Wells Bayou Breezes at Oaklawn Ahead of Arkansas Derby

Clint and Lance Gasaway, Madaket Stables, and Wonder Stables' Wells Bayou led the work tab for Arkansas Derby (G1) contenders April 26 at Oaklawn Park, turning in a :48 1/5 half-mile work on a fast track. The breeze was the eighth-fastest of 50 at the distance.

Wells Bayou already has an allowance-level win and a runner-up finish in the Southwest Stakes (G3) on his Oaklawn record. The 3-year-old Lookin At Lucky  colt broke though in his fifth start to win the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) March 21 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The May 2 Arkansas Derby will be his first start since then.

"He's had a great winter, he's really moved forward, and he continued to impress us in the mornings," trainer Brad Cox said. "He hasn't taken a step back at all since the Louisiana Derby, so that's why we've obviously turned our attention to the Arkansas Derby, and hopefully he can be a grade 1 winner on Saturday."

Other Arkansas Derby probables to work at Oaklawn on Sunday were Ed and Susie Orr's Silver Prospector and Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran's Taishan. Southwest winner Silver Prospector breezed four furlongs in :49 3/5 for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Arkansas Derby will be his fourth start at Oaklawn this year. He last ran sixth in the March 14 Rebel Stakes (G2). Taishan, trained by Richard Baltas, worked four furlongs in :48 3/5. He was fifth in the Southwest, then won an Oaklawn allowance before finishing third in the April 11 Oaklawn Stakes.

At Santa Anita Park, trainer Bob Baffert sent Arkansas Derby contenders Nadal and Charlatan out for works on the fast main track Sunday. Rebel winner Nadal worked five furlongs in :59 1/5, the fastest of 46 at the distance. Charlatan, who will be making his stakes debut and first start outside Santa Anita, went six furlongs in 1:12 2/5, the fastest of six at the distance.

Nadal is campaigned by George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen. Charlatan is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Frederick Hertrich III, John Fielding, and Golconda Stables. Both colts are undefeated.

Cox also worked Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables' Oaklawn Handicap (G2) contender Warrior's Charge on Sunday at Oaklawn. The 4-year-old Munnings  colt won the Feb. 17 Razorback Handicap (G3) in his 2020 debut and breezed four furlongs in :48 3/5.

Cox said both Wells Bayou and Warrior's Charge are doing extremely well ahead of their respective starts.

"They both are good work horses, and they turned in good works this morning with great gallop outs," he said. "We're looking forward to next weekend."