Fellowship's First Work for Casse is Solid
Description:
Grade I-placed stakes winner Fellowship put in his first official work April 17 at Churchill Downs since being moved to Mark Casse’s racing stable following the Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I).
Fred Brei’s homebred son of Awesome of Course worked four furlongs in :48 4/5, according to Norman Casse, chief assistant to his father. Churchill Downs clockers caught Fellowship in splits of :12 2/5 and :25 before galloping out to five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 and three-quarters of a mile in 1:14 3/5.
"We went in with no expectations and he worked really well," Norman Casse said. "Had he been in our program already, this is what we would have done coming out of the Florida Derby. He is obviously talented and seems to be one that will appreciate running a mile and quarter.”
Fellowship is a Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) bubble horse, sitting at 22nd on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 32 points, tied with Mo Tom, who also has 32 points but is one spot higher with $61,736 more in non-restricted stakes earnings than Fellowship.
"Obviously there will have to be some defections for us to run," Norman Casse said. "But it’s still too early to tell for sure. Next week will be his big work and we’ll have a better indicator on where he is and what type of horse we think he is. If he gets in he deserves a shot, but he’ll have to work his way in.”
The colt is one of 14 horses owned by Brei’s Jacks or Better Farm that were transferred recently from Stanley Gold to Casse. A stakes winner at 2, Fellowship placed third in the Florida Derby behind Nyquist and longshot Majesto. He also finished third in the Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III).