Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire, last year's male juvenile champion, galloped Thursday at Churchill Downs in preparation for his May 6 start in the Kentucky Derby.
Winning for the first time since November's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Classic Empire scored his third Grade 1 victory by a half-length over Conquest Mo Money April 15 at Oaklawn Park. Classic Empire gained 100 points toward a possible Kentucky Derby start after a quirky 3-year-old season that he battled injuries and reportedly twice refused to work in the mornings.
"We've had such a frustrating winter and, knock on wood, things are going very well with him," said assistant trainer Norm Casse. Mark Casse, his father, trains the Pioneerof the Nile colt for Tulsa, Okla., oilman John Oxley, who owned the John Ward-trained 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos.
"Every night I dream of winning the Kentucky Derby and it's surreal to have the chance to walk over with this year's possible favorite," Norm Casse said.
Washing out badly before his 3-year-old debut when third in the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park, Classic Empire became so unresponsive that he was shipped to the Winding Oaks Training Center in Ocala, Fla., recording four timed workouts before coming to Oaklawn. A model of deportment in the Arkansas Derby, the 9-5 favorite overcame traffic problems with a stretch surge.
"We went back to step one," said Norm Casse. "Martin Rivera, who first rode Classic Empire as a baby, got back on him to try and figure out his quirks. We brought Martin with us to Arkansas and, since that worked out, he's here at Churchill."
Said Rivera: "We've been very happy with how well Classic Empire has been doing in his training. He seems like a happy horse here and he gets over the surface great."
Galloping a mile and a half Thursday with Rivera aboard, Classic Empire is expected to breeze sometime this weekend. Julien Leparoux has the race-day mount on Classic Empire, whom one Louisville analyst projects as a 6-1 co-favorite with Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Always Dreaming on the Kentucky Derby morning line.
Malagacy, Oaklawn's Grade 2 Rebel winner March 18, also galloped on Thursday but remained on the fence regarding the Derby. Malagacy, fifth in the Arkansas Derby, is one of trainer Todd Pletcher's five prospective starters, for which only Always Dreaming (Hall of Famer John Velazquez) has a confirmed rider.
Oaklawn maiden winner Hence and Rebel third-place finisher Untrapped, the latter owned by Mike Langford of Jonesboro and both trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, also have qualified for the Derby. Florent Geroux has the mount on Hence, last-out winner of the Grade 3 Sunland Derby, while the rider for Untrapped is undetermined.
Fillies: Fantasy Stakes winner Ever So Clever and third-place finisher Vexatious appear the only Oaklawn representatives in the Grade 1 $1 million Kentucky Oaks May 5.
Lynn Chleborad, trainer of Chanel's Legacy, said Wednesday the Fantasy runner-up would rest after racing five times at Oaklawn. The Dominus filly, owned by breeder Allen Poindexter, won the six-furlong Dixie Belle and one-mile Martha Washington and was moved up to second through a rival's disqualification in the six-furlong Purple Martin.
Ever So Clever, a 15-1 longshot after placing fifth in two previous Oaklawn stakes, won the Grade 3 Fantasy by 1 3/4 lengths April 14 with Luis Contreras aboard. Asmussen trains the daughter of 2003 Oaklawn Handicap winner Medaglia d'Oro for breeder Clearview Stable. Ever So Clever won her career debut at Churchill Downs last June and, in her first stake and two-turn race, finished second in the track's Grade 2 Pocahontas in September.
Vexatious, owned by historic Calumet Farm and trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, finished a troubled third in the Fantasy, beaten two lengths. The Giant's Causeway filly came to Oaklawn after placing third to probable Oaks favorite Farrell in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks. Ridden throughout her career by Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, Vexatious has only a Del Mar maiden win from five starts.
At nine furlongs, the Oaks is limited to 14 starters who, like those in the Kentucky Derby, are determined by a points system in a series of prep races.
Sports on 04/28/2017