NEWS
Musket Man completes adventurous workout
Posted: Saturday, April 25, 2009 12:13 PM
MUSKET MAN
Four Footed Fotos
by Ed DeRosa
Illinois Derby (G2) winner Musket Man’s final workout before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) was anything but routine on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.
First, jockey Eibar Coa, who flew in from New York to work his Derby mount, was about 40 minutes late for the workout. When the two finally were on the track and ready for their five-furlong move, they had some unexpected company when Musket Man broke off at the five-eighths pole as another horse ran to the outside the Yonaguska colt.
Then, coming into the final furlong of the drill in the Churchill homestretch, another horse ducked in on Musket Man, who completed five furlongs in 1:01.60 on a track rated as fast that several trainers also referred to as “deep.”
Derek Ryan, who trains Musket Man for Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, expressed his displeasure to a Churchill Downs outrider, but Coa did not seem to think the horse had any issues. He gave a “thumbs up” sign to reporters before immediately leaving the track to catch a plane so that he could ride at Aqueduct in the afternoon.
“[Coa] was more impressed with this work than the last one,” Ryan said, referring to Musket Man’s six-furlong workout in 1:13 on April 18 at Churchill. “Everything is a go.”
Musket Man has won five of six starts with his lone loss coming to eventual Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner General Quarters in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) (click here for video of the Sam F. Davis) on February 14 at Tampa Bay Downs. Musket Man went on to win the Tampa Bay (G3) and Illinois Derbys (click here for video of the Tampa Bay Derby, click here for video of the Illinois Derby). Musket Man also has won at four distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.
“We’ve been hearing the distance questions since he won his first race,” Ryan said. “Some people wondered if he could go seven [furlongs] then it was, ‘Can he get two turns? Can he get a mile-and-an-eighth?’ I hope we’re talking about whether he can get a mile and a half.”
Musket Man will attempt to become the second Tampa Bay Derby winner (following Street Sense in 2007) and the second Illinois Derby winner (following War Emblem in ‘02) to win the Kentucky Derby if he is victorious next week.
Ed DeRosa is news editor of THOROUGHBRED TIMES
