NY Trio Breeze for Derby

The New York-based trio of Samraat (Noble Causeway), Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) and Uncle Sigh (Indian Charlie) had their final major preps for next Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby Friday morning. Samraat worked a mile in 1:45.91 at Aqueduct (video). Meanwhile, over Belmont’s training track, Wicked Strong covered seven furlongs in 1:27.11 (video) 
and Uncle Sigh worked five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.19 (video). “I really didn’t want him to go too fast,” trainer Rick Violette said of Samraat, most recently second behind Wicked Strong in the GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial. “We just wanted to get it done. Time was only important if he went too fast, and he didn’t. He went great.” Violette continued, “Now, we have eight days with a travel day. We’ll let him be happy and recharge his batteries. He’ll have a light week, and he just has to feel like King Kong on Saturday. I think it’s a wide-open race.” Wicked Strong galloped out a mile in 1:40.72. He is expected to blow out a quarter mile at Churchill Thursday. “It’s always good to finish up a work like that,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “It’s for stamina, and it just keeps him from getting too nervous. I like the way he worked. A lot of things have to work out. He’s got to handle the crowd, he’s got to handle the track, he’s got to handle all the other things that go with it. At least he’s going there in a good frame of mind and in good condition. As far as how he’s doing, I couldn’t be happier.” Uncle Sigh disappointed with a well-beaten fifth in the Wood Memorial. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.72 yesterday. “He came home shading :23 seconds; it was a very strong work,” trainer Gary Contessa commented. “His last quarter-mile was effortless and it was exactly what I was looking for. He came back like he can’t even blow out a match.”