(War of Will winning the G2 Risen Star tuned up over the weekend for the LA Derby / Photo by Holly M. Smith)

Every day, we scour the work tabs at racetracks all over the country.  We are looking for workouts that may be of interest and helpful to you — as both race fans and handicappers.  Some of the horses we will be tracking, you will know.  Some of them, you may not know — as of yet.  We will keep a keen eye and stopwatch to see who may be working well:

  1. Tax, a 3YO son of Arch and winner of the G3 Withers Stakes in his last outing on Feb. 2 for trainer Danny Gargan, worked at Belmont Park on Saturday. The colt drilled a half mile in :49.60, which was 85th of 110 to go that far. This gelding is now expected to run next in the Wood Memorial in a final prep for points and position in the KY Derby.
  2. Mucho Gusto, a 3YO colt by Mucho Macho Man and trained by Bob Baffert, will make his next start in the Sunland Derby on Sunday, March 24. He prepped for that event this morning at Santa Anita, going 6 furlongs in 1:13.60. That was the 2nd best time out of 11 to mark the distance. Should be ready to go now, after winning the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes over a sloppy racetrack at Santa Anita on Feb. 2.
  3. Standard Deviation, a 3YO son of Curlin who has just 1 win on the resume for trainer Chad Brown, worked on Saturday at the Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida. He went a half mile in :50.10. That was 53rd best out of 103. This was his fourth published work since running second in an allowance at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9. Ran 13th in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after running 3rd behind Knicks Go in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity last October. Slow works are a question mark for me. Will he run next in the Florida Derby?
  4. Harvey Wallbanger, upset winner of the Fountain of Youth for trainer Ken McPeek, worked last on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. He went 5 furlongs in :59.66, which was the 4th best time out of 54 to go that far. This son of Congrats seems to be getting better and better. Has 2 wins and 3 seconds in 5 career starts to date, and all 3 of the seconds were a head-bob away from a win. Will be interesting to see if jockey Brian Hernandez sticks here or goes with barn buddy Signalman.
  5. Signalman, a 3YO son of General Quarters and the more heralded of the two McPeek contenders until the Fountain of Youth, also trained on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. This one went the same 5 furlongs distance in a shade better than his roommate. Covered the distance in :59.46 — which was the bullet move of the day. This one closed out the 2018 campaign on a roll, winning the G2 Kentucky Jockey Cub Stakes at Churchill Downs, after his 3rd place finish behind Game Winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Before that was second behind Knicks Go in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. But the shine on his star dulled a bit when he was a disappointing 7th in the 2019 debut and the Fountain of Youth. Will be interesting to see how this one responds to more vigorous training since the last race in the Florida Derby. Watch Patrol here.
  6. Sparky Ville, a 3YO gelded son of Candy Ride and trained by Jeff Bonde, has not run since winning the G2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 10. I wondered if he would suddenly show up in the Sunland Derby this coming Sunday, as well. But he was not entered. Instead, Bonde opted for a nice 5-furlong work on Saturday. Went the distance in 1:00.60. That was the bullet move out of 43 to go the distance. Interested to see where he will show cup next. Don’t dismiss this one. Not yet.
  7. Aquadini, a nice 3YO son of Bernardini and trained by Dallas Stewart, was not entered in the Louisiana Derby. Instead, the one-time winner — who ran second in a nice allowance event in his last start on March 2 — worked on Sunday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. In his first published work since the race, he went a nice half mile in :48.60. That was 19th best out of 121. Bears watching, this one.
  8. War of Will, undefeated since being shifted to the dirt surface by trainer Mark Casse, tuned up for this Saturday’s Louisiana Derby with a work over the Fair Grounds’ main track on Friday. Went a quick half mile in :47.60, and the son of War Front just seems to get better and better with every step on the track. Look out on Saturday. Could be a monster performance.
  9. Bourbon War, a 3YO son of Tapit and trained by Mark Hennig, got some serious work in on Friday, as well. He went 4 furlongs at Gulfstream Park in :50.50. That was 29th of 33 on the day. This guy ran a good, closing effort in the Fountain of Youth and is still learning his trade. Could move farther up the pecking order with a huge effort in the Florida Derby. Capable. Very capable. And, a favorite of mine for quite some time. Got him at 28-1 odds in the Derby Future Wager. Rooting.
  10. Nitrous, a 3YO son of Tapit and trained by Steve Asmussen, is conspicuous these days by his absence. Absence from the entry box. Would have thought that this one — who won the Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park on Jan. 27 — would have shown up either in the Sunland Derby this Sunday or the LA Derby at the Fair Grounds this Saturday. Neither. He worked today — Monday — and went 3 furlongs in :38.40. Tenth of 12. Must have been a hiccup along the way.
  11. Limonite, a 3YO son of Lemon Drop Kid and entered for Saturday’s LA Derby by Asmussen, worked this morning, as well. Went a half mile in :50 flat. That was 43rd best of 66. Ran 5th in the G2 Risen Star Stakes last time out. Deep closer should relish more ground this weekend. Bears watching the odds board.
  12. Bano Solo, a 3YO son of Goldencents and trained by Asmussen, hasn’t run since finishing 6th in an allowance event at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 24. He showed up this morning in the works in Hot Springs, AR. Went 5 furlongs in 1:00.40. That was 2nd of 10 to go that far. This guy was impressive on debut, winning at Churchill Downs last June. Came back to run 4th in the G3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. Was off from August until February. May have needed the last one. Might be fun to trek his next start.
  13. Chasing Yesterday, one of the top contenders for this year’s KY Oaks, has not run since winning the G1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos last December. Has now been entered in the Sunland Park Oaks on Sunday for Team Baffert. The daughter of Tapit, and a half-sister to the great American Pharoah went 5 furlongs on Monday at Santa Anita. Covered the distance in 1:02.40. That was 23rd of 34 in the pure maintenance move. Time before, on March 10, she went a bullet :57 flat for the 5 furlongs at Los Alamitos.
  14. Hidden Scroll, one of the most talked about and discussed 3YOs since he won a MSW in the slop at Gulfstream Park earlier this year, worked at the Payson Park Training Center on Friday, March 15. Went an easy half in :50.20. That was 12th of 26. Ran a tiring fourth in the FOY on March 2 after setting blistering fractions up front for jockey Joel Rosario. New rider, JJ Castellano, has now been retained for the Florida Derby. Can this son of Hard Spun hold his speed. I don’t think so, but others do. At least not until he is a bit more experienced. We all shall see.
  15. Country House, a 3YO son of Lookin at Lucky, will take on War of Will again this weekend in the LA Derby. He tuned up on Sunday with a 4-furlong work at the Payson Park Training Center, going the distance in :49.60. That was 2nd best of 15. Many think that this guy would have fared much better in the G2 Risen Star, when he was second, if he didn’t run so green and erratic in the stretch. I think — no matter what he did — he was a distant second best against a horse that was much the best. Will be interesting to see if trainer Bill Mott has him on the improve this Saturday.