Daddy Nose Best drills bullet five furlongs

Last updated: 4/16/12 5:02 PM

Daddy Nose Best worked on the outside of stablemate Hierro

(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

At Churchill Downs on Monday, Bob and Cathy Zollars' Daddy Nose Best

continued his preparation for a start in the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby

with a five-furlong breeze in a bullet 1:00 1/5 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Working in tandem with stablemate Hierro, Daddy Nose Best recorded fractions

of :12 2/5, :24, :35 4/5 and :47 3/5. The duo tied for the fastest of 20 works

at the five-eighths distance, and went on to gallop out six furlongs in 1:13 4/5

and seven furlongs in 1:29 1/5.

"I thought it was a great work," Asmussen said. "He went over the track

really well and I'm glad we were able to get the work in before the rain hit."

The drill comes one day after Daddy Nose Best secured his Derby jockey.

Garrett Gomez picked up the mount in a flurry of activity Sunday. Mike Smith,

who reportedly had committed to Daddy Nose Best last week, ended up staying

aboard his newfound partner Bodemeister for the Derby.

Daddy Nose Best was previously ridden by Julien Leparoux, who guided him to

victories in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby and Grade 3 Sunland Derby.

Leparoux is sticking with Union Rags, however, in the Derby.

Monday's work was the second beneath the Twin Spires for Daddy Nose Best

since he arrived at Churchill Downs on March 28, just a few days after his score

at Sunland. The bay son of Scat Daddy breezed on his own in 1:02 2/5 at the

Louisville track on April 9.

Asmussen noted that "if the weather lets us," Daddy Nose Best will have two

more workouts prior to Kentucky Derby 138 and they will take place at Churchill

Downs on April 23 and April 30. Bred in Kentucky by the Patricia Ann Elia Trust,

Daddy Nose Best has a record of 4-2-1 from 10 lifetime starts and earnings of

$633,623.

In other Kentucky Derby news:

Prospective is only 50-50 to advance to the Derby

(Tom Cooley Photography)

John Oxley's Prospective, winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 10,

might not point to the Kentucky Derby following a sixth-place finish in last

Saturday's Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland.

"He came out of the race in good order, but we are still discussing whether

to run in the Derby," trainer Mark Casse said. "Right now I would say we are

50-50 on whether or not to run."

Casse is unsure when a final decision will be made for the dark bay son of

Malibu Moon regarding the May 5 Run for the Roses.

"The most important thing is how he trains," Casse said. "But even if he

trains well, we won't definitely go (to the Derby). I've been talking it over

with Mr. Oxley and we could make the decision not to run as early as tomorrow

(Tuesday). However, the decision that he would run wouldn't come until after his

next work, which will be about a week out from the race."

Prospective's final work will take place at Churchill Downs, where he has

been stabled since March 18. The Kentucky-bred colt was the first potential

Kentucky Derby starter to arrive at the Louisville track.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has said that Drill, last year's Grade 1 Del

Mar Futurity winner, is not under consideration for the Derby.

Appearing as a one-turn type following his victory in the Grade 2 San Vicente,

he confirmed that impression when second as the 3-5 favorite in Saturday's

Northern Spur going a two-turn mile at Oaklawn.

Drill had sat 19th on the latest graded earnings list for the Derby. In his

absence, and following Sunday's defection of the Aidan O'Brien-trained Wrote,

bubble horses Rousing Sermon and Mark Valeski are on the verge of getting into

the official top 20. The two just behind them, El Padrino and Reveron, are still

playing the waiting game.

Baffert's trio of Derby candidates comprises Bodemeister, Secret Circle and

Liaison.

Bodemeister, Secret Circle and Sabercat, the respective top three finishers

from last Saturday's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, are due to arrive

at Churchill Downs on Monday afternoon via van from Lexington following a

morning flight from Arkansas.

Zayat Stables LLC's Bodemeister won the Arkansas Derby in impressive fashion

by a widening 9 1/2 lengths. Favored at 2.40-1, Bodemeister led every step of

the nine-furlong race and secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate

with the $600,000 winner's share of the purse. He will be stabled in Barn 33 for

Baffert.

Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman's Secret Circle also will be

stabled in Barn 33 for Baffert. A bay son of Eddington, Secret Circle won the

second division of the Grade 3 Southwest and the Grade 2 Rebel over the winter

at Oaklawn prior to finishing second to his stablemate in the Arkansas Derby.

Secret Circle was victorious in his lone start at Churchill Downs, the inaugural

running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.

The third-place finisher in the Arkansas Derby, Sabercat, is also due to

arrive for Asmussen. The Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC son of Bluegrass Cat

recorded the biggest victory of his career in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot

last November. He will be stabled with Asmussen's other Kentucky Derby hopeful

Daddy Nose Best in Barn 38.

Expected to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Tuesday afternoon is

the Larry Jones-trained trio of Kentucky Derby hopeful Mark Valeski, Grade1

Kentucky Oaks hopeful Believe You Can and reigning Horse of the Year Havre de

Grace, who is being pointed to the Grade 2 La Troienne on the Kentucky Oaks

undercard on May 4. The three horses will be stabled in Barn 35.

At Keeneland on Monday, Chadds Ford Stable's Union Rags jogged twice around

the Polytrack with Peter Brette in the saddle. The Michael Matz trainee got his

exercise done in windy conditions, but before the heavy rain started.

Authors

Categories

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Daily Selections

e-ponies Picks

Bruno With the Works

Value Plays AI by Predicteform