A week before the Run for the Roses, Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GI Blue Grass S., led nine other GI Kentucky Derby contenders on the work tab. Breezing in company with stablemate and fellow Derby hopeful Domestic Product (Practical Joke), the pair went five furlongs in 1:00.20 (15/58) through splits of :13, :24.80, :36.40 before galloping out in 1:13.20 and 1:26.20.
“It [the work] was executed perfectly,” said Chad Brown, the trainer for both workers. “I wanted them to be a good five-eighths out in three-quarters but well within themselves. [Sierra Leone] is super fit and it was just outstanding work. I'm just trying to get him to be happy and sound. He's a very rare horse. He's just everything you want as a trainer.”
Two more stablemate groups, Catching Freedom (Constitution) and Encino (Nyquist), who both completed five furlongs together in 59.20 (2/58) and Dornoch (Good Magic) and Society Man (Good Magic), who completed four furlongs in :46.60 (2/130), joined that pair on the Derby worksheet. West Saratoga (Exaggerator) (three furlongs in:37.20 {8/27}), Mystik Dan (Goldencents) (five furlongs in 1:01.20 {35/58}), and Just a Touch (Justify) (five furlongs in 1:00.80 {26/58]) joined them.
“The track is playing super fast right now,” said trainer Danny Gargan. “We thought we'd [Dornoch and Society Man] go in 47 and change, I got them 46 and 4. They went out nice though and … that's kind of the work for everybody, they're all going around the same time. We wanted to go a little bit slower but they looked good doing it, they were in hand, no one was asking them. We're just hoping they come back good, everything looks good and they're cooling out good.”
In addition, trainer Michael McCarthy verified that Endlessly, the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner (Oscar Performance), would be competing in the Derby on Friday morning.
“It's been done,” said McCarthy. “We'll be running in the Derby.”
Regulatory Risk (Omaha Beach) led the GI Kentucky Oaks workers with four furlongs in 49.60 {90/130}, followed by Lemon Muffin (Collected) with five furlongs in a bullet :58.20 {1/58}.
In an attempt to catch their last breeze before next weekend, candidates have a number of works scheduled for Sunday. Stronghold (Ghostzapper), Catalytic (Catalina Cruiser), and Just F Y I (Justify) are all scheduled to work on Sunday.