist drew post 19 for the Derby. “I’d rather have post 19 than not have a post at all,” West said. “I was hoping for the middle portion of the gate to have a better chance at not going so wide into the turn. (Jockey) Jareth (Loveberry) has time to try and get into position into the turn.” After Chunk of Gold’s training session, West sent his Derby contender to the equine salt-water spa, located within steps of his barn. “We’re taking it all in, and as long as the horse is happy, I’m happy,” West said. When the 32-year-old trainer wrapped up his morning at Churchill Downs, he was gearing up to coach his son’s championship basketball game in northern Kentucky. Chunk of Gold is scheduled to gallop on Monday.
Citizen Bull and Rodríguez. The duo of Bob Baffert-trained Derby colts went trackside Sunday morning for the special 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT training session. Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old male champion in 2024, had exercise rider Humberto Gómez up for a solid gallop around the Churchill Downs oval. He’s scheduled to turn in his final drill Monday, and regular rider Martín García is on hand for that. Stablemate Rodríguez, who’ll have Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the tack Saturday, had exercise rider Eric García aboard for his move Sunday, which was a serious five-panel drill in 1:00.0. The track’s clockers caught his splits at 12.2, 24.2, 36.2 and 47.6 and then timed out in 1:12.6 and 1:27.0. García came off the track at the 5 1/2-furlong gap shaking his head in a form of pleasing disbelief. “Amazing work. Amazing,” the rider said. “He was in hand all the way.” Later at his barn 33, Baffert had to agree with his rider. “Yes, it was an amazing work,” he said. Then, either showing some of his impish style or foretelling a tale he knows well, he offered, “Right over there, on our shed-row rail, that’s where the roses are going to hang.” The trainer has a right. He has won the Kentucky Derby six times.
Coal Battle. Norman Stables’ Coal Battle galloped 1 1/2 miles during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT training period for Derby and Oaks horses with Bethany Taylor aboard. Coal Battle drew post 16 for the Derby and is listed at 30-1 on the morning line. “I was hoping for 8, 9, 10 or 11,” trainer Lonnie Briley said, “but it looks like most of the speed is inside of us, so we can just drop in behind it.” Coal Battle is scheduled for a three-eighths-mile blowout Monday morning, according to Briley.
East Avenue. Godolphin’s East Avenue completed his major preparation for the Kentucky Derby, breezing five furlongs in 59.4 seconds under jockey Manny Franco. The colt worked to the outside of Joejoe Go through a quarter-mile of 24.2 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.20. Joejoe Go’s final time was 59.6 seconds. East Avenue drew post 12 in the Derby. “We’re really happy with our draw,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “There’s a lot of speed on our inside so I think it’s a good spot to be.” East Avenue is listed at 20-1 on the morning line.
Final Gambit. Juddmonte’s Final Gambit had a walk day at trainer Brad Cox’s barn following his five-eighths move in 1:01.0 on Saturday morning. The winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) drew post 3 for the Derby and will be ridden by Luan Machado.
Flying Mohawk. Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing and Kaleta Racing’s Flying Mohawk drew post 11 for the Kentucky Derby. “Post 11 seems like a pretty good post,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “It’s right in the middle of the gate. He’ll break out of there and probably track the pace. So, we’re good with it.” Co-owner and former major-league baseball player Jayson Werth was in attendance Saturday night at the draw and was very pleased with drawing post 11. “My grandpa played 19 years in the big leagues, and for most of it, his number was 11. So I have some history with that number, and it was one of my favorite numbers growing up as a kid. We are here in the Kentucky Derby with the guy we never thought would make it here. I think he’s live at number 11.” Jockey Joe Ramos has the mount and was tabbed at 30-1 on the morning line.
Grande. Lightly raced Curlin colt returned to regular training Sunday morning with exercise rider Juan Suárez aboard for a 1 3/8-mile gallop during the special Derby-Oaks training period at Churchill Downs starting at 7:15 a.m. EDT. Trainer Todd Pletcher oversaw the exercise and gave it a thumbs up. “He’ll just gallop the rest of the week,” the trainer said. “And I’m fine with his Derby post draw.” Grande drew post 10 at the draw Saturday evening. Next weekend he’ll have old pro John Velázquez in the irons.
