Union Rags gallops at Churchill; I'll Have Another 'fantastic' in work

Union Rags gallops at Churchill; I'll Have Another 'fantastic'

in work

Union Rags galloped 1 1/2 miles Friday morning on his first tour of the track

at Churchill Downs this year. He is scheduled to breeze Saturday.

The colt, who was shipped to Louisville from Keeneland on Thursday afternoon,

finished second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile over the track in

November.

Exercise rider Peter Brette was aboard for the gallop during the 8:30 a.m.

(EDT) training period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks candidates.

Union Rags showed a lot of energy during his time on the track.

"He's been amazing," trainer Michael Matz said. "The further he goes, the

stronger he gets. He's amazing that way."

Rather than go directly to the gap closest to Barn 42, Matz had Brette walk

the colt through the barn area and enter the course at a gap near the half-mile

pole on the backstretch. They jogged around the clubhouse turn in the wrong

direction then turned and did the morning exercise.

"I thought it went fine," Matz said. "He galloped nice today. He enjoyed it

and it looked like he was having fun out there."

Rain is forecast for Saturday morning and Matz said that he might push back

the colt's final work for the Derby to Sunday or Monday.

"We've got to play it by ear," he said. "I want to make sure we get on a good

track."

Never at a loss for adjectives when it comes to his horses, trainer Doug

O'Neill called the final Kentucky Derby prep workout for Grade 1 Santa Anita

Derby winner I'll Have Another "fantastic."

"He worked great, I couldn't be happier," the trainer said from his Hollywood

Park base Friday morning. The colt breezed six furlongs over Hollywood's Cushion

Track in 1:13 2/5, and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.

The colt will ship to Louisville on a flight from Los Angeles Saturday.

Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister schooled in the gate Friday morning

before galloping 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider George Alvarez. The colt was

out during the 8:30 training period reserved for Derby and Oaks horses

"He was a perfect gentleman," trainer Bob Baffert said. "He's been very calm

and cool here. He galloped easy around there."

In other Kentucky Derby news:

Take Charge Indy had a typically easy morning Friday, the day after he worked

five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 at the Palm Meadows Training Center.

Trainer Pat Byrne said the A.P. Indy colt came out of the work very well. The

Grade 1 Florida Derby winner worked in company with Zimmer, a six-year-old

allowance winner.

"The horse looks good. He ate up everything," Byrne said. "It was a really,

really super work. He was hollering for his feed tub at 10:30.

"Everything is positive. It all looks good right now."

Byrne will fly with the colt from Florida to Louisville on Tuesday morning.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday morning he was watching the weather to

determine when his two Kentucky Derby prospects will put in their final workouts

at Palm Meadows before heading to Louisville on Tuesday.

"I don't know yet whether they'll work on Saturday or Sunday," he said before

opting for Saturday. "It depends on the weather." The original schedule called

for the colts to work on Sunday.

Done Talking is scheduled to work five furlongs Saturday morning at Laurel

with jockey Sheldon Russell aboard.

"He will go out about 7 o'clock," trainer Hamilton Smith said of the Grade 3

Illinois Derby winner. "There may be a little weather coming in, but he's not

afraid of some mud."

Smith plans to head west to Louisville early Sunday morning with an expected

departure from Laurel between 3:30-4:00 and arrive at Churchill Downs that

afternoon.

Grade 2 San Felipe winner Creative Cause galloped 1 1/2 miles at Hollywood

Park Friday morning under the watchful eye of trainer Mike Harrington as the

roan son of Giant's Causeway finished preparation for a flight from Los Angeles

to Louisville on Saturday.

Harrington said the colt could work Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs,

weather permitting. If the weather doesn't permit, Harrington has said it won't

make any difference in the way Creative Cause is moving toward his appointment

in the Kentucky Derby.

Harrington is scheduled to travel on Saturday, also, and will be on the

grounds late that day or Sunday morning.

Dave Rock, assistant to trainer Graham Motion, said Grade 3 Spiral winner

Went the Day Well is scheduled to work in company with Crimson China at 8:30

a.m. Saturday morning with John Velazquez scheduled to be aboard as he was for

the colt's previous work last Saturday at Keeneland.

Other Derby candidates planning to work over the Churchill surface after the

renovation break Saturday are Grade 1 Blue Grass hero Dullahan and Grade 2 Tampa

Bay Derby victor Prospective.

Trainer Mike Maker said juvenile champion Hansen would work at the Trackside

Training Center Saturday or Sunday, depending on weather, and noted that if it

was "heavy rain" the work would be the following day.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said that the Grade 1 Wood Memorial runner-up Alpha

is scheduled to work Saturday morning at Belmont Park. Jockey Rajiv Maragh will

be aboard for the work, but McLaughlin said the Alpha team has not committed to

a rider for the Kentucky Derby.