5/1 DERBY/OAKS WORK NOTES: Mo/Thirsty, JoyVic, Pants, more..

[Kasept]

Work session about to start.. Uncle Mo/Stay Thirsty to go together..

[Kasept]

Work of the morning honors go easily to JOYFUL VICTORY who turned in Hard Spun's pre-Derby effort blistering 5f in :11.0, :22.0, :34.1, :46.2, :59.1 with a gallop out in 1:13.4 in company with Payton d'Oro (1:00.3) over a slop sealed Churchill Downs main track. Joyful Victory started a length back and finished nearly 2 lengths in front at the wire without urging. Strong effort. She may not be good enough to best R Heat Lightening who flashed her own sharp spin Saturday, but the Fantasy/Honeybee winner continues to look good moving toward Friday...

[Kasept]

The UNCLE MO and STAY THIRSTY works will be heavily dissected this morning, and I'll have details after the 9:30 press briefing with Todd Pletcher.

[TouchOfGrey]

Originally Posted by Kasept

The UNCLE MO and STAY THIRSTY works will be heavily dissected this morning, and I'll have details after the 9:30 press briefing with Todd Pletcher.

Tease.

[Scav]

Is TVG not doing "The Works" this year? I haven't seen any advertisement for it.

I'd love to see the work video of Uncle Mo if anyone stumbles upon it.

[herkhorse]

Originally Posted by TouchOfGrey

Tease.

Byk's living the dream.

[South Beach Luv]

Originally Posted by Scav

Is TVG not doing "The Works" this year? I haven't seen any advertisement for it.

I'd love to see the work video of Uncle Mo if anyone stumbles upon it.

I stumbled upon a picture

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Scav

Is TVG not doing "The Works" this year? I haven't seen any advertisement for it.

I'd love to see the work video of Uncle Mo if anyone stumbles upon it.

VIDEOS: (Today's not up yet) http://www.kentuckyderby.com/news/videos

HRTV'S 'PURSUIT OF THE CROWN' WITH DAILY VIDEO ANALYSIS BY MIG (12-1p): http://hrtv.com/shows.asp#pursuit2

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Kasept

VIDEOS: (Today's not up yet) http://www.kentuckyderby.com/news/videos

HRTV'S 'PURSUIT OF THE CROWN' WITH DAILY VIDEO ANALYSIS BY MIG (12-1p): http://hrtv.com/shows.asp#pursuit2

Thank you Steve

[Kasept]

Repole Stables' UNCLE MO and STAY THIRSTY worked together Sunday morning over a sloppy/sealed Churchill Downs main track, their last serious preparations in advance of Kentucky Derby 137 on May 7. The Todd Pltcher pair stayed more or less side by side throughout the work, receiving the following official clockings:

Stay Thirsty (1:01.4) :13.0, 25.2, :37.2, :49.2, 1:01.4, out 6f in 1:14.2 and 7f in 1:28.1.

Uncle Mo (1:01.3) :12.4, :25.2, :37.1, :49.1, 1:01.3, out 6f in 1:14.1 and 7f in 1:28.0.

Focusing on Uncle Mo and the works' importance to his Derby chances, the effort was received well and reviewed glowingly by Pletcher and Repole in a 9:30 media briefing. However, the efforts of the Juvenile Champion in his second breeze at Churchill and since a disappointing Wood Memorial, actually reflected better on Stay Thirsty from my perspective. While both went smoothly through the early stages, John Velazquez needed to urge Uncle Mo ever-so discernibly the final sixteenth to hit the wire evenly with Stay Thirsty, who was moving under his own power beneath Fernando Espinoza. The best part of the drill for Uncle Mo came in the sustained gallop-out, but it was still Stay Thirsty who was moving best.

Pletcher said the work was structured exactly how they had planned it, and made the best of the difficult track conditions. Noting that there are expectations for similar weather Monday, he said he preferred to conduct the final preparations as originally scheduled. Pletcher declared both horses fit, and added that he thought Uncle Mo worked better Sunday than he had 6 days earlier, with the gallop-out the key element in that determination. Having come to Kentucky on April 18, Pletcher reiterated that the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winning son of Indian Charlie needed a 'good three weeks' leading up to entry in the Derby. As of May 1, he and Repole indicated Uncle Mo was in the midst of having the type of run-up they believed would be necessary for a winning performance in the 10f test.

With Uncle Mo having looked very good daily since the work on April 25, this breeze came as a bit of an anti-climactic appearance. It is certainly possible that the track condition may have inhibited his enthusiasm, while enhancing that of Stay Thirsty, but after the strong week of gallops turned in by Uncle Mo, I was expecting a flashier turn Sunday. Having attended the last 10 runnings of the race, I can express that pre-Derby machinations have a curious ebb and flow, with opinions of how horses are coming up to it regularly in flux. After expecting to produce little enthusiasm for Uncle Mo's chances of any kind upon my arrival here April 23, I have found myself increasingly impressed with his progress. While today's results don't return my lack of ardor to square one, attention will have to turn back now to how he is doing day to day. The fact remains he still feels like a horse to be 'against' on Saturday.

