Big Brown Drills at Palm Meadows Saturday Morning
Slicing through a misty Palm Meadows morning, Florida Derby (G1) winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Big Brown drilled five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 under regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin Saturday in preparation for his May 3 date at Churchill Downs.
Sitting just outside his office as Boundary’s mild-mannered son cooled out while walking the shedrow, trainer Rick Dutrow stated his pleasure with the move, stopped the colt long enough to hand him a peppermint and said two similar works – each at Palm Meadows – are scheduled before the big day.
Plans call for the second of those works to be Monday, Apr. 28. Big Brown will depart Palm Meadows for Kentucky later that day.
Owned by IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr., Big Brown was the 3-1 favorite for the Kentucky Derby after Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed last Sunday. His owners hope he becomes the 12th Florida Derby winner to take the Kentucky Derby, following the path most recently taken by Lael Stable’s Barbaro in 2006.
Big Brown is undefeated in three starts, winning his maiden at Saratoga last summer, taking an off-the-turf allowance at Gulfstream on Mar. 5, and winning the Florida Derby at Gulfstream on Mar. 29.
His five-length victory in that $1 million race added to a list of lopsided victories: He had won his two previous starts by a combined 24 lengths.
“His talent just overwhelms the other horses,” Dutrow said.
Big Brown has been stabled at Palm Meadows throughout the winter and he could become the fourth Kentucky Derby winner to make a winter home of the Boynton Beach training facility since it opened in November of 2002.
Barbaro, James Tafel’s Street Sense (the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner) and Sackatoga Stable’s Funny Cide (2003) came before him.
First Four from Florida Derby on Course for Kentucky Derby
IEAH Stables and partners’ Big Brown is the early favorite for the 134th Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on Sat., May 3 in the wake of his five-length romp in the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Sat., Mar. 29 as he continues his preparation from trainer Rick Dutrow’s Palm Meadows winter headquarters.
Big Brown could be joined in the gate at Churchill for the Derby by the next three to finish behind him in the 57th Florida Derby – Mt. Joy Stable’s Smooth Air (2nd), Jet Set Racing Stable’s Tomcito (3rd) and Bea Oxenberg’s Hey Byrn (4th).
Smooth Air is scheduled to work at Calder Sunday morning for trainer Bennie Stutts, Jr. and ship to Kentucky on Sun., Apr. 20 after another workout Saturday. The Florida homebred son of Smooth Jazz will have his final Derby workout at Churchill Downs the following weekend.
Tomcito is already in Kentucky at Churchill Downs and the Peruvian-raced stretch-runner is listed as a ‘probable’ starter in the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) on Sat., Apr. 19 at Keeneland.
Tomcito is trained by Dante Zanelli Jr. and the Kentucky-bred son of Street Cry currently ranks 19th on the graded-stakes earnings list ($151,292) and might, or might not, need additional earnings to get into the 20-horse field.
Finally, Hey Byrn has only $50,000 in Graded earnings after his fourth-place finish in the Florida Derby and can add $90,000 to that total with a victory in today’s $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream.
Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. has indicated that he would strongly consider the Kentucky Derby for the son of Put It Back if he were to get into the field.
Wolfson Considers ‘Oaks’ Options for Shes All Eltish
Denholtz Stables’ 3-year-old filly Shes All Eltish won the $150,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2) by 6½ lengths at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 29, Florida Derby Day, stamping herself as an ‘Oaks’ class filly, but trainer Marty Wolfson hasn’t decided which ‘Oaks’ will be her next start.
“The Kentucky Oaks (May 2) is still a possibility, but all the commotion that goes with going up there (Churchill Downs) may not be the right thing to do with her,” said Wolfson Saturday morning from Calder. “She’s doing great, but right now I’m leaning toward running her in the Calder Oaks ($200,000 on turf, Sat., Apr. 26).
“The timing would be good to then go to the Black-Eyed Susan the day before the Preakness.”
The $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, is set for Fri., May 16 at Pimlico in Baltimore where Wolfson has won several Graded stakes over the years on Preakness weekends, beginning with The Vid’s victory in the 1995 Dixie Stakes (G2).
Shes All Eltish is a Florida-bred daughter of Eltish who never has been out of the money in seven starts with three wins, three seconds and a third with victories on turf and dirt. The Bonnie Miss marked her stakes debut.