Journalism. One could tell by the crowd of media types and lookie-loos surrounding barn 35 that Journalism is a big deal for this year’s Kentucky Derby. The strapping Curlin colt had the backside at Churchill Downs all atwitter Sunday morning as he went through his final drill for America’s most famous race. The fact he drew a pleasing post with no. 8 for the race Saturday evening and was hung the morning line favorite at 3-1 over 19 rivals stirred the pot, of course, as has his run of three straight graded stakes tallies capped by his score in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Sunday morning the bay had airplane-challenged rider Umberto Rispoli up for a move of 1:01.4 preceded by splits of 13.6, 25.8 and 37.6 seconds followed by some out marks of 1:13.6 and 1:26.8. They went about their business on a sunny and slightly chilly morning in Louisville, Ky. Rispoli, the ebullient Italian who works out of Southern California these days, went through an airplane adventure in which he came into Louisville on Saturday on the planned-though-scratched work day, attempted to fly back to California only to wind up spending five hours in the Atlanta airport trying to make connections, then returning to Louisville later Saturday so he could be on hand for his saddle services Sunday. Nonetheless, the rider liked what his mount had done out on the racetrack that morning. “He was good today,” he said. “Very professional. He’s a professional horse. A pleasure to ride.” Conditioner Michael McCarthy, who watched the work from the frontside with several of his clients, also found the exercise to his liking. “I was very pleased with the work,” he offered. “Umberto was happy, so that’s good. He’ll just walk tomorrow. It’s all good for now.”
Luxor Café. Fukuryu Stakes winner Luxor Café visited the paddock Sunday morning. Trainer Noriyuki Hori is expected to arrive in Louisville on Monday and the horse could breeze Tuesday.
Neoequos. C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables and Stefania Farms’ Neoequos trained for the first time at Churchill Downs Sunday morning, jogging at 7:15 a.m. EDT for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. He drew post 2 in the Derby.
Owen Almighty. Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty galloped 1 1/2 miles under Antonio Orellana for trainer Brian Lynch at 7:15 a.m. EDT. Assigned morning-line odds of 30-1, Owen Almighty drew post 20 for the Derby.
Publisher and Tiztastic. It was a busier than usual morning for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen as his Derby duo of Publisher and Tiztastic had their final published workouts prior to the run for the roses. Publisher, with Wilson Fabian in the irons, breezed a half-mile in 49.0 seconds, and Tiztastic, ridden by Carlos Rosas, worked a half-mile in 50.2 seconds. The duo drew adjacent starting positions for the Derby with Publisher breaking from post 13 and Tiztastic post 14. “It’s an ideal draw for both of them being next to each other,” Asmussen said. “They’ve been training together, everything is coming together perfectly. I just hope we can catch a day that’s going to be sunny and a fast track. We couldn’t be more excited.” Tiztastic, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, won the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby (G2) six weeks ago. “I think the distance was the difference with him,” Asmussen said. “If the Louisiana Derby were any shorter, he would’ve been fourth or fifth. I think the key to him is getting the opportunity to go this far.” Gus King and the estate of Brereton C. Jones’s Publisher has accomplished a lot but has yet to win a race. The runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (G1) added blinkers for that race and will wear them again in the Kentucky Derby. “I think we get better focus with him with the addition of blinkers. It was a big jump forward from a numbers standpoint,” Asmussen said. “He’s been very impressive since he’s started training here.” Publisher will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., and Tiztastic will have Joel Rosario in the irons. Both horses are tabbed at 20-1.
Render Judgment. Trainer Kenny McPeek reported Virginia Derby runner-up Render Judgment had a scheduled walk day in barn 6 following his five-furlong move in 59.6 seconds Saturday. The colt drew post 15 for the Derby. “The great thing is I don’t get to ride the horse, Julien (Leparoux) does,” McPeek said. “We will let Julien do his thing. The good news is I think the horse is going to come from way off the pace, so I don’t think the draw is a big deal. He needs to get to a whole new level that we’ve never seen from him. He always tries hard and is doing great. Julien worked him Saturday morning, and it was the best work of his life. Post 1, 20 or 15, I don’t think where you put him in the starting gate is going to matter since he comes from off the pace.”
Sandman. D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman visited the starting gate and then galloped 1 1/2 miles under Froylan García for trainer Mark Casse at 7:15 a.m. EDT. The Arkansas Derby (G1) winner is the third choice on the morning line at 6-1 and will exit post 17. “I think we did well on both of our draws,” Casse said of Sandman and La Cara, in post 7 for the Oaks. “The 14 through the 17 are about the same. (Jockey) José (Ortiz) was happy with it. I didn’t ask Sandman yet, but I am sure he is fine with it.”
Sovereignty. The Kentucky Derby 5-1 second-favorite on the morning line put in his final drill for the American classic when he covered five furlongs in 1:01.80 during the special Derby-Oaks training period. Regular exercise rider Javier Cardona was at the controls as he took the Into Mischief colt through splits of 25.4, 37.8 and then went out in 1:15.0. Trainer Bill Mott oversaw the activity trackside on his ever-present pony. “Liked what I saw,” the conditioner said. “He looked good coming through the stretch.” Mott has named Júnior Alvarado to ride his charge, and they’ll start the proceedings from post 18 in the 20-horse Derby field.