LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was a quiet Tuesday morning of training beneath the historic Twin Spires with several Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders continuing their training for Labor Day weekend’s races including Victoria’s Ranch’s King Guillermo, who galloped 1 ½ miles at 7:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) under the watchful eye of his trainer Juan Avila.
The speedy King Guillermo has turned heads in his morning training led by his flashy :58.20 five-furlong move last Saturday. He is scheduled to work once prior to the Sept. 5 race.
“I think he’s really enjoying being in Kentucky,” said the Venezuelan-native Avila, who emigrated to the U.S. in 2018. “We’re very happy with how he’s taken to the track and his workouts the last two weeks.”
King Guillermo’s owner, five-time Major League Baseball player Victor Martinez, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville later this week.
Prior to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks training window, Lloyd Madison Farm’s Major Fed galloped 1 ½ miles at 5:15 a.m. under exercise rider Margarito Fierro. Trained by Greg Foley, the $300,000 Indiana Derby (GIII) runner-up is scheduled to have his final breeze on Friday. Approximately 45 minutes following Major Fed’s gallop, West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing’s $600,000 Arkansas Derby (GI) third-place finisher Winning Impression had a light 1 ½-mile gallop with trainer Dallas Stewart’s exercise rider Emerson Chavez in the saddle.
Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr’s graded stakes placed Necker Island had his normal 1 ½-mile gallop at 7:30 a.m. under Hillary Hartman. Trainer Chris Hartman reported Necker Island is scheduled to have one work prior to the Derby with jockey Miguel Mena in the saddle.
On the Longines Kentucky Oaks front, Mark and Nancy Stanley’s graded stakes placed Tempers Rising galloped 1 ½ miles at 6:30 a.m. under Chavez. Also making an appearance Monday morning at Churchill Downs was Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited and Big Aut Farms’ $200,000 Indiana Oaks (GIII) winner Shedaresthedevil, who galloped 1 ½ miles with exercise rider Edvin Vargas up for trainer Brad Cox. Her stablemate, Juddmonte Farms’ $600,000 Alabama Stakes (GI) runner-up Bonny South, galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Gustavo Abrego.
“Both of these fillies continue to train really well and even though Bonny South just ran, she looks great on the track,” Cox said. “I think Shedaresthedevil has really come into her own and continues to mature with age.”
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Photo: King Guillermo. Credit: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
