Girvin
- With regular pilot Robby Albarado sidelined with a leg injury, Luis Saez was named to ride J Boys Echo for trainer Dale Romans in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.
- Multiple graded stakes winner Girvin was spotted training at Keeneland with Z-bar shoes, which are used to address a variety of foot problems, on both front hooves.
- Girvin has never raced in Z-bar shoes and conditioner Joe Sharp did not answer questions from the Daily Racing Form as to whether or not his charge had ever trained in them previously.
- Sharp has again changed workout plans for Girvin and now expects to work him on April 29 at Keeneland.
- Trainer Chad Brown equipped multiple graded stakes hero Practical Joke with blinkers for his morning exercise on April 26 and is considering breezing the colt with them.
- Conditioner Mike Maker plans to van G3 Spiral Stakes victor Fast and Accurate from the nearby Trackside training facility to Churchill Downs for his final pre-Derby breeze on April 30.
- Despite the fact that openings remain on several Derby mounts, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and his agent Steve Rushing have decided to ride at Belmont Park on the first Saturday in May.
