Gunnevera Leads Busy Sophomore Work Slate

Peacock Racing Stables' multiple graded stakes winner Gunnevera put in his final breeze March 25 for the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) April 1 at Gulfstream Park, leading a coast-to-coast slate of sophomore works.

Jockey Leonel Reyes replaced regular exercise partner Edgard Zayas, who was riding in Dubai, for the five-furlong work that went in 1:01 4/5 over the Gulfstream Park West main track.

 

The time ranked seventh of 20 horses at the distance and was notably quicker than Gunnevera's penultimate breeze March 18 in 1:04 3/5. Trainer Antonio Sano said the 3-year-old son of 2011 Florida Derby winner Dialed In   galloped out to six furlongs in 1:14.

"It was very good for me. The jockey did exactly as I asked him and it went perfect," Sano said. "He was very calm on my horse. The last two furlongs I got him in :10 4/5, and the gallop out was very good.

"Last week the horse worked very slow. He is ready for the race. He didn't need more for the Florida Derby, so I breezed him looking ahead to the next one."

The winner of the Saratoga Special (G2) and Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3) as a 2-year-oid, along with the March 4 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, Gunnevera leads all 3-year-olds with 64 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Regular rider Javier Castellano will be back in the irons for the Florida Derby. 

At Gulfstream Park, multiple stakes winner Three Rules and recent allowance winner Impressive Edge each worked Saturday.

Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Tom Fitzgerald, and Geoff Roy's Three Rules was sharp in his only work for the Florida Derby, going five furlongs in 1:00.50, the fastest of 24 horses over a main track that received some overnight rain.

 

"It put a little moisture in the track and that's really good for him. He's fit and ready," trainer Jose Pinchin said. "He went five-eighths this morning and galloped out good. Everything went perfect. It couldn't have been a better work."

 

Three Rules, who swept the Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds as part of a five-race win streak to open his career, most recently finished third after setting the pace in the Fountain of Youth, a half-length behind runner-up Practical Joke. Luis Saez, aboard for the first time in the Fountain of Youth, retains the call.

"Looking back on it, it was a hell of a good performance," Pinchin said. "He got pressured from the go by Irish War Cry and then (Practical Joke) took him on real early and didn't really give him a chance, but he ran real good. I thought it was a very good race."

N and K Racing's Impressive Edge breezed five furlongs in 1:01.87, also in preparation for a planned Florida Derby start. The Dale Romans-trained colt galloped out strongly under exercise rider Faustino Aguilar. Corey Lanerie, aboard for the first time in that recent start, has the Florida Derby mount.

Impressive Edge took to the track shortly after the completion of Gotham Stakes (G2) winner J Boys Echo's five-furlong workout in 1:02.89 under Tammy Fox.

"They both worked good. They're totally different horses—one worked fast, the other worked slow. But we know they can both run and they're both fit and ready to roll," said Romans, who plans to run J Boys Echo in the April 8 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland.

Also in Florida, trainer Todd Pletcher got Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Tapwrit back to work at Palm Beach Downs. The Tapit   colt went four furlongs in :49 1/5 under jockey Jose Ortiz in his first move since the March 11 Tampa Bay Derby, which he won by 4 1/2 lengths for Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Robert LaPenta. According to Arron Wellman, president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the Blue Grass Stakes is "the leading candidate option" should Tapwrit run between now and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

The Palm Beach tab included another Pletcher sophomore, St. Elias Stable's Santa Anita Derby (G1) probable Battalion Runner, who worked a five-furlong bullet in 1:01 flat under Ortiz. 

On the West Coast, Battle of Midway (five furlongs in :59 4/5) and Gormley (four furlongs in :48 4/5) both worked, while sophomore fillies It Tiz Well (five furlongs in :58 3/5) and Sircat Sally (five furlongs in 1:00 2/5) also graced the tab.

In Louisiana, Brad Grady’s Risen Star Stakes (G2) winner Girvin and Coffee Pot Stables’ Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) winner Farrell both turned in final drills for their respective big races coming up April 1.

The likely favorite for the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), the Wayne Catalano-trained Farrell worked a half-mile in :49 1/5.

Girvin, who will garner a great deal of respect at the windows in the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), worked five furlongs in 1:01 flat with Rosie Napravnik in the saddle for trainer Joe Sharp.