Probable Derby favorite’s final workout ‘couldn’t have gone better’

A trio of Kentucky Derby hopefuls, led by probable morning-line favorite Omaha Beach, turned in their final workouts at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning.

Omaha Beach worked 5 furlongs in company in 59 seconds, which was second-best of 43 at the distance. War of Will worked a half-mile in 0:47.60 (best of 78) in company, and Plus Que Parfait worked 5 furlongs, also in company, in 1:02 (28th best of 43).

“I just wanted him to have one more good work; that’s all he needed,” said Richard Mandella, trainer for Omaha Beach. ”I really liked that he settled right down after the work. He acts like a professional racehorse. I don’t think this work took much out of him at all. It couldn’t have gone better. …

“I’m glad to have it (the works) done. You need to get past all the obstacles. This is one of the big ones. I’m glad it’s over. I’ve never had a 3-year-old doing this well this early. He’s just special.”

Trainer Mark Casse was more than pleased with War of Will’s work.

“What you got to see this morning, if you weren’t impressed with him this morning, I don’t know what we’re supposed to do,” he said. “But I’ve been seeing this (from him) for a long time.”

War of Will began his career going winless in four tries on turf, but the colt has won three of his four starts on dirt. The first of those came at Churchill Downs by five lengths on Nov. 24.

“Every track that he’s run over he handles fine, but he especially loves this track,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. “I don’t know what it is — it might be all the people. I think he knows he’s a star so he likes the attention. I’ve been so high on this horse since I first got on him.”

Also working at Churchill Downs on Saturday was Signalman, who is 22nd on the Derby leaderboard and will likely head to the Preakness if he doesn’t make the 20-horse field for the Run for the Roses. He worked 5 furlongs in 1:00, sixth-best of 43.

Gray Magician, another Derby hopeful, worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 at San Luis Rey Training Center in Southern California.

Five Derby hopefuls are scheduled to work at Churchill Downs on Sunday: By My Standards, Code of Honor, Win Win Win and the Bill Mott-trained duo of Tacitus and Country House.

145th Kentucky Derby

When: 6:50 p.m. Saturday

Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville

TV: NBC

Purse: $3 million (Grade 1)

Distance: 1 1/4 miles (dirt)

Post-position draw: 11 a.m. Tuesday