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Keen Ice, Tencendur take a spin under the Twin Spires
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| Keen Ice breezed at
Churchill one week before the Derby
(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) |
Ten horses under consideration for the $2 million Kentucky
Derby (G1) worked toward that May 2 contest on Saturday, but only two of those
moves came at Churchill Downs.
Keen Ice (Curlin), who just made the body of the field on Friday with the
defection of Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky), worked five furlongs Saturday
morning in 1:01 3/5 under exercise rider Tammy Fox. The workout was the 15th
fastest of 67 workouts at the distance over the fast main track.
"We just wanted him to do whatever he wanted to do on his
own,"' trainer Dale Romans said. "He's not a real fast work horse by himself. So
we didn't want to put any company with him. We let him do his own thing. He had
two really fast drills, got some long miles in him here. The heavy lifting is
over."
Keen Ice's fractions were :11 4/5, :24, :36 and :48 3/5. The bay colt
galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5.
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"He was smooth doing everything," Romans added. "You saw what a beautiful
stride he has. He swept to his right lead turning for home perfect. I told her,
just smooch to him leaving there, just let him do whatever he wants. It ended up
being just right."
Keen Ice, whose only victory in seven starts came in a
maiden race last year at Churchill Downs, is coming off a fourth-place finish in
the Louisiana Derby (G2). Prior to that he was third in the Risen Star S. (G2),
also at Fair Grounds, and began his sophomore season with a fifth-placing in
Gulfstream Park's Holy Bull S. (G2) on January 24.
The Kentucky-bred colt's other two stakes tries came last years as a third in
the Remsen S. (G2) at Aqueduct and another fifth-placing, this time in the
Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
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| Tencendur recorded the
quickest 5f move on Saturday under the Twin Spires
(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) |
Fellow maiden winner Tencendur (Warrior's Reward), who earned his shot at the
Kentucky Derby with a runner-up effort in the Wood Memorial (G1) last out at
Aqueduct, worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 shortly after Churchill's main track opened for training Saturday morning.
Working in company with four-year-old allowance winner
Wake Up in Malibu (Malibu Moon), Tencendur posted fractions of :11 3/5, :23 2/5, :35
1/5 and :47 2/5 while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 2/5. The move was the best of 67 at the
distance.
"I wanted them to go in a minute and they did," trainer
George Weaver said. "He galloped out well and cooled out quick and he was
dragging me around the barn wanting to play."
Manny Franco, who rode Tencendur to a maiden win the only
time he has ridden him, will have the Derby mount and was aboard for the work
this morning. Joe Bravo was on Wake Up in Malibu.
Weaver initially was going to work at 8:30 a.m. (EDT) but opted to go
when the track opened.
"It might be OK at 8:30, but why take a chance," Weaver
shrugged. "He will probably jog tomorrow, just some light exercise to see how he
came out of the work."
The morning work was the first for the 20-year-old Franco
at Churchill Downs.
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"My first time here," said Franco, who left later in the
morning to return to New York and ride at Aqueduct before returning Friday.
"He worked well. The first time I rode him in thought he was talented, very
talented."
Weaver said that Tencendur would have some paddock and gate
schooling prior to the Derby.
"He has not had any issues," the horseman stated. "But with Derby Day, it can affect
even the calmest horses."
In other Kentucky Derby news:
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| Mr. Z (outside), seen here working Wednesday,
is pleasing Lukas ahead of the Derby
(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) |
Because of the threat of rain across the Blue Grass State on Saturday, trainer D. Wayne
Lukas decided not to wait for the training period reserved for Derby and Oaks
horses after the renovation break and instead took multiple Grade 1-placed Mr. Z
(Malibu Moon) to the track soon after
it opened.
With exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard, Mr. Z galloped in a manner
that pleased Lukas.
"He's handling the track well, very well," Lukas said. "His energy is really
good. So I'm pleased where I'm at with him. He obviously has to improve. I'm
comfortable where he's at right now."
After finishing last in the Louisiana Derby, more
than 20 lengths behind winner and fellow Kentucky Derby contender International Star
(Fusaichi Pegasus), Mr. Z. was third in the
Arkansas Derby (G1), 8 3/4 lengths adrift of victor American Pharoah (Pioneerof
the Nile).
Lukas called
the Louisiana Derby "a debacle" for Mr. Z.
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"We tried a bunch of stuff, took the blinkers off, changed
up the rider, did a number of things," the Hall of Fame conditioner
remarked. "And I don't think he cared
for the track either, as it turned out. He's back to his old form and
rebounded well in Arkansas."
For the full Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) tracknotes for April 25,
please click
here.
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