On the Kentucky Derby worktab

Pyro is escorted by assistant trainer Scott Blasi (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

workouts at Churchill Downs on Monday in advance of Saturday's 134th running of

the Kentucky Derby (G1). The Steve Asmussen-trained duo worked in back-to-back

fashion. As Z Fortune was pulling up from his half-mile breeze, Pyro rolled past

him to kick off his half-mile move.

Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Pyro went

four furlongs in :49 4/5

(click link for video) under regular

exercise rider Dominic Terry. The dark bay colt was timed in fractions of :13

1/5, :25 3/5 and :38. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03 2/5.

Lecomte S. (G3) winner Z Fortune preceded that move with a slower

breeze in

:51 with Carmen Rosas astride. The gray colt was clocked in fractions of :13

3/5, :26 1/5 and :38 4/5. Churchill Downs clockers did not report a gallop-out

time.

"They went over the track well," Asmussen said. "We were very fortunate with

the weather and the track was in excellent shape this morning."

Pyro perked up with cooler temperatures this morning, Asmussen said, adding,

"If anything, he was a bit too sharp today...He needs to relax. The Derby isn't

for showing off in the middle of the race. It's for showing off after it."

Asmussen said that Pyro's responsiveness has been a tell-tale sign since his

subpar 10th-place finish in the April 12 Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland as the

even-money favorite.

Visionaire has never finished worse than third on the dirt (Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

"You want their focus to be where it needs to be and for them to be confident

enough, relaxed enough, to get the job done."

Gotham S. (G3) winner VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam) breezed

four furlongs in :48

2/5 under jockey Jose Lezcano just after the renovation break for trainer

Michael Matz, who will be seeking his second Derby win in three years. The

chestnut colt worked in company with Novel Twist (Holy Bull), a maiden three-year-old

filly who is scheduled to run on Kentucky Oaks Day.

"He just needed a little target to go at; he's not a very good work horse,"

said Matz, who shortly thereafter added, "They don't give away money for works

before the race."

Big Truck motored down the Churchill stretch to the satisfaction of Barclay Tagg (Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

"The pace was slow and I thought at the end he was the only one gaining on

the leader at that point," Matz said. "We're going to take a shot like everyone

else is."

Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder), a disappointing 11th

in the Blue Grass, smoked

five furlongs in a bullet :59 2/5 under the Twin

Spires on Monday. The move was the fastest of 22 works at the distance. The bay

colt was timed in fractions of :11 4/5, :23 3/5, :34 3/5 and :46 3/5. He

galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.

"He worked very well," trainer Barclay Tagg said. "He did everything right.

He likes the surface."

Exercise rider Kristen Troxell was aboard for Big Truck's final tune-up for

the Run for the Roses.

Denis of Cork shares the good news of his Derby berth with his lead pony (Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

Southwest S. (G3) winner DENIS OF CORK (Harlan's Holiday) worked

four

furlongs in :48 under jockey Calvin Borel. The David Carroll trainee was clocked

in fractions of :12 4/5, :25 and :36 4/5. The bay colt galloped out five-eighths

in 1:00 1/5.

Denis of Cork, who comes off a fifth-place performance in the April 5

Illinois Derby (G2) at Hawthorne, needed to have one defection from the prospective

Derby field before Wednesday morning to get in the gate. He got that defection

when BEHINDATTHEBAR (Forest Wildcat) was taken out of Derby consideration on

Monday.

"I am over the moon," Carroll said. "I'm excited. Now all we need is to get a

good post."

Before hearing of Behindatthebar's withdrawal from Derby consideration,

Carroll was downcast. "It's a crime," he said. "It is very frustrating seeing the way he has trained the past couple of weeks...his work last week

(five furlongs in 1:00 on April 21), his work today, the way he covers the

ground, the way he is training on a daily basis."

The Derby will be Bob Black Jack's first start outside of California (Pam DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

"Got an 11:30 red eye out of California," Migliore said, "and this was as early as I could get here. I booked so late I

was stuck back in coach between two guys and didn't get a lot of sleep. But it

went OK. Got to get this done, then go grab an 11:30 (a.m.) flight right back."

The rider and Bob Black Jack made it trackside at 9:30 (EDT) and registered one of the

final works of the morning.

Bob Black Jack reeled off fractions of :12 1/5, :24 1/5 and :36. He galloped

out five furlongs in 1:02.

The James Kasparoff-trained colt won the Sunshine Millions Dash in his

seasonal debut and most recently finished a close second in the April 5 Santa

Anita Derby (G1).

"I was

going to work him five-eighths, but it just seemed safer to go four," said

Kasparoff, who picked up Migliore at the Louisville, Kentucky, airport. "We're only five days out from the race and he just went a mile

and one-eighth (in the Santa Anita Derby) and put in a good work (six furlongs in

1:10 4/5 on April 21) out at Santa Anita last week. I decided I didn't want to be

too aggressive with him. This will be fine."

Smooth Air is back to his energetic self (Pam DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

Smooth Air, who comes off a runner-up effort in the March 29 Florida Derby

(G1), had gone to the track on Sunday for a

jog, accompanied by a pony.

"Yesterday he was a little wobbly," Stutts said. "We

had given him a tranquilizer because we didn't want him to get too hot and the

pony just took him around there. When he was back in the barn walking, though,

he took a rip out of his blanket. He was feeling good."

Accompanied

by a pony to and from the track on Monday, Smooth Air appeared frisky and full

of energy. He galloped well and appeared to want more. After the gallop, Stutts

said, "Today you saw a racehorse out there. He was the same horse from South

Florida. He's a handful. He's a little horse, but he doesn't know it."

Incidentally, the same black cat that twice crossed Smooth Air's path this week

again scurried in front of him on his return to his barn.