Kentucky Derby Notes, April 19
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Following is a brief look at some of the horses training toward the first jewel of the Triple Crown.
• Zayat Stables' Arkansas Derby (gr. I) winner American Pharoah galloped in the rain under Jorge Alvarez over sloppy footing April 19 during Churchill Downs' training window for Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) hopefuls.
• Ackerley Brothers Farm's Bold Conquest galloped shortly after the Churchill track opened for training. Trainer Steve Asmussen said Bold Conquest, runner-up in the Iroquois (gr. III) at the Louisville track and third in the Rebel (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park, would work April 20. He added that the weather would determine whether the son of Curlin would work shortly after the track opens for training at 6 a.m. EDT or during the 15-minute training period for Oaks and Derby horses. Bold Conquest ranked 23rd with a total of 17 points on the updated "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard released by Churchill Downs Sunday. A maximum of 20 horses will compete in the May 2 Kentucky Derby.
• Assistant trainer Norman Casse said John C. Oxley's Danzig Moon came out of April 18's swift five-furlong work in :58 in good shape. "Everthing's perfect," said Casse, the son of trainer Mark Casse who oversees his father's stable at Churchill Downs. The younger Casse said his father would be at Churchill April 25 for a four-furlong work that would be the final pre-Derby training move by the son of Malibu Moon .
• Ken and Sarah Ramsey's International Star, winner of the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and the points leader on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard (171 points), came out of his Saturday work at Churchill well, according to trainer Mike Maker. The son of Fusaichi Pegasus breezed five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 under jockey Miguel Mena. International Star returned to Maker's base at Trackside Training Center after the work, but will return to Churchill this week and will remain at the track through his Kentucky Derby run. Maker said Saturday that the colt would return to Churchill on Monday or Tuesday, but said Sunday that the plan had changed and the four-mile journey from Trackside had been pushed back to later in the week.
• Robert V. LaPenta and Harry T. Rosenblum's Arkansas Derby runner-up Far Right galloped 1 7/8 miles over sloppy footing during Sunday's Derby/Oaks training session. Trainer Ron Moquett said the winner of the Southwest (gr. III) and Smarty Jones at Oaklawn would work on April 25 or April 26.
• Loooch Racing Stables and Glenn K. Ellis' War Story galloped early Sunday over a fast track at Churchill Downs. Trainer Tom Amoss said the Risen Star (gr. II) runner-up is scheduled to work April 22.
• Four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Zayat Stables' Mr. Z, third in the Arkansas Derby, would work on April 22 or April 23. The Malibu Moon colt galloped over a sloppy track during Sunday's training window for Derby and Oaks runners.
• Stall manager Steve Hargrave reports Philip S. Birsh's Twinspires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) runner-up Tencendur, trained by George Weaver, is expected to arrive Monday after a van ride from New York.