Firing Line Stretches Legs in Derby Breeze
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With Firing Line scheduled for his flight to Churchill Downs early the morning of April 26, trainer Simon Callaghan didn't want to press the son of Line of David too much in his final workout for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
The plan was executed deftly by jockey Gary Stevens, as the colt breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 April 25 at Santa Anita Park, then galloped out to three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.
"He travels tonight, almost, so that was the plan," Callaghan. "A stretch of the legs... He's a very clean-winded kind of horse. He doesn't need to be doing any super-quick breezes."
Both Callaghan and Stevens have been pleased with the Arnold Zetcher-owned colt's progression since his 14 1/4-length romp in the Sunland Derby (gr. III) March 22.
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"His last two works, last week and again this morning, what's made me smile is, on the gallop out, he has the nice fluid stride, but when I turn into the backstretch—when he switches back into his right lead—he just lunges with me and his stride doubles," Stevens said. "He locks onto me, like, 'All right. Now can I go?' That's what he was thinking this morning, 'Oh, he's going to turn me loose now.' He tried to sneak away from me on the gallop out, but it was time to pull up."
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Callaghan said Firing Line will stick to the same schedule he had in the week prior to the Sunland Derby: a jog at Churchill April 27 and then four consecutive gallops leading into the Kentucky Derby.
"Definitely don't need to change anything," Callaghan said. "He's maintained his fitness from that race really good... He's maturing and (this work) indicates that he can rate and we can put him wherever we want in the race."
Listen to trainer Simon Callaghan talk about Firing Line: