DAILY DERBY UPDATE
May 1, 2025

ADMIRE DAYTONA (JPN) – UAE Derby (GII) winner Admire Daytona jogged in the one-mile chute.

AMERICAN PROMISE – BC Stables’ American Promise galloped about a mile and a half under Tayja Smith for trainer D. Wayne Lukas during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses.

Looking on from the backstretch were co-owners John Bellinger and Brian Coelho. They had teamed with Lukas last year with their first Derby starter in Just Steel, who will be making his first Churchill Downs appearance since the Derby in Saturday’s $1 million Churchill Downs (GI).

“We thought we would probably be back (rather quickly),” said Bellinger, who arrived in Louisville Tuesday from San Antonio. “We knew we had three good colts and we have Perfect Force and Innovator in the Pat Day Mile (GII) on Saturday plus American Promise in the Derby. Wayne has done a wonderful job.”

BAEZA – The Kentucky Derby’s lone also-eligible still is on the outside looking in as race scratch time (9 a.m. Friday) closes in. His connections still have hope, though the window is very close to closing now.

Trainer John Shirreffs continued the process of preparing the McKinzie colt for a possible Saturday date. He put him through a strong two-mile gallop under exercise rider Frankie Herrate during the 7:30 to 7:45 special training slot for Derby and Oaks types.

The conditioner said he sent him the extra distance “To get him to settle. We need to keep his feet on the ground.

Part of the Shirreffs team who has been on hand to care for Baeza – Francisco Leal – has been quietly taking care of business back at Barn 41. He’s been with Shirreffs for more than two decades and worked for Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham before that. He’s Shirreff’s foreman and traveling guy and over the years has had his hands on many, many good horses.

Leal brought Giacomo to Churchill back in 2005 and rooted him on to his 50-1 upset. He was the guy alongside the mighty Zenyatta when she made her amazing run through the racing world from 2007 to 2010, too.

Back in the day, when the traveling outfit named Tex Sutton would fly horses most everywhere, Leal would literally fly in the planes with the horses. These days, Fed Ex is the method of transportation for equines and no humans are allow on board with them. So Leal books his flights on “regular” airlines.

BURNHAM SQUARE – Whitham Thoroughbreds’ Burnham Square galloped a mile under Mark Cutler during the 7:15-7:30 training window for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Burnham Square will represent the second Derby starter for Wilkes, who saddled McCraken for the Whithams in 2017. Brian Hernandez Jr. rode McCraken and will have saddle duties on Burnham Square in Derby 151.

Wilkes, who was the exercise rider for 1990 Derby winner Unbridled for trainer Carl Nafzger and assistant to Nafzger when Street Sense won the 2007 Derby, has been exuding a positive vibe all week.

“I’m feeling good and he’s doing good,” Wilkes said. “That is all I can do until we lead him over there.” Owner Clay Whitham is expected to be at the track in the morning.

CHUNK OF GOLD – Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold galloped at 7:15 a.m. with trainer Ethan West in the saddle. Following Chunk of Gold’s training session, West had some special visitors come to his barn – WWE Superstars Maxxine Dupri and Natayla.

“Of course I have to pick a horse with the name ‘gold’ in it,” Dupri said. “He’s my Derby horse.”

Chunk of Gold was scheduled to school in race 2 on Thursday.

CITIZEN BULL/RODRIGUEZ – Trainer Bob Baffert’s duo of Derby colts were gallopers during the 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. special training period at Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses. They both galloped a solid mile and a quarter.

Exercise rider Eric Garcia was aboard Rodriguez, while Humberto Gomez was the guy for Citizen Bull.

Most observers and handicappers foresee the Baffert twosome being serious front-end candidates in the 20-horse Derby field that has it fair share of early speed. Citizen Bull, in particular, from his No. 1 post position has little choice to do anything but fire in order to avoid being left far behind early.

COAL BATTLE – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle was on the track early Thursday morning to visit the paddock and jog a mile under Bethany Taylor. The multiple stakes winner worked three furlongs in :36 on Monday and walked the previous two mornings.

“After a work, we walk two days. That’s the way I do it,” trainer Lonnie Briley said. “He’ll gallop Friday.”

EAST AVENUE – Godolphin’s East Avenue galloped during the 7:15-7:30 training window under Stephen Dolan for trainer Brendan Walsh.

FINAL GAMBIT – Juddmonte’s Final Gambit galloped at 7:15 under Joel Osorio for trainer Brad Cox.

FLYING MOHAWK – Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing and Kaleta Racing’s Flying Mohawk galloped at 7:15 under Maurilio Garcia aboard with jockey Joe Ramos and co-owner Jayson Werth looking on.

GRANDE – It was “the usual routine” for trainer Todd Pletcher and his Kentucky Derby charge Grande Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. And that was a good thing.

“Horses like routines,” the Hall of Fame and seven-time Eclipse Award winning conditioner noted.

That meant the drill for the Curlin colt was to gallop a mile and three-eighths under regular exercise rider Juan Suarez during the special 7:15 to 7:30 Derby/Oaks training period on an overcast morning in Louisville. He returned to Barn 39 for a bath and a hay rack in his regular stall.

Grande will be handled Saturday by Hall of Famer John Velaquez and come out of post 10 in the 20-horse field. The rider will be seeking his fourth Derby victory, while the trainer will be going for his third. They worked together to capture one in 2017 with the colt Always Dreaming.

JOURNALISM – The husky Curlin colt continued on his path to Kentucky Derby 151 Thursday morning at Churchill Downs when he went trackside during the special 7:15 to 7:30 period dedicated to Derby and Oaks runners. Regular exercise rider Marc Witkowski was attached and the pair turned in another solid gallop, underscoring his role as the favorite for America’s most famous race.

On hand to watch the drill was his primary owner, Aron Wellman, of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Others in the ownership collective consist of Brian Spearman, breeder Don Alberto Stable (Chileans Liliana Solari and her son Carlos Heller), Bridlewood Farm (Leslie and John Malone), Elayne Herrick of Elayne Stables 5, Robert LaPenta, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.

Also an interested observer Thursday was rider Umberto Rispoli, who’ll be aboard the bay for his mile and a quarter challenge Saturday. The Italian reinsman was asked if he did anything special in advance of a big race like the Derby. “No, not really,” he said. “I try to treat it just like I do all other races. At the end of the day it is just another race.”

LUXOR CAFÉ – Koichi Nishikawa’s Luxor Café warmed up in the mile chute and then at 7:15 moved to the main track and galloped under Naoto Suzuki for trainer Noriyuki Hori.

NEOEQUOS – C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables and Stefania Farms’ Neoequos galloped during the 7:15-7:30 training window for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

OWEN ALMIGHTY – Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing’s Owen Almighty jogged in trainer Brian Lynch’s first set early Thursday morning with Antonio Orellano aboard.

Lynch turned 61 on Thursday and he hopes Owen Almighty can deliver a belated birthday present on Saturday.

“We’ll just play it from the break,” Lynch said of Owen Almighty, who will be piloted by Javier Castellano from post 20. “Then we will bide our time.”

PUBLISHER/TIZTASTIC – Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Derby duo of Publisher, owned by Gus King and the Estate of Brereton Jones, and Tiztastic, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, galloped during the 7:15-7:30 training window. Roberto Howell was aboard Publisher and Carlos Rosas on Tiztastic.

RENDER JUDGMENT – Baccari Racing Stable, Dream Walkin Farms, MJM Racing and Rocket Ship Racing’s Render Judgment galloped during the 7:15-7:30 training window under Robby Albarado for trainer Kenny McPeek. He reportedly has a quarter crack that is being treated.

SANDMAN – D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman jogged a mile under Froylan Garcia for trainer Mark Casse during the 7:15-7:30 training window.

SOVEREIGNTY – Trainer Bill Mott who will be saddling his 14th Kentucky Derby starter with Sovereignty Saturday, kept a steady hand on the helm at Barn 19 Thursday morning as he continued to move forward toward the $5 million classic.

"We’ll take him around the paddock a few times this morning, then gallop him (under exercise rider Javier Cardona) around the track,” the conditioner noted. “Yesterday we took him to the paddock in the afternoon and he did OK. He got a little hot, but nothing special. We gave him some extra for lunch and he ate it all up. He ate up last night, too. The routine is good and so is he.”