Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The speed in Kentucky Derby 135 has been falling by the wayside in the past few weeks. The Pamplemousse, Old Fashioned and Quality Road all have been eliminated from the Derby with one injury or another. Some speed pretenders still are hanging around: Join in the Dance, Papa Clem, Take the Points, Regal Ransom and even Pioneerof the Mile, if the pace is too slow.

But trainer Larry Jones and Friesan Fire may have made the speed question a mute point after the colt blistered a five furlongs in 57.80 seconds on Monday at Churchill Downs. Friesan Fire may not be on the lead. Jones said he would leave that up to jockey Gabriel Saez after the break. Jones did say the colt would be “forwardly placed.”
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Friesan Fire and trainer Larry Jones gallop on
Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
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Jones said the others might have a tough time catching his colt if they let him get too far away early, and Friesan Fire won’t have any trouble getting the distance being a son of A.P. Indy.

Friesan Fire hasn’t run a race since winning the Louisiana Derby on March 14 at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. That is a seven-week layoff, which seems to concern some, not Jones.

“We used to do that all the time with claiming horses. He’s ready to run. That’s why the workout yesterday was quick,” Jones said. He thought Friesan Fire worked the five furlongs in about a minute until Hal Wiggins, trainer of Rachel Alexandra said to him as he past “fifty seven and four.”

“I thought he was talking about his horse, and then he said ‘No, yours was fifty seven and four. I was like ‘Oh,’ but Friesan Fire came back and he wasn’t even blowing hard. Gabe also thought he worked in about a minute,” Jones said.

Friesan Fire was fine Tuesday morning Jones said, and the trainer said he planned to get on the colt Thursday morning and see what is getting the colt’s attention on the first turn.

“They have all those tents and boxes up there and he could be seeing his own reflection in the glass. There will be a lot of people there on Saturday. I’m not concerned about it. This colt never has concerned me. After the first time I got on him as a 2-year-old, I told people this was my Triple Crown winner. Of course, I didn’t say it was the Louisiana Triple Crown,” Jones said laughing. Friesan Fire swept the 3-year-old series at the Fair Grounds this spring.

Jones finished second in the Derby with Hard Spun in 2007 and repeated that placing with the ill-fated Eight Belles last year.

Jones also trains Just Jenda, who is owned by his wife, Cindy. Just Jenda will run in Friday’s Eight Belles Stakes, named after his great filly.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could win that one,” Jones asked?

Yeah, Larry, that would be nice, and a Derby win wouldn’t be bad either.