Kingsbarns, Raise Cain Record Kentucky Derby Workouts

Expected Kentucky Derby (G1) participants Kingsbarns  and Raise Cain  recorded their penultimate breezes April 20 for the May 6 Run for the Roses with training at Churchill Downs and Keeneland, respectively.

Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Kingsbarns breezed in company with Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Major Dude , covering five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 over a fast track beneath the Twin Spires. Major Dude is a possible Kentucky Derby starter but currently lacks sufficient qualifying points to be among the 20 horses permitted to start in the race. Major Dude could alternatively race in the American Turf Stakes (G2T) on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Kingsbarns breezing five furlongs in 1:00.80 outside Major Dude. #KyDerby. pic.twitter.com/VIL9428f1P

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 20, 2023

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher trains both Kingsbarns and Major Dude for Spendthrift Farm.

The duo clipped through opening eighth-mile fractions of :12 3/5, :24 2/5, and :36 1/5, and galloped out together through six furlongs in 1:13 2/5.

"I think people gave Kingsbarns a discount because of the time of the Louisiana Derby," Spendthrift Farm president Eric Gustavson said. "I don't think you should be penalized by going to the front and putting everyone else to sleep like he did. We're pretty confident coming into the Derby."

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard Major Dude while Pletcher's exercise rider Humberto Zamora was in the saddle on Kingsbarns.

"Both of them went pretty well," Pletcher said. "I thought it was a good, steady work with a strong gallop out. Kingsbarns accomplished a lot in a short period of time. I thought his debut was very professional. It's hard to win going one-mile first time out and he did it getting an education being behind horses. For his first start I thought that was impressive. We went the Tampa Bay Downs route to get a two-turn allowance race into him. I thought that worked out well. He made a big step forward then in the Louisiana Derby."

Pletcher reported Kentucky Derby favorite Forte  will breeze April 21 along with Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Tapit Trice .

Meanwhile in Lexington Thursday morning, Andrew and Rania Warren's Raise Cain worked five furlongs in 1:03 2/5 over a fast track at Keeneland. With regular work rider Isael Garcia aboard for trainer Ben Colebrook, Raise Cain produced fractions of :13 3/5, :26 4/5, :38 3/5, and :51 2/5, before completing his workout and galloping out six furlongs in 1:15 4/5.

"Nice and easy...finished well and galloped out well. Just what you're looking for," Colebrook said. "He started out slow and then finished well." 

A Keeneland sales graduate who won the Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack prior to finishing fifth in Keeneland's Blue Grass, Raise Cain will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Javier Castellano.

Colebrook, who will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter, plans to work Raise Cain next either April 27 or April 28 depending on weather. 

Raise Cain will continue to train at Keeneland through the morning of May 1 before vanning to Churchill Downs.

Kentucky Oaks Runners Also Breeze at Churchill Downs

Around 7:30 a.m. ET, Botanical  (five furlongs, 1:00 1/5), Southlawn  (five furlongs, :58 4/5), The Alys Look  (five furlongs, 1:00 3/5), and Wet Paint  (five furlongs, 1:00 1/5) all recorded published workouts. About 90 minutes later at 9 a.m., Gambling Girl  breezed a half-mile in :49 2/5.

Wet Paint (5F 1:00.20) started two lengths back of The Alys Look (5F 1:00.60). #KyOaks pic.twitter.com/uU20uIbOaE

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 20, 2023

Trainer Brad Cox worked The Alys Look and Wet Paint together. Wet Paint, with jockey Flavien Prat aboard, began two lengths back of her stablemate, who was ridden by Florent Geroux, and finished even at the wire. Wet Paint completed a six-furlong gallop out in 1:13 while her stablemate finished in 1:13 2/5.

Immediately following their work, Botanical, with jockey Chris Landeros in the irons, worked outside stablemate Flashy Gem. The duo galloped out six furlongs together in 1:13 2/5.

"I thought it was a really good morning for all of our fillies," Cox said. "The Alys Look (pronounced Alice) began about two lengths in front of Wet Paint and they finished well together and galloped out well together. I thought it was a very solid move. I let Botanical do a little bit more today than last week just to see how she'd really handle the dirt. She was actually here at Churchill last summer and we breezed her on the turf then and thought she handled it well. She didn't quite have a lot of early speed so that's why we started her going long on turf. Flashy Gem is a very good work horse and the two fillies ran first and second last time out at Turfway."

Southlawn, trained by Norm Casse, started five lengths back of stablemate Burning Bright. The winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) galloped out six furlongs in 1:11 3/5, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

Gambling Girl worked with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. on board and was outside her Pletcher-trained stablemate Cairo Consort .