Wise Dan Works at Keeneland

Morton Fink’s reigning two-time Horse of the Year, Wise Dan, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 on his own early Tuesday morning at Keeneland.

With regular morning partner Damien Rock aboard, Wise Dan posted fractions of :13.20, :25.60, :37.40 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20 and seven furlongs in 1:27.20.

“I am tickled with that. That is how I like them to work,” trainer Charlie LoPresti said. “His work last week (1:13.60 for six furlongs) was good and he got a good blow out of it. Today he galloped out as good or better than last week.”

LoPresti remains undecided about running Wise Dan on Friday, April 11, in the Maker’s 46 Mile (G1), the same race he used in 2013 to begin the gelding’s championship campaign.

“I want to run, but I don’t want to throw him to the wolves right away,” LoPresti said. “We are a little behind the eight ball because of the weather this winter and missed a week because of track maintenance. The guys that have been training in Florida may try to take advantage of that because they know what kind of winter we have had here.”

LoPresti said Wise Dan may come back next Tuesday with a breeze through the stretch.

“We have to get started somewhere,” LoPresti said. “I wish the race was at the end of the meet rather than the start. If he runs (in the Maker’s 46 Mile), there’s a good chance he could run back in Woodford (Reserve Turf Classic-G1 on May 3). If there are any hiccups, he can go in the Ben Ali (G3 on April 19) and from there maybe look at the dirt.”

After the work, Amy LoPresti texted her husband: “Looks good. Rock says awesome.”

Charlie LoPresti said Rock told him he thought Wise Dan was coming back to where he was last year.

“(Wise Dan) drug him around yesterday and he was dragging him to the pole today,” LoPresti said. “Last year, he really turned the corner after the Firecracker (G2 at Churchill Downs in June) and I thought his best race was the Woodbine Mile (G1).”

Now a two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner, Wise Dan owns the all-time Keeneland record with five graded stakes victories.

“I count my blessings every day,” LoPresti said. “I never could have imagined three or four years ago that I would be on this run; not only with him but with Successful Dan and Turallure.”

The 8-year-old Successful Dan will not run during Keeneland’s Spring Meet because of inflammation in a ligament that has forced LoPresti to back off in the gelding’s training.