Sunday, April 27, 2014
Eisaman Equine training grad Ride On Curlin, who has earned $414,687 to date, completed his final Kentucky Derby (G1) workout April 27 at Churchill Downs.
Breezing seven furlongs, as he's done in three of his past four works, Ride On Curlin was never asked for speed from exercise rider Bryan Beccia.
"We're not trying to do that (work quickly) anymore,” said Beccia. “We're trying to get him to relax the first part of the race and get him off the pace, and he's working that way right now. He's not exactly dragging me all the way down the backside. He's relaxed. I've got a good hold of him, but he's relaxed. His ears are up. He's comfortable. At the sixteenth pole, when I reached up and asked him a little bit, he responded.
“He jumped in the bridle again and then basically just coasted around the turn for the last eighth of a mile (when galloping out). But real good, real comfortable, hit his marks good, hits his leads perfect. No problem.''
Ride On Curlin has hit the board in eight of his nine lifetime starts, including placing in both the Arkansas Derby and Champagne S., both Grade 1s.
The son of Curlin was bred in Kentucky by G. Watts and Louise Humphrey and is owned by Daniel Dougherty. Ride On Curlin's is out of the stakes-place mare Magical Ride and comes from the same family as the Humphrey's Grade 1 winning mare Victory Ride.