Shadwell Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Mohaymen (Tapit) made the most of his first workout at Churchill Downs Wednesday morning, posting a bullet four-furlong drill in :46.80 over the main track. The gray, who had his five-race unbeaten record broken when fourth in the GI Florida Derby Apr. 2, clicked off fractions of :12 flat, :23.60 and :35.20 en-route to galloping out five furlongs in :59.60 and six furlongs in 1:12.80. The move was the fastest of 27 at the distance for the GI Kentucky Derby contender.
“It was a great work,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “He hasn't worked since he ran and he was feeling really good, so we thought he was going to work well. He'll have one more work.”
McLaughlin said that Mohaymen's effort in the Florida Derby can be forgiven due to a wide trip and a tricky racing surface that took a significant amount of rain earlier in the day.
“We are going to draw a line through that race,” McLaughlin said of the Florida Derby. “He was very wide and the track was very wet, not that he wouldn't handle it wet here, but at least it's an excuse for us trainers. He ran 54 feet further than the winner and that's a matter of fact quite a bit of feet further and a lot of lengths difference.”
Also working Wednesday morning was G M B Racing's Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), who covered a half-mile in :47 flat [2/27]. In his second breeze since finishing a troubled fourth in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 26, the dark bay's fractions were :11.60, :23 flat and :34.80, with a gallop-out of out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and a mile in 1:42.
“It went well,” trainer Tom Amoss said of the workout. “We went a little quick early in the work but he came back to the rider nicely and coming to the wire he was full force.”
Amoss added that Mo Tom's next workout will be next Thursday or Friday, depending on weather conditions in Louisville.
Koji Maeda's Lani (Tapit) also registered his first timed workout beneath the Twin Spires, covering five panels in 1:06 flat [21/21]. The Japanese-trained colt qualified for the Kentucky Derby by virtue of his win in the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 26, and has been training at Churchill since his arrival at the track Apr. 3.
“Everything has gone according to plan, so I'm happy with that,” said Kieta Tanaka, agent for Maeda. “We don't do super-fast works around this time so everything is what I have planned. We'll do something faster next week and three or four days before the Derby.”
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