Ackerley Brothers Farm's Bold Conquest (Curlin), looking to improve on a third-place finish behind American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Mar. 14 GII Rebel S. in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, worked four furlongs at Oaklawn Park Monday in :48.60. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.80.
“He's doing extremely well,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “We lucked out with the racetrack today. I was very concerned with all the rain in the area, but it was a good track again this morning. His last two works have been the two best works of the year. It's a good time to be doing so.”
A maiden winner at Saratoga last August, Bold Conquest was a narrowly beaten runner-up in the GIII Iroquois S. before ending his juvenile campaign with a third-place effort behind Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. He opened 2015 with a fourth-place finish in the Feb. 22 GIII Southwest S. He was 8 3/4 lengths adrift of American Pharoah in the Rebel.
Bold Conquest's third dam is the Ackerley Brothers' multiple Grade I winner Jersey Girl (Belong to Me), who won the 1998 GI Mother Goose S., GI Test S. and GI Acorn S.
Also working towards the Arkansas Derby, Zayat Stables' Mr. Z (Malibu Moon) went four furlongs in company at Oaklawn Monday in :48.20. Coming off a last-place effort in the Mar. 28 GII Louisiana Derby, the well-travelled chestnut colt will be attempting to earn a spot in the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday.
“I think he's still on the radar for the Derby,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas commented Monday. “If he were to run in the first three, or something like that, he would earn a spot. That's the other side of the coin.”
Mr. Z currently ranks 30th on the Derby qualifications list. Zayat Stables will also be represented by juvenile champion American Pharoah in the Arkansas Derby.
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