Keen Ice, Tencendur take a spin under the Twin Spires

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.

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.

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.