Southern California-based trainers are generally known to have their horses work quickly in tune-ups for major stakes races, a philosophy that often stands in contrast to more measured approaches elsewhere. On the morning of April 26 at Churchill Downs, that reputation was reinforced by two West Coast trainers in Kentucky preparing horses for the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Bob Baffert and Jeff Mullins sent out their Kentucky Derby hopefuls for works that lit up the stopwatch during Sunday’s training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants.
San Felipe Stakes (G2) winner Potente , trained by Baffert, blitzed 5 furlongs in :57 4/5, and 2025 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) winner Intrepido , conditioned by Mullins, sizzled a half-mile in :45. Both workouts, coming over a dry Churchill Downs strip that appeared to play quickly, ranked as two of the fastest from about 120 workouts logged Sunday morning…