Indiana Derby contenders have final breezes for next weekend

Indiana Derby contenders Dragoon Guard and Real Men Violin
worked Saturday at Churchill Downs in preparation for next weekend’s Grade 3, $300,000
stakes for 3-year-olds at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Dragoon Guard’s Brad Cox-trained stablemate Impel and Band
of Gold, who like Real Men Violin is trained by Kenny McPeek, also worked for
the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) next Saturday for 3-year-old fillies.

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Dragoon Guard and Impel worked together five-eighths of a
mile shortly after the Churchill Downs track opened for training at 5:30 a.m.
EDT with each clocked at 1:00.6. Those were the fifth-fastest times of the 18
works at five furlongs. Florent Géroux, who was on Impel, will ride each horse next
weekend for Cox and owner Juddmonte.

“They breezed together a smooth five-eighths and breezed
very well,” Cox said. “This is the first time we’ve matched them up, but I was
pleased with the move. Impel was on the inside. Dragoon set off her just a
little bit. I didn’t want them to be head and head early and be too tough. But
they settled in well and finished up strong with a nice gallop-out. I feel
confident running them both off that work.”

Dragoon Guard, a son of Juddmonte’s late stallion and Hall
of Fame racehorse Arrogate, is making both his stakes and two-turn debut. The
silvery gray was second by a neck in his first race in September at Churchill.
He then returned nearly seven months later to impressively win at Keeneland
followed by a front-running, 3 1/4-length victory in the slop at Churchill
Downs’ one-turn mile on June 2.

“He ran really well here behind a decent colt of Steve’s,”
Cox said of Dragoon Guard’s first race, in which he trailed Steve
Asmussen-trained Otto the Conqueror. “He had a setback after that, so we had to
give him a bunch of time. We liked him. He came back this year, and I liked him
more going into the Keeneland race. He really was doing well. We ran him the
Beard course distance (seven furlongs and 184 feet), and the mile here was the
natural thing to do next. He responded well. He does need to take a step
forward, and I think he will.”

After two easy wins, including by 8 1/2 lengths in an
Oaklawn allowance race, Impel was third in Keeneland’s Ashland (G1) at 1 1/16
miles and then second the seven-furlong Eight Belles (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks
undercard.

“Impel hasn’t run since we cut her back to seven-eighths,”
Cox said. “Off the run in the Ashland, we ran her back a little quick in the
Eight Belles. Overall, I thought that was a really good effort. I think there’s
a little bit of question how far she wants to go. Based off her physical
(build), I do think she’ll handle two turns. She won her first-level allowance
race at Oaklawn at two turns.

“I didn’t know if she’d be fastest enough to win going
three-quarters, but she was. It looked like a good maiden race on paper. We’re
still trying to figure out what she’s best at. But she’s lightly raced, and
just getting her career going. Hopefully she can be a grade horse either at
middle distances or around two turns.”

Cox has won the Indiana Derby twice, including last year
with Verifying, a popular victory with local favorite Marcelino Pedroza Jr. in
the saddle. Géroux teamed with Cox to win the 2020 Indiana Derby.

Géroux also is looking for a third Indiana Derby victory,
winning his first in 2018 on Michael McCarthy-trained Axelrod.

McPeek, Hernandez are
together again

Kenny McPeek and Brian Hernandez Jr., who most famously
became the rare trainer and jockey to sweep the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky
Derby with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan, will shoot for another double in the
Indiana Derby and Indiana Oaks next Saturday.

Real Men Violin worked a half-mile in 47.6 seconds,
third-fastest of 118 timed works at the distance Saturday morning at Churchill
Downs. Band of Gold went the same distance in 47.8, the sixth-fastest time.

Magdalena Racing’s Real Men Violin is coming off a third in
the Texas Derby. He’s seeking his first stakes victory, having finished second
in the Illinois Derby and last November’s Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) with
disappointing finishes in the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2) in
between.

“Real Men worked a nice half,” McPeek said. “This horse has
been knocking on the door. He’s stakes-placed. He still has a ‘one other than’
allowance condition, but we’re going to give him one more shot in stakes
company against straight 3-year-olds. It should be an exciting weekend. That’s
also the ownership of Under the Palms, who is going to run in one of the
Indiana-bred stakes (Ellen’s Lucky Star) as well.”

Band of Gold, winner of Oaklawn’s Martha Washington at 24-1
odds in the slop in her third start, most recently was third in Churchill
Downs’ Monomoy Girl at the Indiana Oaks’ 1 1/16-mile distance.

“Band of Gold actually ran away from the pole in front of
another filly, Shimmering Allure, but she worked well,” McPeek said. “She won a
stakes earlier in the winter, and she was third in her last start. She needs to
find another level, but she’s doing really well.”

Hernandez was aboard both Real Men Violin and Band of Gold
in their works.

“They went their usual half,” the jockey said. “They’re six
days out from the Indiana Derby and Oaks. They went around there in smooth
halves.”

Hernandez is looking for his third victory in the Indiana
Derby and his first since Neck ’n Neck in 2012. He also won on Cielo Gold in
2006. Hernandez and McPeek won last year’s Indiana Oaks with Defining Purpose.
McPeek also won the Indiana Oaks in 2013 with Pure Fun, and Hernandez also won
in 2012 with Grace Hall and 2014 on Tiz Windy.

Other Indiana Derby contenders include Doug O’Neill-trained
California invader E J Won the Cup, winner of the Texas Derby and Turf Paradise
Derby and third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1); Oaklawn’s Bath House Row winner
Informed Patriot from the Steve Asmussen barn; and locally based Woodcourt,
most recently third in the Illinois Derby for trainer Cipriano Contreras. Santa
Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold is probable, trainer Phil D’Amato said.

The draws for both the Indiana Derby and Indiana Oaks will be
Monday at 2 p.m. and will be streamed by Horseshoe Indianapolis on X.