Mor Spirit wrapped up his serious Kentucky Derby prep work on Monday at Churchill Downs with a five-furlong breeze in :59.80, second-fastest at the distance on the day.
“It was a cruising half mile,” Mor Spirit's Derby jockey Gary Stevens said. “He gave me everything I wanted. Bob wanted an easy half mile in 49 and I let him gallop out an easy five-eighths. He wanted to do more than I let him. He's getting over the surface well. He's always been a good mover. No wasted action. He does seem to be handling this surface better than Santa Anita's.
“I thought he went in 1:01. I had no idea of his time until I was told. To hear that puts a smile on my face. If I'm two seconds off on a good horse that usually means good things for me.”
“In his last work, he broke off a little too fast, but today he went really nice,” Baffert added. “It looks like he was moving really well. Now, we just need a good draw and a good break. So many things can happen. The break can make you or destroy you. The last work is important and then the last stressful thing is the draw, waiting to see what number you get.”
The Derby post position draw is Wednesday afternoon.
Mor Spirit comes into the Run for the Roses off a second-place finish over the sloppy going in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Owned by Michael Petersen, the son of Eskendereya has stakes wins in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) and Robert B. Lewis (G3).