HALFBRIDLED - The rare sight of two Eclipse Award winners working together highlighted a rainy morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Richard Mandella sent his two juvenile champions from 2003 out for six-furlong works after the renovation break. With Pat Day on Action This Day and Paul Nilluang on Halfbridled, the duo worked in 1:12.40 over a track labeled "sloppy."

Fractions for the work were :12.20, :24.20, :35.80, :47.20 and :50.40. Action This Day galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25.80 and Halfbridled in 1:26.

"There was no winner; a dead heat," Mandella said of the works. "They both needed a work and they were the only two I had to work together. They get a little more out of it (working together). They had not worked since the Blue Grass and the Beaumont (April 10 and 8, respectively) and both needed a good work this week. He needed a little more than her and galloped out a little stronger than she did on purpose.

"It worked out pretty well. They are not at home and working by themselves, I was afraid they might be distracted. I feel very good about the work. They both went great. Obviously they were very strong times and we will make sure they come out good in the morning and away we go."

Day, who will ride Mandella trainee Minister Eric in Derby 130, was on Action This Day for the first time.

"Pat's an old friend and I needed somebody to work for a team," Mandella said. "I have only one boy here, and rather than ask somebody to help that I didn't know, he did me a favor that I am very thankful for."

Winless since his championship clinching triumph in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade I) in October, Action This Day will be partnered in the Derby by regular rider David Flores.

"Action This Day was a little sore in his back after the Blue Grass, and we have done some work on him chiropractically and therapeutically," Mandella said. "He has responded very well, and his work today showed he is in pretty good shape. Obviously, tomorrow will tell us whether we have gotten rid of it or not. Hopefully it won't be there in the morning."

Minister Eric galloped a mile and a quarter with Nilluang up before the renovation break.

Mandella was asked if he was disappointed that he would not be making a Derby run with Halfbridled.

"I wouldn't mind winning the Oaks, believe me," Mandella said. "Had she come back and been as flawless as she was last year, I would have thought seriously about the Derby. But we have had a few bumps in the road. We are not quite where we were last year, so we will go a little more conservative, which may not be conservative. The fillies might be tougher than the colts anyway. That's a pretty great bunch of fillies."

A.P. ADVENTURE - Double graded stakes winner A.P. Adventure galloped a mile and a quarter after the renovation break with exercise rider Rhett Fincher up.

The A.P. Indy filly is scheduled to work Friday or Saturday. Trainer Wally Dollase is scheduled to arrive in Louisville this afternoon.

ASHADO - Ashland stakes (Grade I) runner-up Ashado galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Michelle Nihei before the renovation break.

The Todd Pletcher trainee is scheduled to work Saturday or Sunday.

ISLAND SAND - B.A. Man Inc.'s Island Sand was scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs Thursday afternoon with a five-furlong breeze slated for Friday morning after the break.

LAST SONG - Buckram Oak Farm's Last Song, winner of the Bonnie Miss (GII), galloped 1 ¼-miles over "sloppy" going on Thursday. Exercise rider Peter Gulyas was in the saddle aboard the daughter of Unbridled's Song.

MADCAP ESCAPADE - Bruce Lunsford's unbeaten Madcap Escapade, winner of the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland, schooled in the Churchill Downs and galloped a mile on the "sloppy" track on Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Frank Brothers said he was "tempted" to work the daughter of Hennessy, but decided to stick to his original plan, which called for the filly to work on Friday.

Brothers will keep a close eye on the weather forecast and could move the filly's final breeze before the April 30 Kentucky Oaks back to Saturday if the track turns up wet on Friday morning.

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