When Chief Wallabee arrived at Churchill Downs April 14, there was nonetheless a query whether or not or not he would find yourself operating within the Might 2 Kentucky Derby (G1) as he sat on the surface of the purpose leaderboard ready for a defection to permit him in.
The crew surrounding the son of Structure may then launch of sigh of aid April 18 when the connections of Ottinho opted to drop out of Derby rivalry and level for both the Preakness Stakes (G1) or Peter Pan Stakes (G3).
READ: Ottinho to Bypass Kentucky Derby
With that hurdle out of the best way, the reigning Kentucky Derby-winning crew of Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado may loosen up and focus purely on getting ready their colt to run for the roses. Contemporary in from Arkansas, Mott was available April 20 to see Alvarado pilot Chief Wallabee for his first official breeze over the Churchill Downs floor.
The work was an necessary one as Chief Wallabee wore a pair of blinkers, one thing he hadn’t achieved in his three lifetime begins. The rationale for this transfer was resulting from a perception that the younger runner didn’t keep totally centered within the stretch of the March 28 Florida Derby (G1), the place he was crushed a half-length in third behind Commandment and The Puma .Join BloodHorse Every day
“I feel he was simply trying on the horses in entrance, trying on the different horse exterior,” Alvarado defined on the April 20 episode of BloodHorse Monday. “He was type of holding his end proper there. I feel the blinkers will do the trick for him.”
In his Monday morning breeze through the particular Kentucky Derby/Oaks contenders-only time round 7:15 a.m., Chief Wallabee took a lightweight gallop from the bottom round to the clubhouse flip earlier than breaking into his work exterior of latest Keeneland maiden-winning stablemate Gilded Bandit .
Picture: Coady Media/Renee TorbitJunior Alvarado preps Chief Wallabee to work at Churchill Downs
Alvarado saved Chief Wallabee below restraint via splits of :24 4/5, :36 3/5, and :48 1/5 into the stretch. Alvarado then allowed him to inch by his stablemate as they hit the wire.
After the wire, Alvarado allowed Chief Wallabee to run coming into the clubhouse flip, and he shortly buried Gilden Bandit, leaving him within the mud as he entered the backstretch alone. The official exercise was recorded at 5 furlongs in 1:00, in response to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols, who recorded gallop-out occasions of 1:12 for six furlongs and 1:26 3/5 for 7 furlongs.
Chief Wallabee works 5F in 1:00 below the Twin Spires for coach Invoice Mott.Watch the Derby and Oaks horses practice every morning starting at 6:45am EDT proper right here on X. pic.twitter.com/bRkZ6HfagX— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 20, 2026
Alvarado was more than happy with the work, saying the blinkers had correctly achieved the job.
“He was fairly clean,” Alvarado mentioned. “He is very variety, he does every little thing you need within the morning. We have been simply ensuring he was severe with the blinkers; he did not get too rank with them. He was very variety, and he completed up the work simply as we have been anticipating. Very sturdy right this moment.”
Mott was equally happy when talking to the media gathered exterior his barn quickly after.
“Chief Wallabee labored superb,” Mott mentioned. “He completed up actually good and galloped out across the flip. He labored out to the 7/eighth pole, however then continued the gallop out. Appeared clean and completed very nice.”
Chief Wallabee had a later begin to his profession than most of the rivals he’ll face on the primary Saturday in Might. He debuted a formidable winner Jan. 10 at Gulfstream Park, defeating The Puma by 1 1/2 lengths with one other 9 1/4 lengths again to 3rd.
The expertise has at all times been evident within the Michael and Katherine Ball homebred, however he had a pair minor setbacks that delayed his first entrance into the beginning gate. Mott mentioned they’d initially deliberate to debut at Saratoga earlier than “child stuff we needed to give him time for” finally pushed him again to January.
For 136 years, the “Curse of Apollo” had reigned supreme over horses who entered the Derby with out expertise racing as a 2-year-old. That was till 2018, when eventual Triple Crown winner Justify broke the curse and have become the primary horse to win the Derby with no begins at 2 since Apollo in 1882. Then, simply 5 years later, Mage would do the identical.
“I’ve at all times believed {that a} Derby winner wanted to run as a 2-year-old. In fact, we’re not in that scenario,” Mott mentioned. “It looks as if every little thing is altering a bit of bit. There’s a variety of horses coming in with fewer races.”
Picture: Anne M. EberhardtBill Mott
Nonetheless, regardless of that lack of expertise, Chief Wallabee enters the Derby as one of many main contenders following his slim defeats within the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby. Within the remaining Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool that closed April 4, he was the fourth alternative at 13-1.
“He is a horse who began his racing profession a bit of bit late, however I feel we’re catching up with him on the proper time,” Alvarado mentioned. “He type of responded to all of the solutions we’re in search of, and I feel we’re sitting on go along with him.”
The addition of blinkers may present a distinction maker, and Alvarado mentioned it was one thing he thought the horse might at all times want. It was merely only a matter of when to lastly add them.
“As a result of he began his racing profession a bit of bit late, we did not wish to add the blinkers straight away,” Alvarado mentioned. “We needed to offer him an opportunity to develop, begin studying learn how to race with out them. I feel ultimately he was going to want it, so Invoice determined to place them on. … However that is the one problem we face with a horse that began his racing profession a bit of bit late, we needed to try to determine him out very fast, particularly with an excellent horse like him heading into the Derby.”
Though he might lack in expertise, Chief Wallabee doesn’t lack in thoughts.
“He is very gifted and he is bought an exquisite disposition,” Mott mentioned. “So I feel he can deal with every little thing that goes on.”
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