[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Eightyfiveinafifty hopes Trial takes him to Derby
By David Grening

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - So much still has to happen for Eightyfiveinafifty to make it into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby, but the speedy colt took one small step toward that goal on Wednesday with another typically fast workout at Aqueduct that kept him on target for the Grade 3 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 24.

With former jockey Nick Santagata in the irons - and barely moving a muscle - Eightyfiveinafifty worked five furlongs in 58.09 seconds Wednesday morning over Aqueduct's main track. He did drift a little in the stretch while galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.

Eightyfiveinafifty was scheduled to leave for Louisville, Ky., on Thursday afternoon and will work one time over the Churchill Downs main track next week in preparation for the one-mile Derby Trial. Should Eightyfiveinafifty win the $200,000 Derby Trial, he could accrue enough graded stakes earnings to crack the 20-horse field for the Kentucky Derby a week later. The first-place purse of $120,000 would double his graded earnings to $240,000 which, as of Wednesday, would put him 21st on the earnings list. Though the Derby field is limited to 20 runners, two candidates ahead of Eightyfiveinafifty - Noble's Promise and Interactif - are 50-50 or less to run.

"The Derby is not out of the question until he says it is," trainer Gary Contessa said Wednesday, referring to Eightyfiveinafifty. "I'll have a pretty good idea when he hits the wire of the Derby Trial where we're at."

Go Gary Go. I love pace meltdowns.