Haskell Stakes winner Authentic worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 this morning, his final exercise before heading for Churchill Downs and next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
For the second time during his training here there was a glitch as sirens went off for a loose horse on the track, but it proved to be only a momentary distraction.
“Authentic worked very well and the loose horse was caught quickly,” Baffert said via text. “Never in danger. (Authentic is) going into the Derby as well as can be. I feel very good about him going in; the rest is up to racing luck.”
The clocking was the best of nine at the distance.
Authentic, a son of Into Mischief, has three wins in four starts this year and is 4-for-5 in his career with earnings of over $1.1 million. His only loss was a runner-up to Honor A.P. in the Santa Anita Derby.
Saturday afternoon before the races, Honor A.P. was sent seven furlongs with his Derby rider, Mike Smith, up and his trainer, John Shirreffs, looking on from the track’s Clubhouse box section.
His final time for the move was 1:27.20. Track clocker Toby Turrell caught splits of :25.80, :37.80, :50.20, 1:02.80 and 1:14.80 along the way. He gave him a one mile gallop-out time of 1:40.60.
“I just wanted an easy seven eighths,” Shirreffs said. “He got it; we’re good to go. Now we just need a bit of luck. You need some of that in that race.”
Since running second in the Shared Belief Stakes here on August 1, the grandson of the late champion and superior stallion A.P. Indy has had four workouts at Del Mar in preparation for his mile and a quarter debut next Saturday.
His last three works — :59.40 August 15, 1:00.20 August 22 and Saturday’s drill – all were accomplished in the early afternoon with Hall of Famer Smith up.
