Thunder Snow Enters Quarantine at Churchill Downs

Godolphin Racing's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) contender Thunder Snow arrived April 30 at Churchill Downs, and is expected to clear a USDA-mandated 42-hour quarantine in time to train the morning of May 2.

The Helmet colt traveled from England under the supervision of Godolphin's Rachel Perry. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor is expected to be on-site Tuesday morning to observe Thunder Snow's first trip over the Louisville oval.

"He's traveled very good, couldn't be any better," Perry said. "He's a good horse, he's quite settled anyway. He's very well-traveled, he's come from Dubai to England, from England to here. He's a very laid-back horse, very easy to deal with, very classy," 

Homebred Thunder Snow won the 2016 Criterium International (G1) on turf to cap his 2-year-old campaign, breaking through the graded/group ranks at the top level. He is undefeated in two starts this year at Meydan Racecourse, with wins in the Feb. 11 UAE Two Thousand Guineas Sponsored by District One Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City (G3) and the March 25 UAE Derby Sponsored by The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby.

Thunder Snow will walk two or three times daily in Barn 17, where he will remain stabled throughout his Churchill Downs visit, until he is released to train.