Outwork, Destin Turn in Final Derby Breezes

Todd Pletcher greeted media at Churchill Downs April 29 in a laid-back manner, although the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) looms. Pleased with the final breezes of Wood Memorial (gr. I) winner Outwork and Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) winner Destin, he has no problem leaving the limelight to undefeated champion Nyquist and others with higher profiles headed into the May 7 event.

"It seems just a little quiet in general, but I didn't say I have a problem with it," Pletcher said with a grin. "I'm sure it will intensify here later this week. It's been a seamless transition over here and the horses have settled in well, and when your horses breeze well, I think that puts you in good spirits."

Mike Repole's homebred Outwork went five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in company with Azar, a probable for the $300,000 American Turf (gr. IIT). The Uncle Mo   colt delivered fractions of :13 1/5 and :37 2/5 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.

"What I really liked was the way he finished," Pletcher said. "Sometimes, as he did in the Wood, when he gets past the last horse he kind of tends to idle a little bit. Today I thought he was much more professional, focused, and stayed concentrated throughout the gallop out."

Destin, in company with Stradivari, went five furlongs in 1:01 after producing eighth-mile fractions of :12 3/5, :24 4/5, :37 2/5, and :49 3/5, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 1/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27 with Javier Castellano in the irons. 

"He's had a good series of solid works, but we wanted to make sure we got a solid one today with a strong gallop out," Pletcher said of the Giant's Causeway colt. "If we can keep him focused, I think he'll get the distance."

Destin ran fourth in the Lecomte (gr. III) back in January, after which Pletcher adjusted his blinkers and found a sharper horse for victories in the Sam F. Davis (gr. III) and March 12 Tampa Bay Derby.

"I think part of the excuse was him not focusing (in the Lecomte)," the trainer said. "We adjusted his blinkers for the Sam Davis, tried to close them up a little bit, just trying to get him to focus. The thing we did like about the Lecomte is we felt like it was a sneaky good race. He never really leveled off and ran until the last sixteenth of a mile, and when he did he finished up with enthusiasm. (He ran a) much more professional race in the Sam Davis and then again the Tampa Bay Derby."



Destin comes in off an eight-week gap between starts for Twin Creeks Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The Tampa Bay Derby was his last out, and he has not gone past its 1 1/16 miles.

"It was a tough decision (to run fresh in the Derby) because you're passing up a good opportunity in between," Pletcher said. "There's the Wood Memorial, Blue Grass, Arkansas Derby all were considerations and grade Is and significant races on their own. But we've had success in the past giving horses a little extra time. Looking back to last year's Breeders' Cup with (gr. I Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner) Liam's Map, he didn't run from Saratoga to Breeders' Cup. Same thing for (gr. I Breeders' Cup Distaff winner) Stopchargingmaria, and even Rachel's Valentina, who didn't win (the gr. I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies), but ran a good second to Songbird. We just feel like sometimes our horses run well fresh, and that should apply to the Kentucky Derby as much as any other race."

Pletcher said he is in a good place with his contenders coming into the Derby.

"I think everyone's kind of looking at it like it's a wide-open race and at the same time you have an undefeated 2-year-old champion... so maybe Nyquist isn't getting the respect he deserves, because all he does is win," he said. "At the same time I feel very good about the way our two are coming up to it and feel great about the works today, so we hope for the remaining eight days to go smoothly."