Long Range Toddy 'All Systems Go' for Kentucky Derby

Willis Horton Racing's Long Range Toddy displayed a calm demeanor throughout the morning of April 29 at Churchill Downs, where the homebred Take Charge Indy colt turned in a professional final work for the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

"He went really well over the race track," trainer Steve Asmussen said after Long Range Toddy completed a half-mile in :47 4/5. "He's a very laid-back horse, been extremely easy to train, easy on himself, people around him, and I thought that was as lively as you'll see him by himself. He can feel the energy of the week and I'm hoping for similar conditions Saturday. (It was) beautifully cool this morning, and the racetrack was perfect."

Asmussen added he expects Long Range Toddy to handle the noise and crowd well on Kentucky Derby Day because of his easy-going personality.

Churchill Downs' clockers timed Long Range Toddy in splits of :12 3/5, :24 1/5, and :35 4/5 before he completed the fifth fastest of 40 half-mile breezes. The dark bay colt galloped out to five furlongs in 1:01 1/5. He was the lone Derby horse working at the Louisville track during Monday's 7:30-7:45 a.m. training window reserved for Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) horses.

Long Range Toddy proved to be a consistent runner in the Midwest during the winter season. He won the Clever Trevor and Remington Springboard Mile stakes as a juvenile at Remington Park, began his sophomore season at Oaklawn Park with respective second and third-place finishes in the Smarty Jones and Southwest (G3) stakes, then upset Improbable by a neck in the first split of the Rebel Stakes (G2). 

Long Range Toddy returned to Asmussen's Churchill Downs base following a sixth-place finish in the April 13 Arkansas Derby (G1) won by Omaha Beach, who also won the second division of the Rebel.

"He's a very blue collar horse," Asmussen said. "He just shows up, does his work. He doesn't get overly excited and I felt that his energy level, especially breezing by himself today, was considerably better than last week, so all systems go."