Trainer Todd Pletcher’s plan to give Repole Stable’s Grande his final tune-up at Keeneland in advance of the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve worked to perfection Friday morning. With rain in the forecast for several days, Pletcher has had his eye on the weather and opted for Friday at 7:30 a.m. to capitalize on the freshly groomed track immediately after the first renovation period.

With his Derby partner John Velazquez in the saddle and working in company with 3-year-old maiden winner Valentinian, Grande completed 5 furlongs in 1:01 over a fast track moments before a heavy downpour turned the track sloppy.The colt’s fractions were :13, :25, :37.20 and :49 with a gallop out for 6 furlongs in 1:13.40, according to Keeneland clockers.

Click here for a video of the work.

“My instinct told me to bring him to Keeneland,” Pletcher said about Grande while walking back to his barn. “I thought we would have a more reliable surface. As it turns out, the track was muddy and sealed today at Churchill. With more rain in the forecast, I thought this was a safer play.

“Looking statistically at Derby winners, plenty of them have not had a breeze at Churchill,” Pletcher continued. “(In the Derby) he will either take to the surface or he won’t. With the restriction of having to be at Churchill on Saturday (April 26), I thought the timing was too risky to ship in (from Belmont Park).”

A $300,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, Grande won his career debut Jan. 11 and captured an allowance race six weeks later at Gulfstream Park. In his only other start, he was runner-up in the Wood Memorial (G2) Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct on April 5, 3½ lengths behind fellow Derby hopeful Rodriquez.

Grande will be Pletcher’s 66th Derby starter – a record – and his lone Derby entrant this year. He has two wins in the race – with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017.

“We are thankful we have one,” he told FanDuel’s Scott Hazelton. “A couple of months ago, we weren’t sure we would be here at all. He stepped up, and I thought he ran a big race in the Wood. He had a tough trip in the first turn and came fighting to the wire. He is a relatively inexperienced horse and he is on the improve and I am cautiously optimistic.”

Grande is scheduled to leave for Churchill around 2 p.m. today.

Post position draws for the Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) will be held Saturday, April 26 at 7:15 p.m. at Churchill.