LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The sun rose warm and bright over Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning, and with it came the familiar rhythm of Tuesday of Derby Week: horses hitting the track, most of their work complete, trainers watching closely, and two-legged traffic increasing dramatically.

With just days to go until the 151st Kentucky Derby, here's what you need to know from Tuesday's action.

Tokyo Drift: Japanese Hopefuls Put in Smooth Works

Japanese contenders Luxor Café and Admire Daytona may be working half a world away from home, but both have looked right at ease at Churchill Downs.

Luxor Café, trained by Noriyuki Hori, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.40 under Joao Moreira, who described it as "an easy work, just to keep him ticking over." The son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, "had good rhythm throughout," Moreira said.

Admire Daytona, the UAE Derby winner, turned in the same time at the same distance, but added a bit of competition to the equation. Working in company with Dale Romans-trained Greatdayforhockey, the colt impressed trainer Yukihiro Kato.

"Up until now he's been just training on his own just maintaining condition from Dubai," Kato said of the UAE Derby winner. "Today we wanted to train him in company to tighten the screws down and it was perfect. He is a horse that thrives off a challenge. We really appreciate Dale Romans helping us out today."

Japanese runners finished third (Forever Young) and fifth (T O Password) in last year's Derby, as the globally successful program dials in on America's most famous race.

Kentucky Derby 151 | Derby Prep Races | Derby Festival Events 

Promise and Poise: A Derby Rookie Soaks It All In

American Promise galloped smoothly for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, while his jockey, Nik Juarez, was more than just another interested onlooker. Juarez will be making making his Kentucky Derby debut. With advice from his agent, three-time Derby winner Gary Stevens, Juarez is doing his best to take it all in.

"He told me to soak it all in," Juarez said of Stevens, who is a three-time winner in the race.

Juarez rode American Promise for the first time in his last race – a victory in the Virginia Derby. American Promise is the field's most-seasoned horse, with nine lifetime starts. Only Tiztastic, trained by Steve Asmussen, and Coal Battle, conditioned by Lonnie Briley, come close to that number, with eight career starts each.

As for what he'll be thinking when he goes into Post No. 5 for the Derby in front of a crowd of 150,000, Juarez said he'll be ready.

"I'll be in the gate with confidence and wait for the gate to pop," he said.

On the Bubble: Baeza Hopes for a Break

No. 21 on the Derby points list, Baeza continued to train as if he'll get in — just in case. The McKinzie colt galloped about a mile and a quarter Tuesday morning under Frankie Herrate, and visited the new Churchill paddock without issue.

Baeza

Baeza, on the bubble for the Kentucky Derby, trained at Churchill Downs on April 29, 2025.

Trainer John Shirreffs said he wants to "keep that nose to the grindstone," but admits they'll lighten up later in the week — should the scratch gods smile before Friday's 9 a.m. deadline.

Wilkes Quietly Chasing History

Trainer Ian Wilkes is already part of elite company, having saddled Fort Larned to a Breeders' Cup Classic win in 2012. A win Saturday with Burnham Square would place him among the few to also win a Derby.

Asked what it would mean for longtime clients Whitham Thoroughbreds, Wilkes said simply, "I can't explain it… I'd like to try to answer that Saturday evening."

Wilkes is sending his second colt into the Derby. He also had McCracken, who ran eighth in 2017. But having worked as an assistant to the legendary Carl Nafzger, including with Street Sense in 2007, Burnham knows what Derby quality looks like. He's confident his Blue Grass Stakes-winning colt can get the distance.

"It's great to get to the Derby, that's the one everyone wants to win," Wilkes said. ". . . I think he matches up well. He's trained well, and the good thing is that I think a mile and a quarter is right in my wheelhouse."

Back in the Spotlight: Baffert's Return

Bob Baffert's Citizen Bull was taking a well-earned walk after a blazing bullet work Monday, and his other Derby starter, Rodriguez, galloped during the Derby/Oaks training window, looking sharp as ever. Baffert, suspended from Churchill Downs the past three years, is back — and not just for the Derby.

"You know, they always have a terrific undercard," he said. "I had good horses over the past three years and never got to run them here. But I'm back doing it now."

Sandman Settling In

Mark Casse has seen a few Derby weeks, but he says this Churchill Downs surface is "the best I have seen it" in nearly five decades. That's good news for Sandman, who struggled here last fall but has been a different horse since.

And perhaps just as important, Casse says Churchill is a different track. Any worry that his colt might not take to it has been dispelled during training. 

"A lot has been made of him not running well here," Casse said. "The track was totally different last fall and now is the best I have seen it and I have been coming here 47 years. Dale Romans said the same thing last night and he has been here about as long as I have."

Sandman is 0-for-3 at Churchill Downs, the last a third-place finish in the Street Sense Stakes last October. He was fifth in a pair of starts here under Jose Ortiz prior to that. Ortiz, who rode him to victory in the Arkansas Derby in his last start, will be aboard for the fourth time.

"Jose said he rode him terrible the first time," Casse said. "Before the Arkansas Derby, we watched tapes of the Southwest (second by a length) and Rebel (beaten by Coal Battle and Madaket Road) and the key is to let him get into his stride and Jose let him settle (in the Arkansas Derby)."

McCarthy's Favorite Things (Besides Journalism)

Morning line favorite Journalism jogged a mile Tuesday and got familiar with the starting gate.

Trainer Michael McCarthy, who once worked under Todd Pletcher, said he feels right at home in the Derby city.

"In a lot of ways Louisville feels like home," he said. "I had all those years (11) here with Todd, so I know my way around a bit. If I want to go for a nice dinner, Jack Fry's is one of my favorites. And there are a couple of watering holes around town (Molly Malone's and a pint of Guinness drew a nod) where I like to stop by. But I'm not drinking this week. I've got other things to do."

Odds and Ends from the Backside

  • Chunk of Gold visited the starting gate and galloped with trainer Ethan West in the saddle.
  • Coal Battle walked the shedrow Tuesday, with owner Robbie Norman soaking in his first full Derby experience.
  • Grande, Render Judgment, Flying Mohawk, East Avenue, Final Gambit, Neoequos, Publisher, Tiztastic, and Owen Almighty all galloped during the Derby/Oaks window, with most set for paddock schooling Wednesday.
  • Sovereignty, the 5-1 second choice, paddocked Tuesday and looked sharp with trainer Bill Mott alongside.

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