McCraken Stretches Out in Keeneland Work

With trainer Ian Wilkes looking to put more of a bottom into undefeated 3-year-old McCraken, the Ghostzapper   colt breezed six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 at Keeneland the morning of March 27.

With a group of Kentucky horsemen and agents on hand to watch on a pleasant spring morning, McCraken and regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. went to the track shortly after the 8:30 a.m. track maintenance break and worked in company with 4-year-old gelding Nessy, who had Chris Landeros aboard.

The two stablemates jogged clockwise around the track until they got in front of the grandstand, where they were sent into their exercise regimen. McCraken started about four lengths behind Nessy but easily passed his workmate, who was timed in 1:15 1/5.

According to Keeneland clockers, McCraken's splits were :25 1/5, :38, :50, and 1:01 3/5 for the first five-eighths of a mile leading to the six-furlong work time. Then he galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25 2/5 over the fast track.

The work was the second at Keeneland for the Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred who breezed five furlongs at the Lexington oval March 20 in preperation for the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 8.

"I needed a longer work to put a bottom in him today," Wilkes said. "This is the type of horse I could work a half-mile and run him and he'd be fine. (I) just (wanted) a nice solid work. Didn't need anything fast, fast. But just a solid work and a strong gallop out."

Wilkes said the decision to have McCraken work with Nessy was "just giving him a target, just changing it up. You don't want him to get bored. Keeping him happy."

"He was his normal self," said Hernandez, who had flown to Lexington specifically for the work and departed immediately afterward to ride the Monday afternoon card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

"It was a great work for him. He finished up through the wire really good and galloped out really good for the full mile," Hernandez added. "He did it the right way, like he always does."

The colt, whose four victories from as many starts include the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3), and Street Sense Stakes, has 20 qualifying points and ranks 15th on the leaderboard for the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). He is currently the top vote-getter in the weekly 3-year-old poll conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Following his victory over Tapwrit in the Feb. 11 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, McCraken missed a rematch in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) because of a minor ankle strain from which he has fully recovered.

Produced from the grade 3-placed Seeking the Gold mare Ivory Empress, McCraken is a half brother to multiple grade 3-placed Bondurant, a 4-year-old son of War Front   being pointed to the $300,000 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T) April 14 at Keeneland. Bondurant breezed five furlongs in 1:02 March 27.