Close Hatches zips a half-mile; Midnight Lucky bests Code West

Juddmonte Farms LLC's undefeated Close Hatches completed her serious Kentucky

Oaks conditioning Sunday morning with a half-mile breeze in :47 2/5, timed from

the half-mile pole to the wire, under exercise rider Joanna Trout.

Over a fast track that was drying out during the Oaks and Derby training

session, Churchill Downs clockers recorded splits of :11 2/5 and :23 1/5, as

well as a five-eighths gallop-out time of 1:00 2/5. The speed-laden First

Defence filly broke off sharply at the 4 1/2-furlong marker and, combining that

with her strong gallop-out into the first turn, effectively worked an effortless

5 1/2 furlongs.

"What you saw is what I expected given her work last week," trainer Bill

Mott said. "We just let her go by herself. She's aggressive and full of herself

so I thought she didn't need company to breeze with; she'd do enough on her own.

I just told Jo to let her go off smooth, keep it as smooth as possible and to

let her have a normal gallop-out."

Even coming into nine-furlong races such as the Oaks or her previous start,

the Gazelle, Close Hatches does not work longer distances.

Trainer Bob Baffert had good things to say about Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul

Weitman's Midnight Lucky Sunday after she breezed five furlongs in :59 3/5 with

exercise rider Dana Barnes in the irons, besting stablemate and Derby

prospect Code West.

Undefeated after two career starts, the gray filly prepped for Friday's Oaks

with the fourth fastest of 42 works at the distance.

Starting about three lengths behind Code West, she turned in split times of

:12 2/5, :24 2/5; :36 3/5 and :48. She finished about a half-length in front of

Code West. The six-furlong gallop out time was 1:11 4/5.

In the aftermath of the work in company, Baffert sounded questionable about

Code West advancing to the Derby, but enthused about Midnight Lucky.

"She's always worked well and we've always been high on her," Baffert said.

"She's an exceptional filly. She went really well today. She worked with Code

West and sat off him coming down the lane. She worked really well and I really

liked what I saw. She had to work well like that for me to throw her in with the

wolves. She looks like she's doing well, so she's going the right way."