Union Rags, the early favorite for the 2012 Kentucky Derby (gr. I), breezed three furlongs on January 11th at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, the first workout in preperation for his three-year-old campaign.
The bay son of Dixie Union out of the Gone West mare Tempo won three of his four starts as a juvenile, including dominating victories in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) and Three Chimneys Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II). He concluded his season with narrow loss in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), losing by a head despite a very wide trip.
His three-furlong work, timed in a moderate :38.35 seconds, was the colt's first breeze since the Breeders' Cup. Trained by Michael Matz -- who also trained the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro -- Union Rags is being pointed toward some of the major Derby prep races at Gulfstream Park, such as the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and the Florida Derby (gr. I).
Also breezing this morning at Palm Meadows was Take Charge Indy, a son of A.P. Indy that finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile against Union Rags and second in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) as a juvenile. His five-furlong breeze in 1:03.09 was his second workout since the Breeders' Cup, following up a half-mile in :50.92 at Palm Meadows on January 4th.
-Keelerman
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