Kentucky Derby Hopefuls Tune Up At Churchill Downs, Palm Meadows

On a brisk Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Honor Marie and fourth-place finisher Track Phantom returned to the work tab as they continue to train toward the 150th running of the $5-million Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4.

At 7:30 a.m. (ET), Honor Marie breezed a solid half-mile in :47.80 and, two hours earlier, Track Phantom completed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.

Owned by Ribble Farms, Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver and Kenneth and Dave Fishbein, Honor Marie worked outside of recent Turfway Park maiden special weight winner Anthem King. The duo began their work through solid quarter-mile fractions of :12.20 and :24.20. Honor Marie finished one length in front of his workmate and easily galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“I thought it was a really good move for his first work back here at Churchill,” trainer Whit Beckman said of Honor Marie, an Honor Code colt. “He did well this winter down at Fair Grounds and the Risen Star (G2) is proving to be a very key race leading into the Derby.”

Honor Marie is scheduled to make the third start of his 3-year-old season in the Kentucky Derby. After winning the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) as a 2-year-old, Honor Marie made his first start of the year in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds, finishing fifth to Sierra Leone. He returned five weeks later in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and finished second to Catching Freedom.

L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom, and Breeze Easy’s Track Phantom had a change of equipment for his work Sunday morning: a small set of blinkers. The speedy son of Quality Road had jockey Joel Rosario in the irons for his workout and breezed outside 4-year-old Gatlinburg. The duo completed eighth-mile splits of :13.40, :26.20, and :37.80. At the wire, Track Phantom began to gain the slight advantage over his stablemate and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.20.

“I thought it was a nice first work getting back to Churchill,” trainer Steve Asmussen’s assistant trainer Scott Blasi said.

Several connections of this year’s Kentucky Derby contenders are making plans to ship to Churchill Downs. Trainer Danny Gargan reported recent Toyota  Grass Stakes (G1) fourth-place finisher Dornoch and his stablemate, Wood Memorial (G2) runner-up Society Man, are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Morplay Racing LLC’s No More Time breezed a half-mile at Palm Meadows Training Center in preparation for a planned start in the  Kentucky Derby.

The Jose D’Angelo-trained colt was timed in :48.60 for his second workout at Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County since finishing a valiant second in the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

"He worked by himself. He went good and also had a strong gallop-out,” D’Angelo said. “Everything’s good. We’re hoping to get into the Kentucky Derby.”

Prior to Saturday’s three major prep races at Santa Anita, Keeneland, and Aqueduct, No More Time, who has collected 45 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, was sitting 15th in the standings that will determine the 20-horse field for the first leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs.

No More Time graduated at Gulfstream Park Oct. 22 by 8¾ lengths in his second career start. He finished a disappointing fifth in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man following a bad start and wide trip. The Iowa-bred colt bounced back to score a front-running 1 ¼-length victory in the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. The son of Not This Time pressed a slow pace while racing three wide in the Tampa Bay Derby before encountering bumping while racing between horses in the stretch and finishing just a neck behind Domestic Product.

If it looks like No More Time will make the Derby field, D'Angelo plans to breeze No More Time next Saturday at Palm Meadows before shipping to Churchill Downs.

“We’re not just going to just run a horse there. We have a horse with a chance to win the race,” D’Angelo said.