Mor Spirit works over the main track at Churchill Downs, readies for Kentucky Derby

Mor Spirit, the talented late-charging colt for Bob Baffert, took his first breeze over the Churchill Downs track on Tuesday. The 3-year-old son of Eskendreya worked five furlongs in 59.80. It was the second fastest time over that distance of the 18 horses that worked in the morning.

Gary Stevens, the horse’s regular rider, told Churchill Downs publicity that Mor Spirit “loved the work.”

“He was very aggressive going to the pole, which is not always like him,” Stevens continued. “He’s a little quirky sometimes. Bob [Baffert] put a little more blinkers on him this morning to get him a little more focused and it did the job.

“I can’t get the horse tired and that’s a good thing when you’re going a mile and a quarter [in the Derby],” Stevens said. “I don’t think that distance is going to be a problem but he’s coming along at the right time. This has been the focus since last year in December. We’ve been pointing to the Derby.”

Baffert is among the best at getting a horse at its peak on the first Saturday in May. He views the traditional Derby prep races as little more than stepping stones to winning that one race.

Mor Spirit came out of the Fasig-Tipton sale last year that also produced Nyquist, the undefeated favorite in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Nyquist went on to win the Florida Derby as his last prep race and earned a $1-million bonus because he also came out of that sale.

Mor Spirit chose to stay home -- and forgo the chance at the bonus -- and finished second to Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby over a very wet surface.

“I don’t think about the money when you’re prepping,” Baffert told The Times earlier this year. “If I have a horse that I know could be solid in the Kentucky Derby and has a chance to win it, I’m going to do what’s right for the horse to get to the Derby.”

In this case, it meant running in the Bob Lewis, San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby, all at Santa Anita.

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