News Release _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Gary Yunt Notes Team Captain Churchill Downs Racetrack (502) 636-4461 (office) (303) 981-5629 (mobile) [email protected] EXAGGERATOR, BRODY’S CAUSE POST FIVE-FURLONG DRILLS FOR DERBY 142 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, April 30, 2016) – As a little drizzle began to fall, major Kentucky Derby contenders Exaggerator and Brody’s Cause turned in five-furlong works to complete their major preparation for next Saturday’s $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI). Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners and Rocker O Ranch’s Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner worked five furlongs in 1:02.60 with three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard for his brother, trainer Keith Desormeaux. Albaugh Family Stable’s Brody’s Cause, winner of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI), worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 under Tammy Fox for trainer Dale Romans. Working shortly after the track opened at 5:45, Steve Landers Racing’s Dazzling Gem , 24 th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. Ashbrook Farm’s Weep No More , winner of the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (GI) in her most recent start, worked a half- mile in :49.60 before 6 o’clock with jockey Corey Lanerie aboard for trainer Rusty Arnold. OTHER KENTUCKY DERBY NOTES BRODY’S CAUSE/CHERRY WINE – Albaugh Family Stable’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Brody’s Cause put in his final serious work for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) going five furlongs in 1:00.20, which was the fourth best of 57 workouts at the distance. Churchill Downs’ clockers caught the son of Giant’s Causeway in eighth-mile splits of :11.60, :23.40, :35.40, :50.40, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.60 and seven furlongs in 1:29.60. “I think Brody’s Cause worked great,” trainer Dale Romans said following the work in which Tammy Fox was in the saddle. “He came back great and looked like he had never done anything. It’s a great sign, he’s ready. All the heavy lifting is over. We just have to keep him happy and fresh until next weekend. This is what we were looking for this morning. He galloped out nice and relaxed and went fast even though he was relaxed and came back like he had never done anything.” Romans has had six Kentucky Derby contenders in previous years, all of which had “at least a little question mark to be concerned about.” Brody’s Cause, however, is an exception. “I’ve had a lot of good horses going into the Derby and they proved to be good horses even after the Derby, but no one has come into the race that really didn’t have any question marks,” Romans said. “We know that he likes the racetrack, we know he can get the distance, we know he’s been in big fields and we know he’s fit and doing well. If you went down your list of concerns, you can check every one of them off because they are not concerns.” While there is a strong lack of doubt about Brody’s Cause’s ability to perform on the first Saturday in May, this is not to say that Romans feels more relaxed going into the race. “I’m a little more stressed,” Romans said. “The others weren’t as highly regarded, the others had something to be concerned about, this one doesn’t have any in my opinion, and that makes me more stressed because it doesn’t give me any excuse.” Also breezing for Romans was William Pacella, Frank L. Jones Jr. and Frank Shoop’s Cherry Wine , third to stablemate Brody’s Cause in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes last time out. The son of Paddy O’Prado breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 in fractions of :11.80, :23.40, :35.60, :47.60, galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.60 and seven furlongs 1:27.60. He is No. 25 on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 25 points. “If Cherry Wine gets in, he will be a contender. He worked that good. Otherwise, Preakness,” Romans said. -more- Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Daily Update Saturday, April 30, 2016 Page 2 of 8 CREATOR/GUN RUNNER – WinStar Farm's Creator and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Runner galloped a mile and half Saturday morning after the renovation break. Assistant trainer Scott Blasi was pleased with how both colts exercised. "Great, both of them,'' Blasi said. "Good energy. Traveling nice.'' Trainer Steve Asmussen was "working babies'' at Keeneland on Saturday morning, Blasi said. Creator and Gun Runner are scheduled to have their final pre-Derby workouts Monday. DANZING CANDY – Halo Farms, Jim and Dianne Bashor’s Danzing Candy put in his final workout for the Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong breeze going :59.60 at San Luis Rey Downs Training Center with exercise rider Rolando Quinones in the irons. “He worked very good and breezed very nice,” trainer Cliff Sise Jr. said following the work. “I was looking for 1:01 but the horse just did it so nicely, and he galloped out very, very good in 1:12.60.” Danzing Candy, a winner of the March 12 San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita two starts ago, will give Sise his first Kentucky Derby starter. “It’s going to be very exciting for us,” Sise said. “I don’t think it’s really going to hit us until the walkover though.” DAZZLING GEM – Steve Landers Racing LLC's Dazzling Gem impressed his trainer Brad Cox with his work Saturday morning, but now the waiting game begins to see if he will draw into the 20-horse field. The Misremembered colt, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 shortly after the track opened, is sitting 24th on the list of potential starters and would need four defections to get in. His work was the ninth fastest of 55 at the distance. “He worked super good,” Cox said. “He couldn't have worked any better. He seems to have cooled out good. I'm super encouraged by it. Hopefully, we'll draw in.” Cox said if Dazzling Gem doesn't draw into the Kentucky Derby, he'll be considered for the Preakness Stakes (GI) May 21 at Pimlico or the Peter Pan Stakes (GII) May 14 at Belmont Park. However, he has no fears about taking their chances in the Derby if they luck out. “Fitness certainly won't be a problem,” Cox said. “He's had two 1 1/8-mile races. We just have to see what happens.” DESTIN/OUTWORK – The Kentucky Derby-bound tandem of Destin and Outwork jogged a mile and visited the starting gate during the Derby/Oaks special training period between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. Saturday at Churchill Downs. They both had put in their final works for the classic Friday, each going five furlongs (Destin: 1:01.20; Outwork 1:01) at the Louisville oval. Ovel Merida handled Destin, while Hector Ramos was aboard Outwork Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher. While the majority of horsemen will standardly walk their horses the day after a workout, Pletcher prefers to put most of his workers on the track the next morning. “I like to see how they are moving,” Pletcher said. “I get a better sense of how they came out of their works that way. Besides, with the way the rain is projected for today and tomorrow, the track tomorrow might not be the best. If that’s the case, this gives me the option to walk them tomorrow morning.” Pletcher has Javier Castellano lined up to handle Tampa Bay Derby (GII) winner Destin in the Run for the Roses, while Wood Memorial (GI) hero Outwork has been assigned to Hall of Famer John Velazquez. DISCREETNESS – Xpress Thoroughbreds’ Discreetness walked the shedrow at trainer Jinks Fires’ barn a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.40. Sixth in the Arkansas Derby (GI) in his most recent start, Discreetness is 26 th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and in need of six defections to make the Derby field. “It looks like it will be the Pat Day Mile (GIII next Saturday),” Fires said, adding with a laugh, “but I am keeping the (Derby) saddle towel until the fat lady sings.” EXAGGERATOR – The Desormeaux Boys worked together Saturday morning at Churchill Downs getting their Kentucky Derby runner Exaggerator through his final major prep for next Saturday’s 142 nd Run for the Roses. They got it done at 8:30 with a steady 1:02.60 for five furlongs, beating the rain that visited Louisville just a few minutes after the exercise. “The track was a little loose, but he had a good work,” said a slightly breathless Kent Desormeaux, who jumped off the Curlin colt and into a car for a dash to the airport and a 9:30 flight back to his California base where he was scheduled to ride Saturday afternoon at Los Alamitos Race Course. Churchill clockers caught the Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner in splits of :12.80, :25.20, :37.80 and :50.40 en route to his final time. They followed him on the gallop out with fractions of 1:15.60 and 1:29.60. -more- Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Daily Update Saturday, April 30, 2016 Page 3 of 8 Kent had jetted in from California Friday night and crashed on brother Keith’s couch in Louisville.