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Noble's Promise works a half-mile, scopes clean

Noble's Promise illustrated his well-being for the Derby (Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs) Over a muddy Churchill Downs strip on Monday morning, Grade 1 hero NOBLE'S PROMISE (Cuvee) sped a half-mile in :48 4/5 and afterward scoped clean, putting himself on the doorstep of a date in Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1). Trainer Ken McPeek wanted jockey Willie Martinez to finish the final eighth of a mile strongly, and the trainer got his wish as Noble's Promise outkicked his workmate through the lane. The time for his final quarter-mile was :24 1/5. "We've had several races where he sprinted away at the quarter pole," McPeek said. "I wanted him to sit until the eighth-pole and wait and wait and wait. He's easy, push-button. "There's a better than average chance we'll be part of this (Derby 136)," the trainer concluded.

Martinez beamed with excitement following the workout.

"We tried to wait as long as I could inside the eighth-pole, that was the plan," he said. "This was just as good as you could ask for. It could not have gone better. He was able to skip right along and move over the track."

Martinez will be reunited with Noble's Promise on Derby Day. He also piloted the colt to victory in the Breeders Futurity (G1) at Keeneland last fall.

"I told my family to dress up nicely because we're going to take a picture that day," he recalled with a smile. "I'm going to tell them the same thing Saturday."

Noble's Promise, who was just caught by champion Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike) in the Rebel S. (G2) two back, had an eventful trip when fifth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) last out. After a rough start, he moved up in traffic on the first turn and had to steady, sustaining a few cuts in the process.

Further compounding his woes, Noble's Promise came out of the race with a slight lung infection. Hence the importance of his scoping cleanly after Monday's work, increasing the likelihood of his lining up in the Run for the Roses.

Line of David was laboring on the muddy ground (Wendy Uzelac/EquiSport Photos) Arkansas Derby upsetter LINE OF DAVID (Lion Heart) was the first Derby/Oaks horse to break off and drill Monday morning on a wet track that had gone from "sloppy" to "muddy" by the time the three-year-olds came on board for "their time only" following the renovation break at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). The John Sadler trainee had exercise rider Lupillo Alferez up as they cut out splits of :11 4/5, :23 3/5, :35 3/5, :48 1/5 and 1:01 1/5 en route to completing six furlongs in 1:15. Alferez used a left-handed stick to urge his charge, though it seemed to be of little avail. "He just didn't like that track all that much," the rider said. Sadler found no joy in his charge's move either.

"I'm disappointed," the conditioner said. "He didn't work very well at all on that sealed track. He didn't like it one bit. It won't change anything, though. We'll just hope things pick up with the weather during the week and we have a fast track for Saturday."

Though Line of David showed his dislike for the off going in his first time on it, Sadler drew heart from the fact his other Derby runner, Santa Anita Derby (G1) star SIDNEY'S CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]), had handled his exercise on it this past Saturday in fine fashion. He toured six furlongs in 1:11 3/5 on a sloppy strip that morning and appeared to have no issues with the wet dirt in his initial performance on the medium.

Monday morning Sidney's Candy jogged a mile under Alferez at 6 a.m. The trainer indicated he'd have the chestnut colt back to galloping for the rest of the week, starting Tuesday. 

American Lion got into his long, loping stride (EquiSport Photos) Illinois Derby (G3) winner AMERICAN LION (Tiznow) breezed five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 in the mud on Monday. Working alone beneath Derby jockey David Flores, who came in from California, American Lion was caught in fractions of :12 3/5, :25 2/5 and :37 3/5. The Eoin Harty colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:16 2/5. "I had the five-eighths in 1:02, which is pretty much what I wanted to do," Harty said. "I was a little leery about the track; it's not the best surface and I didn't want to run the risk of doing anything stupid. The horse is very fit, he's training very well over the track, so I really just wanted him to stretch his legs, which is basically what he did." Harty said he wanted to get the work in on Monday, but considered moving the work to Tuesday to avoid a wet track. With more showers in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday, he decided to stay with his original schedule.

Flores said that the breeze went according to plan.

"He just cruised out there," Flores said. "I really didn't want to get a fast work. I just wanted to get a feel of him and see how he handles this track. He went around pretty well. He looked around and was comfortable."

Flores rode American Lion for the first time in the Illinois Derby. This will be his 10th Kentucky Derby mount.

Harty, an assistant to Bob Baffert before opening his own stable, said the Baffert-trained Lookin at Lucky is likely to go off as the favorite in Derby 136 on Saturday.

"The way Bob's horse worked this morning (five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 4/5) and the track record he has going in, I would have to think he would be favored," Harty said. "He looked really good out there. I know he will be in the thick of it at the end."

More Triple Crown News & Notes:

American Pharaoh back at Churchill, to parade Stephen Foster night

Zayat, Baffert hail Triple Crown champion American Pharoah

Espinoza's schedule remains packed; McAnally reminisces on past TC winners

Baffert: American Pharoah is 'my best hope for the Triple Crown'

Pletcher reminisces on past Belmont victories

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