Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Twin Creeks Racing Stables's Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) worked five furlongs in 1:02.60 Sunday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 3.
“I thought everything went really well,” said trainer Jonathan Thomas. “He broke off kindly from the pony. He started the work slowly but really picked it up from there. It was more of an endurance-building work this morning. He ran two tough races over the summer, so we didn't really need anything too speedy. This was probably the most major work prior to the Classic and we'll likely come back with something easy next weekend.”
Back at Belmont Park, Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown sent out a string of Breeders' Cup contenders to both the main track and inner turf course for workouts Sunday morning.
Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' and GIII Miss Grillo S. winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), pointing towards the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, visited the main track in company with MGSW Significant Form (Creative Cause), as the pair completed four furlongs in 48.78 seconds.
“I just went with my gut and decided to keep her on the dirt this morning because she worked terrific on it last week,” said Brown of Newspaperofrecord. “She worked again in company with Significant Form. They were a good match last week and I was very pleased today. She seems to be holding her form well from her win in the Miss Grillo. She'll come back with a maintenance breeze either Saturday or Sunday next week and then ship to Churchill. She's fit and ready.”
Peter Brant's Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), winner of three Grade I events over the turf in 2018, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.56 on the inner turf course in company with GI Matriarch S.-bound MGSW Uni (GB) (More Than Ready). Considered a leading contender for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Sistercharlie was last seen winning the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Aug. 11.
“I wanted a real solid work,” said Brown. “Sistercharlie is coming off a bit of a layoff now, and I felt we got that today. A minute and change and the work was sharp and solid. She galloped out with plenty of energy.”
Almanaar and Analyze It, eighth and fourth respectively in Keeneland's GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 6, worked in company on the turf Sunday morning completing four furlongs in :49 flat in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Mile.
GI Breeders' Cup Turf-bound GI Arlington Million S. hero Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}) worked in company with GSW/GISP 3-year-old Instilled Regard (Arch) over the turf, completing five furlongs in 1:00.77. Grade I-winning female turfers A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Fourstar Crook (Freud) worked four furlongs in 48.77 seconds over the inner turf.
Bob Baffert's GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender McKinzie (Street Sense), recent winner of the GI Pennsylvania Derby, worked six furlongs in company with MSW/GSP Dabster (Curlin) Sunday morning in his penultimate breeze at Santa Anita before an appearance at the World Championships. With Joe Talamo aboard, McKinzie went six furlongs in a bullet 1:11.20, while Dabster was clocked in 1:11.60. Baffert also breezed champion and Classic contender West Coast (Flatter), who went six furlongs in company with GI Pacific Classic S. fourth Roman Rosso (Arg) (Roman Ruler), receiving respective times of 1:11.80 and 1:12 flat.
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