Shagaf, My Man Sam Breeze Easy at Churchill

Two very different workouts, but trainer Chad Brown was delighted with the training moves by his Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) contenders My Man Sam and Shagaf April 24 at Churchill Downs.

My Man Sam, a rallying second in his stakes debut in the Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I), went out right as the track opened at 5:45 a.m., working an easy half-mile in :50 3/5 seconds in company with multiple stakes-winner Majestic Affair. Churchill Downs’ clockers timed his workout splits as :26 and :38 3/5, meaning he came home the last eighth in :12 seconds after his leisurely start, and galloping out well in 1:03 1/5 for five-eighths of a mile and 1:16 2/5 for six furlongs.

Shadwell Stable’s previously unbeaten Shagaf, fifth by a total of four lengths in the mud as the Wood Memorial favorite in his last start, was the only Kentucky Derby horse with a timed work during the special 8:30 a.m. training session for those horses. Working by himself, Shagaf looked very good going a half-mile in :48 4/5 seconds, with splits of :12 4/5, :24 3/5 and :36 3/5, then galloping out five-eighths in 1:01 1/5 and six furlongs in 1:14 3/5. Shagaf was ridden by Gian Cueva.

Brown said My Man Sam "is not a great work horse. It was just a maintenance work. I thought he worked terrific.

"Shagaf was a little different,” Brown continued. "We worked him by himself for the first time. He's been getting a little aggressive in his works, and I thought he went terrific. I'm just so thrilled with his work. He’s a little bit better of a work horse. He got over the surface well, galloped out strong… Shagaf is just a bigger, stronger, more willing work horse. It’s the best he’s ever worked, in my eyes.

"My Man Sam is a horse who appreciates some company. He’s never been really flashy in the mornings. That’s exactly how he works when he runs well. Irad (Ortiz) flew in to breeze the horse, and he was over the moon about it."

My Man Sam, a son of Trappe Shot   owned by Sheep Pond Partners and Newport Stables, started his career Dec. 15 over Aqueduct’s winterized inner-track, finishing fifth in a sprint. Sent 1 1/16 miles his next out, My Man Sam won by eight, then was a fast-closing second to the well-regarded Matt King Coal in an allowance race before going to Kentucky for the Blue Grass.

Breaking from post 14, My Man Sam closed from last and came eight-wide in the stretch to finish 1 3/4 lengths behind victorious Brody's Cause, also a late-runner who came very wide.

 "He ran terrific from the 14th post in the Blue Grass, was lucky enough to get up for second and get the points to be in this position," Brown said. “He’s a rapidly developing horse with a lot of talent that should get a mile and a quarter."