Saturday's Scintillating Workouts..
 

Don't know how many saw the Derby hopefuls workouts from Saturday, but note below and the outrageous spins turned in by Adore the Gold, Stormello and Liquidity...

Belgravia suddenly getting on the worktab with alacrity... Hmmm...

Catman Running (Eric Reed) will make his Derby passport bid in the IL Derby...


Adore the Gold Gulfstream Park 5 furlongs 57:60 (FL Derby)
Beau Smoke Santa Anita Park 5 furlongs 1.03:40 (?)
BelgraviaKeeneland 5 furlongs 1.00:20 (?)
Bwana Bull Bay Meadows 6 furlongs 1.12:80 (SA Derby)
Catman Running Keeneland 5 furlongs 1.00:00 (IL Derby)
Cowtown Cat Belmont Park 5 furlongs 1.01:27 (Wood)
Freesgood Hollywood Park 6 furlongs 1.14:80 (IL Derby)
Ketchikan Fair Grounds 4 furlongs 48:60 (AK Derby)
Liquidity Hollywood Park 5 furlongs 58:40 (SA Derby)
Notional Hollywood Park 6 furlongs 1.12:40 (FL Derby)
Pavarotti Hollywood Park 4 furlongs 47:20 (?)
Stormello Hollywood Park 5 furlongs 58:20 (FL Derby)
Try to Fly Hollywood Park 4 furlongs 47:60 (?)

Damn, Adore the Gold burned up the track. :eek:

The best part of Adore the Gold's work was Gorham's post-jog trainer-speak hyperbole as reported by Haskin...

"It was just what we were looking for..."

Really Mike? You told the rider "Take him 5f in a little under :58.0"?

Steve,

Are these types of works bad a week before a big race?

Shouldn't be.. plenty of time to recoup... They're bad 4 days before a race the way Funny Cide went before the '03 Belmont.. What I don't get is Gorham letting Adore the Gold go in that kind of time. He should be doing Pletcher style 1:02.0 5f works or 1:13.0 6f works with him. The last thing Adore the Gold needs is to have MORE speed put into him. I'd even like to have seen a slow mile work, ala Mr. Jerkens...

Wow Steve.........
 

Thanks for posting these works. I'm still very high on Adore The Gold, i hope Gorham knows what he's doing? That is awful fast.

Works can always be used as excuses if a horse does not perform well (except if you comment "thats just what we wanted"). I think the fact that they work, and how they are spaced is sometimes more telling than the times.

Having said that it does look like we had some very perky horses.

The track was playing super fast after the rain the day before. It was tight to say the least.

I guess this is on topic, although he's not a 3yr old, but Surf Cat workout in 34.20 for 3 furlongs. The oftened injured talented colt could be back in the afternoons soon. Let's hope so anyways.

Gorham on DRF.com:

"The track was pretty fast this morning, which is why I waited for the second break, hoping the harrows might soften it up a bit," said Gorham. "But that's what happens sometimes when it rains and then tightens up, and I think his final time was more a factor of the track condition than him working too fast. The most important thing is that he finished strong and galloped out good."

A lot of people seem to like Adore the Gold and Stormello, but they seem likely to cancel each other out, if they employ similar tactics to their last race setting up things for the closers again. Might have been a smart move for O'Neil to send Notional? Can't quite understand why Currin sent Stormello. Seems like it would have better to send him to the SA Derby and save the horse some of the wear and tear of shipping? The machinations of the Derby Trail are hard for pea-brains like me to follow!! Guess that's why they're horse trainers and I'm just a casual observer.

Currin does not have to do the running so its easy for him to send his horse. Big talker, which I think livens things up a bit, but he needs to get out and run and see how it feels. Maybe Brother Derek tearing up the West and then having a tough time in the TC races is influencing him... maybe a bit too much.

Friggin Currin
 

is going to fry Stormello. That horse has a huge heart and doesn't need to go 58 in the morning, he needs to invest in an anchor

Saw Currin on HRTV today. Doesn't sound like he's made up his mind yet about which race Stormello's going in.

There was a nice article on Currin in the Bloodhorse mag a week or so ago. Seems to be a stand up guy and really wants the best for his horse. He knew what the heck he was doing sending him to the FOY.

Actually he said, "Who would want to hire a trainer like me" for doing this. It was a big gamble, but he needed to get to this distance, then make another notch someplace.