HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It was a busy morning for trainer Todd Pletcher on Friday at Palm Beach Downs, where two of his top Kentucky Derby candidates, Grande and River Thames, worked for upcoming starts on April 5. Grande is currently penciled in for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, while River Thames is being pointed to the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Another of Pletcher’s Derby hopefuls, Disruptor, is scheduled to breeze at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday for a scheduled start here next week in the $1 million Florida Derby. The undefeated Grande worked in company with his older, Grade 1-placed stablemate Crupi, the pair breezing four furlongs in 49.47 before galloping out five panels in 1:02.01, per Daily Racing Form clocker Dave Norton. River Thames, runner-up in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, partnered up with Noted to work five furlongs in 1:00.51, continuing out three-quarters in 1:14.66. “Grande is coming off a mile and one-eighth race and has a very good foundation under him,” said Pletcher. “We’re just trying to keep him healthy and fit and I thought it was a good work in company with a solid older horse.” Pletcher was also very pleased with River Thames, who had Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for the work. :: DRF Road to the Derby Package Available Now! Save 37% on key handicapping essentials through Kentucky Derby Day. “I thought he went very well also, and galloped out nicely,” Pletcher advised. “Irad is going to ride him for the first time [in the Blue Grass]. This was the first time he’s been on him, and it gave him an opportunity to get to know the horse before the race.” Pletcher said even though Grande and Disruptor, both of whom are owned by Mike Repole, have won over the Gulfstream Park surface, he felt it might be more to Disruptor’s advantage to stay here for the Florida Derby. “I feel like the track may be a little more demanding at Aqueduct, and I just felt since Grande had already won at a mile and an eighth, it might be better off to have him there,” said Pletcher. “It was splitting hairs, that’s just the way it worked out.” Pletcher also worked his Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Fierceness an easy half-mile in 49.97, out five-eighths in 1:02.58 on Friday. Fierceness is expected to make his 2025 debut in the Grade 3 Westchester going one mile at Aqueduct on May 4. Casse going for another stakes Trainer Mark Casse, who has dominated the 3-year-old turf division throughout the Championship meet, will try to add to his imposing record when he sends out Dare to Breeze to launch her 2025 campaign in Sunday’s $115,000 Melody of Colors Stakes at five furlongs. Casse also entered the Grade 3 winner Abientot in the race but said he plans to scratch her to await “something a little longer,” likely during the upcoming Keeneland meet. Even without Abientot, who would have likely been the post-time favorite, the Melody of Colors has drawn a strong and competitive lineup. The field also includes stakes winner Me Governor, the graded stakes-placed Origami, and the intriguing English-bred Make Haste, who will be making her U.S. debut for trainer Christophe Clement. Casse has already sent out Nitrogen to capture the Ginger Brew and Vixen to win both the Sweetest Chant and Grade 3 Herecomesthebride for 3-year-old fillies here this winter. Nitrogen also shipped to Tampa Bay Downs earlier this month to register a popular victory in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks. Casse’s Mi Bago has totally dominated the open division, having swept the local stakes series for 3-year-old grass specialists with popular tallies in the Pulpit, Dania Beach, and Colonel Liam. Melody of Colors entrant Dare to Breeze has not started since being beaten a neck by Mi Bago while facing males for the first and only time in the five-furlong Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine on Oct. 5. “Even though she hasn’t run in quite some time, her résumé has gotten much better [with every race Mi Bago wins],” Casse said with a laugh. “I had her entered in an allowance race here about a month ago but had to scratch her due to a fungus she contracted that took a while to heal up. And I believe if she comes back to her 2-year-old form, she should run very well on Sunday.” :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day. Dare to Breeze has posted three works over the Tapeta track at Gulfstream since arriving locally in early February. Me Governor won the Stewart Manor Stakes going six furlongs at Aqueduct on Nov. 2 but has been idle since closing out her juvenile campaign with a fourth-place finish when she switched to dirt in the Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs four weeks later. Trained by Carlos David, Me Governor is the only three-time winner in the Melody of Colors. Origami finished third making her U.S. debut in the Grade 3 Cecil B DeMille going a mile at Del Mar on Dec. 1. On Sunday, she will turn back to a sprint for the first time since launching her career last summer in her native Ireland. Make Haste has made all five of her previous starts in Europe but appears to be working forwardly for her first North American appearance, having registered a series of bullet works over the main track at Payson Park. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? 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