Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone had his first of two planned works before the Kentucky Derby on Saturday morning at Keeneland, breezing four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. Sierra Leone, with regular exercise rider Kriss Bon in the irons, came out immediately after the first renovation break on the fast main track. He was equipped with the blinkers he has worn to win both his starts this year, in the Grade 2 Risen Star on Feb. 17 and Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 6. Working on the inside of Keeneland maiden winner White Palomino, Sierra Leone came to the wire about a neck ahead, then pulled away easily while galloping out. His five-furlong gallop-out was caught in 1:01.20. “I’ve always worked him in company, said Chad Brown, who trains the Gun Runner colt for Peter Brant, the Coolmore group, and Brook Smith. "He’s always been in the mornings a decent work horse, but he needs a little focus. Obviously, added blinkers this year, which has helped. We give him a little competition just so he feels a horse next to him, and just keeps him in the bridle nicely. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2024: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more "He's a good-feeling horse," Brown continued. "He's a nice horse to work around. He's a very alpha horse. He's definitely in charge of what's going on everywhere, and we give him his space and let him be him. There's a mutual respect there." Sierra Leone will van to Churchill on Sunday morning, and Brown said he will pencil in the colt's final breeze for April 27, weather permitting. Sierra Leone's lead-up to the Kentucky Derby will also include several sessions of schooling at the starting gate. The colt delayed the start of the Blue Grass when he balked for several minutes before loading into the outside post in front of the grandstand. "I have a plan set up with the starter Scott Jordan over there ... so he can see the gate a couple times coming up," Brown said. "I really don't anticipate any problems. He's really never been much of a problem at the gate - I think it was a function of the crowd and stuff. But I'm going to let the professionals handle it." Brown will have a second colt in the Derby in Klaravich Stables' Domestic Product, winner of the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9. The colt has breezed five times since then - including on Saturday morning, as he went a half mile in 48.40 seconds at Payson Park in Florida. "My assistants down there were both raving about the work," Brown said. "The horse worked super ... I'm happy that I decided not to run him again after the Tampa Derby, because he just keeps getting stronger. He's re-filled his tank, so to speak." Brown and Klaravich will also have a runner in the Kentucky Oaks in Ways and Means, second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 30 in her 3-year-old debut. Brown is bullish on the filly, who breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.60 on Saturday morning at Payson. "She worked super down there," Brown said. Domestic Product and Ways and Means are expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday. Also at Keeneland on Saturday morning, Bourbonette Oaks winner Everland worked five furlongs in 1:03.80 in company with stakes-winning stablemate Maxisuperfly in preparation for the Kentucky Oaks, in which the filly will attempt to transfer her form from Tapeta to dirt. "We weren't really going for any certain time," trainer Eric Foster said. "We were just setting Everland up to break off and make sure she was going to take the dirt, and it didn't even faze her. Up until today, I was probably a little nervous, and then [the rider] came back with a big smile ... it put me in a lot better mood." Eclipse Award champion Pretty Mischievous, winner of the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, breezed a half mile in 49.20 for trainer Brendan Walsh. The filly is aiming to make her season debut in the Grade 1, $1 million La Troienne on the May 3 Kentucky Oaks undercard, where she is likely to face Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and fellow Eclipse champion Idiomatic. "I have a plan set up with the starter Scott Jordan over there ... so he can see the gate a couple times coming up," Brown said. "I really don't anticipate any problems. He's really never been much of a problem at the gate - I think it was a function of the crowd and stuff. But I'm going to let the professionals handle it."</p> <p>Brown will have a second colt in the Derby in Klaravich Stables' Domestic Product, winner of the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9. The colt has breezed six times since then - including on Saturday morning, as he went a half mile in 48.40 seconds at Payson Park in Florida.</p> <p>"My assistants down there were both raving about the work," Brown said. "The horse worked super ... I'm happy that I decided not to run him again after the Tampa Derby, because he just keeps getting stronger. He's re-filled his tank, so to speak."</p> <p>Brown and Klaravich will also have a runner in the Kentucky Oaks in Ways and Means, second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 30 in her 3-year-old debut. Brown is bullish on the filly, who breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.60 on Saturday morning at Payson.</p> <p>"She worked super down there," Brown said.</p> <p>Domestic Product and Ways and Means are expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday.</p> <p>Also at Keeneland on Saturday morning, Bourbonette Oaks winner Everland worked five furlongs in 1:03.80 in company with stakes-winning stablemate Maxisuperfly in preparation for the Kentucky Oaks, in which the filly will attempt to transfer her form from Tapeta to dirt.<br /> "We weren't really going for any certain time," trainer Eric Foster said. "We were just setting Everland up to break off and make sure she was going to take the dirt, and it didn't even faze her. Up until today, I was probably a little nervous, and then [the rider] came back with a big smile ... it put me in a lot better mood."</p> <p>Eclipse Award champion Pretty Mischievous, winner of the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, breezed a half mile in 49.20 for trainer Brendan Walsh. The filly is aiming to make her season debut in the Grade 1, $1 million La Troienne on the May 3 Kentucky Oaks undercard, where she is likely to face Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and fellow Eclipse champion Idiomatic.</p> <p><strong>:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? 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