Sunday’s Derby/Oaks Doings

FEVER KOS RING WEEKEND 
St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbred’s Ring Weekend (Tapit) has been removed from consideration for Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever Sunday. 
“They took a temp and it was elevated, 102 degrees,” West Point’s Jeff Lifson said of trainer Graham Motion’s Fair Hill team. “The white blood cell count was high in the first blood that they took. They waited a little while and the temp went down, but they did another definitive blood sample test and there is some type of infection brewing. So they are going to knock it out, they hope, quickly, with some antibiotics.” 
Lifson said if the GII Tampa Bay Derby winner recovers quickly, he could be rerouted to the May 17 GI Preakness S. 
Ring Weekend’s defection allows another West Point runner, Commanding Curve (Master Command), to enter the race. 
“The only good outcome from this is that his black and gold brethren Commanding Curve makes up for what Ring Weekend most assuredly would have done in the Kentucky Derby,” Lifson said. “We’re excited to run the other colt, but there are mixed feelings, as there is so often in this game.” 
Commanding Curve, a maiden winner at Churchill last November, is coming off a third-place finish in the Mar. 29 GIII Louisiana Derby. 
“I’m very happy to be able to run my horse,” trainer Dallas Stewart said. “I think the horse is going to run very well. It’s unfortunate any horse that’s been planning to make the Derby is not going to make it.” “My horse is good right now,” Stewart said of Commanding Curve. “He’s going to be ready to run. Hopefully, everything will stay the way it’s supposed to.” 

PLETCHER RUNNERS TUNE UP 
Trainer Todd Pletcher sent his four Derby hopefuls out to work Sunday morning at Churchill Downs. GII Risen Star S. winner Intense Holiday (Harlan’s Holiday), with John Velazquez in the irons, and GIII Spiral S. winner We Miss Artie(Artie Schiller), with exercise rider Nick Bush aboard, worked four furlongs in company. The pair broke off evenly at the half-mile pole, with Intense Holiday finishing three lengths in front of his barnmate to earn a final time of :48.60 (7/58). We Miss Artie completed the drill in :49.20 (27/58). 
Danza (Street Boss), winner of the GI Arkansas Derby, and GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Vinceremos (Pioneerof the Nile) also worked four furlongs in company. 
Danza spotted his stablemate about a half-length at the half-mile pole and bested him by about the same margin at the wire. Danza was credited with a work in :48.80 (11/58), while Vinceremos completed the work in :49 flat (19/58). 
“This was a good work for Intense Holiday,” Pletcher said. “There might have been just a little bit of an issue still [in changing leads] there, but overall it was everything we were hoping to see from him. He worked very well.” 
The trainer was less pleased with We Miss Artie’s work. 
“I wasn’t that happy with (his) effort,” Pletcher said. “It might have been a combination of how he handled the [dirt] track and how well Intense Holiday worked alongside him. I just expected more from We Miss Artie. I’m not sure at all if he should be running in the Derby. I’ll talk to Mr. [Ken] Ramsey and we’ll see.” 
Of Danza, Pletcher commented, “He is coming right along and this work was another good effort on his part. He’s been working well and doing well and we have to be pleased with how he’s coming up to this race.” 
Vinceremos’s drill may have solidified his place in the Derby field. 
“Vinceremos’ work was good,” Pletcher said. “He did well enough for us to consider [a start in the Derby].” 

CHITU ON TRACK 
Tanma Corporation’s Chitu (Henny Hughes), winner of the GIII Sunland Derby, worked six furlongs Sunday at Churchill Downs in 1:13.20. Working in company with the 3-year-old maiden filly Party Time (Pulpit), Chitu went in fractions of 24.40, 36.20, 47.80 and 1:00.20. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.20. 
“He worked very well from the gate,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “Last week he was a little sluggish. But he’s that way and Martin [Garcia] knows the horse really well. He worked a pretty solid three-quarters and I’m pretty happy about that.” 
Chitu did lose his right front shoe during the breeze. The chestnut colt was wearing a special shoe to protect a foot effected by the fungus seedy toe. 
“He runs in regular shoes,” Baffert explained. “It’s a little fungus that gets in the toe and eats the front of the wall. It’s not painful or anything. He’s never been sore. It’s growing out. The fungus is under control, but we just took a lot of the wall in the front of hoof off. It’s not inside the foot. It’s nothing painful. We always have it covered up, but right now we have it open so it can get air and dry out. He’s fine.” 

WILDCAT RED DRILLS 
Wildcat Red (D’wildcat), coming off a runner-up effort in the GI Besilu Stables Florida Derby, worked five furlongs Sunday at Churchill Downs in 1:04.40 under jockey Luis Saez. He posted fractions of :13.20, :25.80, :38.80, :51.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:20.60. “The track seemed a little bit heavy,” trainer Jose Garoffalo said. “He has never been on a track like this. Luis told my assistant that he was happy with the work and the horse did what I expected. He used to be very anxious but now he can relax as he goes longer. He is more mature and steadier. I am not worried about the time [of the work].” 

RIDE ON CURLIN WORKS 
Ride On Curlin (Curlin), runner-up in the GI Arkansas Derby, put in his final major work for Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby, going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs Sunday in 1:29. With exercise rider Bryan Beccia aboard, Ride On Curlin set fractions of :14, :27.20, :39.40, :51.60 and 1:16. He galloped out a mile in 1:43.20. 
“I told him to work him slow and let him finish up down the lane, and he looked good coming down the lane,” trainer Bryan Gowan said. “So I think we’re in good shape. We weren’t looking for anything real fast, mainly just maintenance and air. He just went there comfortably on his own down the backside and around the turn.” 

UNTAPABLE ON GO 
Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Untapable (Tapit) tuned up for Friday’s GI Kentucky Oaks with a half-mile breeze in :48.60 under regular exercise rider Angel Garcia. She posted fractions of :12, :23.80 and :36 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.80. “She was very full of herself,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I thought Angel did a good job of getting her to the pole because she seemed very physical. She went around there really smooth. She is a filly, obviously, with a tremendous amount of talent, and we will just try to keep her on the ground from here until Friday.” 

SAY WHAT? 
“You don’t. She’s by far the best 3-year-old filly in the country and maybe the best 3-year-old period. But things happen in a race. Sometimes you don’t get the trip. I don’t see anybody beating her, but you’ve got no shot if you are in the barn.” 
Trainer Bret Calhoun when asked how his Oaks contender Fiftyshadesofgold (My Golden Song) could make up her 7 1/2-length deficit to Untapable in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks.