Coal Battle, Admire Daytona Work for Kentucky Derby; La Cara Preps for Oaks

[Wandering Eyes]

Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) and Junko Kondo's G2 UAE Derby winner Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) put in half-mile works for the Kentucky Derby over a fast track Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs.

Working during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EST training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders, Coal Battle was the first to go, clocking a half-mile in :47.80 under Bethany Taylor. Fractions were :12.40, :24.60, :47.80, and out five furlongs in 1:00.80.

“I was thrilled with it. He keeps getting better every time he goes out there,” Taylor said after Coal Battle's third local work. “He is improving every time.”

Admire Daytona, with Yoshimitsu Miyashita aboard, worked in :53.20 starting at the three-eighths pole, with splits of :13, :39.20, and :53.20.

“With only three weeks between races, we just prepped him the same way we did in Dubai,” Miyashita said. “We let him decide what he wanted to do over the four furlongs. He increased his speed a bit in the straight on his own and really it was exactly like the kind of work he turned in prior to the UAE Derby. He has managed to maintain his pre-UAE Derby physical condition perfectly so we just have to help him keep it until race day.”

In between those works, Tracy Farmer's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks hopeful La Cara (Street Sense) turned in the fastest of 30 half-mile moves, going in :46 with Kevin Donnis aboard. Fractions were :11.60, :22.60, :34.20, :46, and out five furlongs in :58.60 and three-quarters in 1:12.20.

“Going back to grade school when they gave out an A, B, C or D, I'd give her work an A+,” Casse said. “I thought it was a little quick but she was in a good rhythm. We had the radios, but I just told him to let her go on. She did it effortlessly.”

Casse said the work would serve as he only pre-Oaks drill since winning the Ashland at Keeneland on April 7.

“We've got 10 days now (before the Oaks) and plenty of time (to recover).”

Scheduled to work Wednesday is D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables' GI Arkansas Derby winner Sandman (Tapit) for trainer Mark Casse.

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