Catalytic
Owned by Ocala residents Tami Bobo, George Isaacs and Julie Davies and a graduate of Davies early training, Catalytic was back on the track Tuesday at the 7:30 a.m. time reserved for Oaks and Derby horses following a harrow break.
With regular exercise rider Olaf Hernandez aboard, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) runner-up jog a mile over a track rated as good after overnight rains in the Louisville area. He’s hopeful that lightly tested Catalytic continues to improve in the Derby.
“On paper, it’s hard to see that he can win,” Joseph said. “But in racing, you have to have a hope and a dream. You need a perfect setup. He’s a horse who’s only had three starts, so you have to hope that there’s improvement to come. How much improvement, we don’t know.”
And the Derby will present an opportunity to show how much the $125,000 yearling purchase has come along.
“This is the most eyes we ever get,” Joseph said. “There’s pressure on the vets, pressure on the trainers, everyone wants everything to be perfect. That’s our wish, that we have a perfect week. Everyone’s watching, even those who don’t watch racing. It’s the biggest race in America, it’s America’s race and the attention it gets for two minutes is second to none.”
Catching Freedom
A graduate of Barry Berkelhammer’s early training program at Abracadabra Farm in Ocala, Fla., Catching Freedom galloped at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday for trainer Brad Cox and schooled in the paddock with stablemate Just a Touch.
Dornoch
A graduate of Raul Reyes’ Kings Equine in Ocala, Fla., Dornoch and stablemate Society Man each put in solid gallops under the watchful eye of trainer Danny Gargan.
“Everyone’s good. Everyone ate up well. They trained good,” Gargan said. “Dornoch always looks good out there on the track.”
Endlessly
A graduate of Barry Berkelhammer’s early training program at Abracadabra Farm in Ocala, Fla. Endlessly galloped a mile-and-one-eighth Tuesday morning after standing in the starting gate during the special 7:30-7:45 training session for Derby and Oaks horses. He was scheduled to school in the paddock Tuesday afternoon according to Churchill Downs notes.
“He’s always been a good-feeling horse,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He likes his work; he’s glad to do it.
“He’s continued in that fashion since he’s been here and, of course, that’s what we want to see.”
Fierceness
A graduate of Ocala Stud early training program in Ocala, Fla., Fierceness got his morning exercise in during the special 7:30-7:45 a.m. training session designated for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses.
“He’s feelin’ good,” exercise rider Danny Wright reported back at Barn 39 following the gallop. “He’s been like that since day one. He’s a neat little horse.”
Grand Mo the First
Grand Mo the First received his early education and was consigned to the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale by Keiber Rengifo’s Golden Rock Thoroughbreds, located in Ocala, Fla. Trained by South Florida-based Victor Barboza Jr., Grand Mo the First galloped a mile-and-a-half under Amel Macias for trainer Victor Barboza Jr.
Grand Mo the First began his career on the all-weather surface at Gulfstream Park and concluded his 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the Zuma Beach (G3) on the grass at Santa Anita.
“We went to California for the Breeders’ Cup, but he didn’t get in,” owner David Geofrey said. “He ran okay out there [in the Zuma Beach in which he was defeated by Derby rival Endlessly]. After that we regrouped to see if could go on dirt and we put him in the Swale and he did okay.”
Okay was a third-place finish in the Swale that was followed by a close third in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G3) won by Derby rival Domestic Product and then third in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) won by Fierceness.
“And now, here we are,” Geofrey said.
Just A Touch – @Kurtis Coady/Coady Media
Just a Touch
A graduate of David Scanlon’s Scanlon Training & Sales at Oak Ridge Training Center in Morriston, Fla., Just a Touch galloped at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday for trainer Brad Cox and schooled in the paddock with stablemate Catching Freedom.
Sierra Leone
A graduate of David Scanlon’s Scanlon Training & Sales at Oak Ridge Training Center in Morriston, Fla., Sierra Leone galloped twice around the Churchill Downs track during the 7:30 a.m. training period for trainer Chad Brown.
“Everyone’s doing great, we had a nice day of training,” Brown said. “The track is a little wet but it’s in good condition considering. I was happy with that.”
Sierra Leone will be ridden by Davie, Fla. native Tyler Gaffalione, who noted his admiration for the colt this morning.
“I love everything about him,” Gaffalione said of Sierra Leone. “He was so impressive in [winning] the Risen Star making up all that ground. But I was even more impressed with him the last time [winning] the Blue Grass. With that little bit of fit he threw behind the gate, for him to compose himself and get his mind back on running and put on the performance he did I thought was incredible. It shows the mind frame he has and the talent he has.”
Society Man
Society Man – ©Renee Torbit/Coady Media
A graduate of the early training program at Chetley and Nellie Breedon’s Grade One Investments located at Two Springs Farm in Micanopy, Fla., Society Man and stablemate Dornoch each put in solid gallops under the watchful eye of trainer Danny Gargan with Society Man going out first.
“Society Man is actually the tougher of the two to train. He’s stronger to gallop,” Gargan said. “That’s why we train him early because he’s more relaxed that way.
“Everyone’s good. Everyone ate up well. They trained good,” Gargan said.
Track Phantom
Co-owned by FTBOA board member Mike Hall’s Breeze Easy LLC, Track Phantom had an early training session where he jogged about a mile at 5:30 a.m.
The Steve Asmussen trainee is likely to school in the gate Wednesday.
