Romans' Derby Pair Breezes at Churchill

Although only one of his horses is currently among the 20 with sufficient points for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), trainer Dale Romans sent Brody's Cause and Cherry Wine out for workouts the morning of April 30.

On the track at Churchill Downs during the time set aside for Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) participants, Brody’s Cause breezed five furlongs in 1:00 1/5. With Tammy Fox aboard, the Albaugh Family Stable campaigner was timed in fractional splits of :11 3/5, :23 2/5, :35 2/5, and :47 2/5. He then galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 and seven-eighths of a mile in 1:28 1/5. The time was the fourth best of 57 workouts at the distance at Churchill on the day.

"I think Brody's Cause worked great," Romans said. "He came back great and looked like he had never done anything. It's a great sign, he's ready. All the heavy lifting is over. We just have to keep him happy and fresh until next weekend. This is what we were looking for this morning. He galloped out nice and relaxed and went fast even though he was relaxed and came back like he had never done anything."

Meanwhille, Cherry Wine went five furlongs in 1:00 3/5, in split times of :11 4/5, :23 2/5, :35 3/5, :47 3/5. and galloped out in 1:13 3/5 and 1:27 3/5.

Unlike most Derby trainers who opted to work their charges Friday because of Saturday's rainy weather forecast, Romans stuck to his game plan for a work seven days before the classic. Shortly after each breezed, a downpour drenched Churchill Downs.

Brody’s Cause, the Giant's Causeway colt who unleashed a quick closing kick to win the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), is definitely among those qualifying for the Derby based on points earned in prep races. Cherry Wine, third in the Blue Grass, ranks 25th on the leaderboard.

Romans has had six Kentucky Derby contenders in previous years, all of which had "at least a little question mark to be concerned about." He says Brody's Cause, however, is an exception. 



"I've had a lot of good horses going into the Derby and they proved to be good horses even after the Derby, but no one has come into the race that really didn't have any question marks," Romans said. "We know that he likes the racetrack, we know he can get the distance, we know he's been in big fields, and we know he's fit and doing well. If you went down your list of concerns, you can check every one of them off because they are not concerns.

"I'm a little more stressed," the trainer added. "The others weren't as highly regarded, the others had something to be concerned about, this one doesn't have any in my opinion, and that makes me more stressed because it doesn't give me any excuse."

With a victory in last year’s Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) at Keeneland, Brody’s Cause has earned $1,123,181 while compiling a record of 3-0-1- from six starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan and William Arvin Jr.

Cherry Wine, a son of Paddy O'Prado  , has two wins and three placings in his eight starts, with earnings of $218,878 for owners Pacella Racing, Frank L. Jones Jr., and Frank Shoop. He was bred in Kentucky by Jones and William Pacella.

"If Cherry Wine gets in, he will be a contender. He worked that good. Otherwise, Preakness," Romans said.