Mohaymen Has Final Work Before Florida Derby

Shadwell Stable's Mohaymen on March 24 turned in his final work in preparation for the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I) April 2 at Gulfstream Park.

Mohaymen, a 3-year-old Tapit   colt who is undefeated in four starts, worked a half-mile in :48 4/5 on a fast track at Palm Meadows Training Center. Regular exercise rider Miguel Jaime was aboard for the work, the ninth-fastest of 36 at the distance.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who is in Dubai for the March 26 Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) program, moved up Mohaymen's work because the South Florida weekend forecast calls for rain.

"We're OK," McLaughlin said. "We got our work in and everything went well. It looks like it's going to rain the next five days so we didn't want to chance it. We would have probably been fine if we didn't work at all but being that we could work, we wanted to do it."

Though not able to watch in person, McLaughlin said he saw a video of the work sent to him by his assistant and sister-in-law Trish McLaughlin, whose husband, Neal, has been overlooking the team's Dubai string since January.

"I got a tape of his work and Trish said it went fabulous," Kiaran McLaughlin said. "He looked great and everything is on target."

Also expected for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby are undefeated 2-year-old champion male Nyquist, Fellowship, Ifyousnoozeyoulose, Sawyers Mickey, and Majesto. Entries will be taken March 30.