[mclem0822]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Repole Stables' UNCLE MO and STAY THIRSTY worked together Sunday morning over a sloppy/sealed Churchill Downs main track, their last serious preparations in advance of Kentucky Derby 137 on May 7. The Todd Pltcher pair stayed more or less side by side throughout the work, receiving the following official clockings:

Stay Thirsty (1:01.4) :13.0, 25.2, :37.2, :49.2, 1:01.4, out 6f in 1:14.2 and 7f in 1:28.1.

Uncle Mo (1:01.3) :12.4, :25.2, :37.1, :49.1, 1:01.3, out 6f in 1:14.1 and 7f in 1:28.0.

Focusing on Uncle Mo and the works' importance to his Derby chances, the effort was received well and reviewed glowingly by Pletcher and Repole in a 9:30 media briefing. However, the efforts of the Juvenile Champion in his second breeze at Churchill and since a disappointing Wood Memorial, actually reflected better on Stay Thirsty from my perspective. While both went smoothly through the early stages, John Velazquez needed to urge Uncle Mo ever-so discernibly the final sixteenth to hit the wire evenly with Stay Thirsty, who was moving under his own power beneath Fernando Espinoza. The best part of the drill for Uncle Mo came in the sustained gallop-out, but it was still Stay Thirsty who was moving best.

Pletcher said the work was structured exactly how they had planned it, and made the best of the difficult track conditions. Noting that there are expectations for similar weather Monday, he said he preferred to conduct the final preparations as originally scheduled. Pletcher declared both horses fit, and added that he thought Uncle Mo worked better Sunday than he had 6 days earlier, with the gallop-out the key element in that determination. Having come to Kentucky on April 18, Pletcher reiterated that the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winning son of Indian Charlie needed a 'good three weeks' leading up to entry in the Derby. As of May 1, he and Repole indicated Uncle Mo was in the midst of having the type of run-up they believed would be necessary for a winning performance in the 10f test.

With Uncle Mo having looked very good daily since the work on April 25, this breeze came as a bit of an anti-climactic appearance. It is certainly possible that the track condition may have inhibited his enthusiasm, while enhancing that of Stay Thirsty, but after the strong week of gallops turned in by Uncle Mo, I was expecting a flashier turn Sunday. Having attended the last 10 runnings of the race, I can express that pre-Derby machinations have a curious ebb and flow, with opinions of how horses are coming up to it regularly in flux. After expecting to produce little enthusiasm for Uncle Mo's chances of any kind upon my arrival here April 23, I have found myself increasingly impressed with his progress. While today's results don't return my lack of ardor to square one, attention will have to turn back now to how he is doing day to day. The fact remains he still feels like a horse to be 'against' on Saturday.

Steve, thanks for the great reporting and providing the links, really appreciated.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Kasept

VIDEOS: (Today's not up yet) http://www.kentuckyderby.com/news/videos

HRTV'S 'PURSUIT OF THE CROWN' WITH DAILY VIDEO ANALYSIS BY MIG (12-1p): http://hrtv.com/shows.asp#pursuit2

Here's the You Tube link to Darren Rogers flipcam vid:
http://www.youtube.com/user/StephDar.../0/SW1I5wVX91o

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Here's the You Tube link to Darren Rogers flipcam vid:
http://www.youtube.com/user/StephDar.../0/SW1I5wVX91o

Whoa on Joyful Victory's work, that was insane to dust a horse like Payton D'Oro.....

[Storm Cadet]

thanks Steve...video and synopsis were great.

[Merlinsky]

Well, I guess we know who the Derby favorite is going to be: http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-der...here-his-mouth

[GenuineRisk]

How did Pants on Fire look?

[HaloWishingwell]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Well, I guess we know who the Derby favorite is going to be: http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-der...here-his-mouth

I hope the television media pays attention to this. Would be interesting to see how much would it take to make Uncle Mo the favorite.But then he says he has his exacta....corrects himself and says exacta box.....Apparently either not overly confident or has Stay Thirsty gotten that much better in his eyes?

[HaloWishingwell]

http://www.drf.com/news/add-comma-to...rby-contenders

Trainer and jockey happy with his work.

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by HaloWishingwell

I hope the television media pays attention to this. Would be interesting to see how much would it take to make Uncle Mo the favorite.But then he says he has his exacta....corrects himself and says exacta box.....Apparently either not overly confident or has Stay Thirsty gotten that much better in his eyes?

More likely, an over-zealous owner with deep pockets blowing hot air. Wouldn't be the first time this happened in horse racing. Nothing to see here.

[tjfla]

Originally Posted by HaloWishingwell

http://www.drf.com/news/add-comma-to...rby-contenders

Trainer and jockey happy with his work.

He is a nice horse-the problem is that the Derby is 1 1/4. If it was 1 1/16-1 1/8 I would be all over him. On brightside for the closers,he will be pushing that pace out front