Classic Empire to Arkansas Derby After Impressive Work

Following a strong five-furlong work March 28 at Winding Oaks Farm near Ocala, Fla., the connections of Classic Empire set the Arksansas Derby (G1) as the next target for last year's champion juvenile male.

Trainer Mark Casse said Tuesday's move impressed him and drew rave reviews from people like long-time Winding Oaks farm manager Phil Hronec. Also, Casse said Classic Empire has completely healed from the abscess in his right front foot and appears to be over the back issues that bothered him earlier this month.

Casse said he spoke with owner John Oxley and they decided the Arkansas Derby will serve as the colt's final prep ahead of this year's classics. Casse said the biggest factor on sending the son of Pioneerof the Nile   to the Arkansas Derby is the timing of the April 15 race at Oaklawn Park. The connections also had been considering the April 8 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.

"(Going to the Arkansas Derby) allows us to put one more big work into him, whereas we were kind of messed up with the timing as far as the Blue Grass," Casse said.

Apparently a change of scenery has agreed with Classic Empire, who breezed five furlongs in :59 3/5 under regular jockey Julien Leparoux.

"It gave me goosebumps," said Hronec, who said it was the best work he'd seen on the track since it was added to the farm owned by Eugene Melnyk in 2002. Hronec said until Tuesday the best work he'd seen at Winding Oaks was by eventual champion sprinter Speightstown  .

"If horses go five furlongs in a minute-and-change on this track, it's very impressive," he said. "So to go 59-and-three and then gallop out like he did; it was something to see."

The move is Classic Empire's second on the Winding Oaks dirt—he worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 there March 22. He was relocated by Casse to Winding Oaks after refusing to break off for a breeze March 19 at Palm Meadows.

"He gets things in his mind sometimes and we just thought maybe something was bothering him (at Palm Meadows)," Casse said. "I know that personally, sometimes if you've had a bad experience somewhere, you feel it. That was our thought and we got him out of there. My only regret is that maybe I should have done it earlier."

Classic Empire, who had an abscess in his right front foot after finishing third in the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (G2) Feb. 4 at Gulfstream Park and earlier this month seemed to show signs of back issues, provided his connections some confidence with Tuesday's sharp move on a surface Casse said is comparable to Churchill Downs in that it has more clay than some tracks.

Casse said Leparoux was impressed with the improvement in Classic Empire's back, saying he couldn't believe he was the same horse.

Plans call for the colt to work one more time at Winding Oaks before being shipped to Churchill late next week. He will train there awhile before being shipped April 12 to Oaklawn.

The Arkansas Derby would give Classic Empire two starts this season going into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), which falls three weeks after the Arkansas Derby. Classic Empire started five times as a 2-year-old, capping his season with a victory in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). He currently ranks 11th on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 32 qualifying points.