(HOF Trainer Bob Baffert held court Derby week / Photo by Gene McLean)

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 their best and ready for a key race.  Here is a look at today’s top works:

  1. Stallwalkin’ Dude, who now is getting ready to get up for his 8YO season for trainer David Jacobson, got his second published work since May 9 on Sunday when he breezed 3-furlongs in :38.68 at Belmont Park. The son of City Place was last seen in the afternoon last November at Aqueduct when he won the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap.
  2. Restoring Hope, who was one of Bob Baffert’s hopefuls for this year’s Kentucky Derby earlier in the year, looked like a top 3YO once again this morning. The son of Giant’s Causeway — who was third in the G2 Wood Memorial to Vino Rosso and Enticed, before a disappointing 12th in the muddy Pat Day Mile here on Derby Day — fired a bullet move over the Churchill Downs’ dirt track this morn. He went a half mile in a blistering :47 flat, which was the best of 24. Look out for this one’s return. Baffert is not wrong about these kind.
  3. Solomini, who ran 10th while dropping to last in the early going of this year’s Kentucky Derby, was back on the track for the Baffert Team this morning, as well. The son of Curlin went a half mile in :47.20, which was the second best time out of 24 to go that far. The Derby was the first time that Solomini had not finished in the top 3 in six previous starts. The Baffert Team decided to try a new strategy with him, dropping well off the pace and trying to make one serious run late. It will be curious if they stick to that plan in the future, or revert back to his front-running and stalking style.
  4. Tenfold, a highly touted 3YO son of Curlin, has been mentioned as a possible starter in this Saturday’s Preakness Stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen. After back-to-back wins to begin his career, Tenfold ran fifth to Magnum Moon in the G1 Arkansas Derby. He has been idle since, but tuned up this morning at Churchill Downs with a maintenance move. He went a half mile in :49.40, which was the 14th best time out of 24 to go that distance.
  5. Warrior’s Club, owned by the Churchill Downs Racing Club and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, has been on a serious roll of late. After winning the G2 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland in a serious upset, the son of Warrior’s Reward wheeled right bak to run an impressive 2nd to Limousine Liberal in the G2 Churchill Downs Stakes. He was beaten just a head in that one at odds of 23-1. He breezed an easy half mile at Churchill Downs this morning in :49.80, which was the 17th best time out of 24 to go that far.