Just F Y I takes flight with a sharp 5F work. (Coady Media/Churchill Downs)
Kentucky Derby Update/Edited
LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Champion filly Just F Y I returned to the track Wednesday for the first time since her sharp five-furlong move in :59.80 Monday morning. The Bill Mott trainee had a light gallop at 7:30 a.m.
Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing’s Thorpedo Anna galloped a mile and a half for trainer Kenny McPeek.
Thorpedo Anna is the winner of three of her four starts with Brian Hernandez Jr., most recently having captured the Fantasy (GII) in her first start this year. The Fast Anna filly is scheduled to work Friday.
GIN GIN/TARIFA – Calumet Farm’s Gin Gin along with Godolphin’s Tarifa both galloped about 1 ½ miles Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. then schooled in the paddock following training.
Both fillies are scheduled to work Friday or Saturday depending on weather.
INTO CHAMPAGNE – Gulfstream Parks Oaks (GIII) third-place finisher Into Champagne had an easy 1 ½-mile gallop Wednesday morning for trainer Ian Wilkes.
LESLIE’S ROSE – Whisper Hill Farm’s Ashland (GI) winner Leslie’s Rose galloped a mile and three-eighths with exercise rider Joel Osorio aboard for four-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Todd Pletcher.
Leslie’s Rose is scheduled to work Thursday morning.
REGULATORY RISK/WAYS AND MEANS – Klaravich Stables’ Regulatory Risk and Ways and Means both galloped a mile and half Wednesday morning for trainer Chad Brown.
Ways and Means, second in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her 2024 debut, galloped early under Peter Roman. She will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.
Regulatory Risk galloped during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Oaks horses with Gudiel Alvarez aboard. Jose Ortiz has the Oaks mount on the Gazelle (GIII) runner-up.
Brown initially had both fillies scheduled to work Friday, but said Wednesday morning, “I’m not sure about that. I may work one filly Friday and one Saturday.”
TAPIT JENALLIE – Willis Horton Racing’s Tapit Jenallie is on target to work Thursday morning in preparation for the Oaks, eight days later. Trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. took the homebred daughter of Tapit to the starting gate and paddock, before galloping her a mile and a half.
“She’s doing really well right now,” Milligan said. “She went into the gate real good, relaxed real good, and she did everything I needed her to do today. We’ll breeze her an easy half- mile tomorrow, then walk her a couple of days after that.”
Tapit Jenallie is scheduled to work Thursday with jockey Manny Esquivel up.
WHERE’S MY RING – Michael McMillan’s Gazelle (GIII) winner Where’s My Ring galloped a mile and a half early Wednesday morning under David Rodriguez.
“She will jog Thursday and then work a half-mile Friday,” trainer Val Brinkerhoff said of the filly who will be piloted in the Oaks by Jose Lezcano, who was aboard for the Gazelle victory.
ALSO ELIGIBES – Manama Gold (No. 15) and Candied (No. 17) both galloped a mile and three-eighths for trainer Todd Pletcher. Manama Gold was out early under Jonathan Fabian Aguilar while Candied galloped at 7:30 under Carlos Quevedo.
They are scheduled to work Thursday.
Pletcher said Luis Saez would have the mount on Candied should she make it into the main body of the race. The rider for Manama Gold is to be determined.
“We will see how she breezes tomorrow,” Pletcher said of Manama Gold regarding her Oaks status.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Here are the horses (with trainers) that are qualified for the Longines Kentucky Oaks and those on the also-eligible list (in alphabetical order with AEs listed last in preference order):
Everland (Abel Cedillo, Eric Foster)
Fiona’s Magic (TBA, Bo Yates)
Gin Gin (TBA, Brad Cox)
Into Champagne (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes)
Just F Y I (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)
Lemon Muffin (Keith Asmussen, Wayne Lukas)
Leslie’s Rose (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher)
Power Squeeze (Daniel Centeno, Jorge Delgado)
Regulatory Risk (Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown)
Tapit Jenallie (Manny Esquivel, Eddie Milligan)
Tarifa (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox)
Thorpedo Anna (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)
Ways and Means (Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Brown)
Where’s My Ring (Jose Lezcano, Val Brinkerhoff)
Also-Eligible:
Manama Gold (TBA, Todd Pletcher)
Our Pretty Woman (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen)
Candied (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher)
KENTUCKY DERBY MORNING WORKS PROGRAM AIRS DAILY – The Kentucky Derby Morning Works Show will air daily through Thurby and feature Churchill Downs’ expert handicappers Joe Kristufek, KaitlinFree, Tony Calo and Kevin Kilroy along with an array of popular industry figures such as former leading rider Rosie Napravnik and Churchill Downs Track Announcer Travis Stone.
The 20-minute program will be streamed live on @KentuckyDerby on YouTube, Facebook and X.
Morning at Churchill Downs. (Coady Media/Churchill Downs)
KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS MORNING WORKOUTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – Starting Thursday and continuing through Wednesday, May 1, Churchill Downs will be open free-of-charge daily from 7-10 a.m. so guests can watch the nation’s top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds train toward their engagements in this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
Horses train on Churchill Downs’ main track daily from 5:15-10 a.m. There will be an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:30-7:45 a.m. following the 7-7:30 a.m. renovation break. Those horses will be identified by special saddle towels which include their names: yellow saddle towels for Derby horses and pink saddle towels for Oaks contenders.
Guests can enter Churchill Downs through the Clubhouse Gate and should park for free in the nearby Yellow Lot for convenient entry. Guests will be directed to Sections 115-117 to watch the morning workouts.
On Sunday and Monday, fans can enjoy a premium breakfast in Millionaires Row or the Stakes Room for Dawn at the Downs. Tickets and more information can be found on www.KentuckyDerby.com/DerbyWeek.
The 150th runnings of the $1.5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) will be held Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4, respectively. Opening Night of Derby Week and the 44-day Spring Meet is Saturday.
