Verrazano stretches his legs under the Twin Spires

Wood Memorial winner Verrazano, the individual favorite in all three pools of

the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, arrived at Churchill Downs on Sunday evening

and galloped beneath the Twin Spires on Monday on his first morning in

Louisville.

"Everything went perfectly," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He seemed to settle

in really well overnight and I thought he galloped very nicely over the track

today."

Verrazano won the Tampa Bay Derby prior to his three-quarters of a length

victory in the Wood Memorial.

"We've gotten to this point with him as well as we could have hoped,"

Pletcher said. "He's maintained his condition really well and looks phenomenal.

His appetite is good and he's moving well. We're really pleased and we're hoping

for another 19 days of what we're seeing right now."

Pletcher added that if the weather cooperates, Verrazano and Louisiana Derby

winner Revolutionary will breeze at Churchill Downs on April 21 and April 28.

Overanalyze, Palace Malice and Charming Kitten are scheduled to work just once

before the Kentucky Derby, on April 28.

In a related development, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has secured the

mount on Blue Grass runner-up Palace Malice for the Kentucky Derby.

Normandy Invasion also arrived from New York on Sunday evening and is stabled

in Barn 42 for trainer Chad Brown.

"He came out of the Wood OK and arrived fine," Brown said. "I just walked him

this morning, but I'll send him to the track tomorrow (Tuesday) for the first

time. He'll work the next two weekends, depending on weather."

Also on the Tex Sutton flight from New York was Kentucky Oaks contender Close

Hatches, winner of the Gazelle in her last start. Close Hatches is stabled in

Barn 19 for trainer Bill Mott.

Assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy reported Close Hatches, who was stabled at

Churchill Downs for several months as a juvenile, arrived in good order and

jogged around the Churchill Downs oval Monday morning.

"She went over the track fine," McCarthy said. "It was like coming home for

her."

Arriving at Churchill Downs from Oaklawn Park on Sunday evening was four-time

Kentucky Derby winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas and his Derby contenders Will Take

Charge and Oxbow. Will Take Charge, winner of the Rebel, and Lecomte winner

Oxbow both arrived in good order and are stabled in Barn 44.

"They got settled in and got around here good this morning," Lukas said.

"They got some of that bluegrass in them early and that will help them more than

anything. We've got three weeks to tweak the situation a little bit and then

we'll see what we can get done."

Lukas, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1988, 1995, 1996 and 1999, has started a

record 45 horses in the "Run for the Roses."

"The Derby is the Derby," Lukas said. "People say that when you win one, it

means less when you win a second one, but I think my enthusiasm is greater for

it now after winning four of them. I enjoyed the fourth one more than the first

one. The other thing is that you're dealing with different people. I've got a

different assistant and different clientele. You want to give them that

experience."

Lukas added that Will Take Charge is scheduled to work twice in advance of

the May 4 Kentucky Derby. Oxbow will have one work for sure, but he also could

work twice.

The next Kentucky Derby contenders scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs

this week are Sunland Derby winner Govenor Charlie, Blue Grass winner Java's War

and Arkansas Derby runner-up Frac Daddy.

Govenor Charlie's Tex Sutton flight from California is scheduled to land in

Lexington on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) and then he will van to Churchill

Downs. He is expected to arrive at Bob Baffert's Barn 33 at Churchill Downs

between 1-1:30 p.m.

Joining Govenor Charlie on Tuesday's flight will be Sunland Park Oaks winner

Midnight Lucky. She also will be stabled in Barn 33 for Baffert, who completed

the Sunland Park Oaks/Kentucky Oaks double in 2011 with Plum Pretty.

Trainer Ken McPeek, who has stalls in Barns 6 and 7 at Churchill Downs, said

Java's War and Frac Daddy exited their races in fine form and will van to

Louisville this week. Frac Daddy is scheduled to van from Oaklawn Park to

Churchill Downs on Tuesday and Java's War will ship from Keeneland later in the

week, most likely on Thursday.

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