Known Agenda Among Quintet of Churchill Derby Workers

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Known Agenda Among Quintet of Churchill Derby Workers
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Photo: Coady Photography
Known Agenda (outside) and Sainthood work April 16 at Churchill Downs

On a busy morning April 16 at Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) contenders Bourbonic , Dynamic One , Helium , Known Agenda , and Sainthood  all recorded published workouts in preparation for the May 1 Run for the Roses.

All five horses worked at 7:30 a.m. and D. J. Stable's $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Helium was the first of the quintet to work. He breezed on the inside of stablemate Peace Achieved  through fractions of :25 3/5, :37 3/5, and :49 4/5 en route to five furlongs in 1:01 4/5. He galloped out to six furlongs in 1:14 3/5. Peace Achieved completed his five-furlong move in 1:02.

"The most important thing about the work is (jockey) Julien (Leparoux) was happy," said trainer Mark Casse, who is slated to arrive next week in Kentucky.

Helium, an undefeated son of Ironicus  , will be ridden by Leparoux in the Derby.

Trainer Todd Pletcher arrived two weeks early in Kentucky and was on-site to watch his Derby contenders work Friday morning. Pletcher's first duo of St. Elias Stable's $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) winner Known Agenda and WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G2) runner-up Sainthood worked through fractions of :12 3/5, :24 2/5, and :36 3/5, then hit the five furlong mark in 1:00 2/5. They galloped out together through six furlongs in 1:13 2/5. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard Known Agenda while exercise rider Amelia Green rode Sainthood.

"Because of the spacing of their last two races, I wanted a more serious work out of them," Pletcher said. "I thought both horses got over the surface well, and that's what was most important about getting them up here early to work over it."

Dynamic One (Outside) Bourbonic (Inside) - Work - Churchill Downs - 04-16-21   Bourbonic - Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher, Owner: Calumet Farm, Breeder: Calumet Farm  Dynamic One - Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher, Owner: Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, Breeder: Phipps Stable
Photo: Coady Photography
Dynamic One (outside) and Bourbonic (inside) work April 16 at Churchill Downs

The next Pletcher duo to work was Calumet Farm's Bourbonic and Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One. The one-two finishers of the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) began their work together through an opening quarter-mile fraction of :24 2/5 and half-mile time of :48 3/5. Dynamic One (five furlongs in 1:01) finished in front of Bourbonic (five furlongs in 1:01 3/5) at the wire and continued to gallop out ahead through a six-furlong time of 1:13 1/5. Bourbonic completed a gallop out to six furlongs in 1:14 3/5.

"I thought it would be good to work both of these horses together after coming out of the same race," Pletcher said. "I'd say we were definitely surprised at winning the Wood. (Bourbonic) has always trained a little bit light, but we always thought that the further the distance, the better it would be for him. He likes to drop back and make one run."

Meanwhile in California, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent Medina Spirit  through a five-furlong move in 1:00 flat at Santa Anita Park. Zedan Racing Stables' son of Protonico   comes off a runner-up finish to the undefeated Rock Your World  in the April 5 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1).

"He worked five eighths, galloped out strong, and looked good," said Baffert, who seeks his seventh win in the Run for the Roses.

Baffert added no decision has been made on whether Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Concert Tour , third in the April 10 Arkansas Derby (G1), will run on the first Saturday in May.