Impressive GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity victor Maxfield (Street Sense) breezed a half-mile in :47.80 (8/73) (video) at Keeneland Friday in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Working in company under exercise rider Paul Madden, the bay worked in splits of :12.60, :24.80 and :36.40 before galloping out five furlongs in :59.
“That was great,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He picked up really well, which is what we wanted. We wanted him to finish up the last quarter nice and sharp. He did. He came back and looks like he was just out galloping. He's fit, and he's ready to go. Everything's gone according to plan, so hopefully we'll get out there in good shape and have a good week, and I'm sure he'll be ready to go next Friday.”
Also on the worktab for Walsh, is GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf-bound Vitalogy (GB) (No Nay Never), who went a half-mile on the Keeneland turf in :51.20 (2/2) (video).
GI Natalma S. winner Abscond (Blame) prepped for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a four-furlong move in :48.80 (25/73) on the Keeneland main track (video), galloping out five panels in 1:02.
“She worked super and is coming into the race perfectly,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “We have been breezing her on the dirt at Keeneland (since spring), and she has been doing so well that we didn't want to change anything. Seven days out is good timing.”
Abscond is scheduled to leave for Santa Anita on a 4:30 a.m. flight from Louisville Saturday and will return to Keeneland for the November Breeding Stock Sale.
Trainer Rusty Arnold worked both his GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint entrants, Leinster (Majestic Warrior) and Totally Boss (Street Boss), Friday at Keeneland. The former went a half-mile on the turf in :50.80 (1/2) (video) and the latter went the same distance on the dirt in :49.40 (43/73). Arnold also breezed GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf pre-entrant Gear Jockey (Twirling Candy), who covered five panels on dirt in 1:01 (6/24). They will all leave for Santa Anita Monday.
GI Test S. heroine Covfefe (Into Mischief) fired a best-of-55 five-panel bullet in :59.80 at Churchill Downs ahead of the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S. The flashy bay went in fractions of :12.20, :23.80 and :47.40 with a six-furlong gallop-out in 1:12.60.
GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) also took to the track at Churchill Friday with a half-mile move in :47.60 (4/103) ahead of the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The bay went in fractions of :12.20 and :24 flat and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40.
Other Breeders' Cup workers Friday at Churchill included: Andesite (The Factor) (five furlongs, 1:00.60, Juvenile Turf); British Idiom (Flashback) (four furlongs, :48.40, Juvenile Fillies); Got Stormy (Get Stormy) (four furlongs, :47.40, Mile); Peace Achieved (Declaration of War) (four furlongs, :50.40, Juvenile Turf); Perfect Alibi (Sky Mesa) (four furlongs, :50, Juvenile Fillies); Scabbard (More Than Ready) (four furlongs, :49.40, Juvenile); and Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) (four furlongs, :49.80, Dirt Mile or Sprint).
Trainer Todd Pletcher worked a trio of Breeders' Cup-bound horses Friday morning over the Belmont training track.
Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Vino Rosso (Curlin), controversially disqualified from an apparent victory in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 28, breezed in the company of his graded-stakes winning stable companion Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy), covering a half-mile in :48.40 (XBTV video) as he prepares for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
“I thought he breezed terrific,” said Pletcher, who has won 10 Breeders' Cup races, but never the Classic. “It was a well-executed good strong breeze. He finished up strongly in hand and galloped out the way we hoped. Everything seemed to go according to plan. Last week was our real major work towards the Classic with him. This week he seemed to maintain form and seems to be thriving so far.”
Channel Cat (English Channel) went four furlongs in :49.44 (XBTV video) for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, while Coal Front (Stay Thirsty) covered the same distance in :50.95 (XBTV video) for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Pletcher reports that Sweet Melania (American Pharoah) remains in good form following her victory in the GIII JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S. as she progresses towards the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“She's doing well,” said Pletcher. “We let her pick her gallop a little bit yesterday, it seems like she's moving very well and she came out of her race in good order so she's set to fly early [Saturday] morning.”
'TDN Rising Star' Dennis' Moment (Tiznow), who figures no worse than second favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile next Friday, was the star turn at Santa Anita a week out as he sizzled four furlongs in an effortless :46.60 (XBTV video) beneath exercise rider Tammy Fox over a track that has not been yielding quick times of late.
Head clocker Dane Nelson reported that Dennis' Moment's opening quarter was timed in :23.40 and that his gallop-out time for the five-eighths was 1:00 flat. To put that in some context, the fastest of 27 morning works at five furlongs was 1:00.60.
“Galloped out strong–was getting aggravated with me because I had to pull him up–but at a comfortable pace,” Fox said. “He's striding out really good, worked great. That Ferrari came out in him today.
“He's so strong underneath you and has such a long stride. You don't want to take that away from a horse. So as long as he's going comfortable, at a quick speed, I don't mind, and I don't think [trainer] Dale [Romans] minds either…. He wasn't blowing a bit. I was blowing more than he was.”
“The stress level has just gone through the roof, to tell you the truth, because I've never come into a Breeders' Cup race with so much confidence in a horse,” Romans said. “It's a little different feeling. Everything has gone so well, and he's just been push-button. He's such a pleasure to be around.”
Of the work itself, Romans added, “We just went a half and let him gallop-out the five-eighths to try to trick him a little bit to slow it down to a minute and change on the gallop out. But he did everything right. He's a hard horse to train because he does things so easy. You don't know if you're doing enough because it's nothing, doesn't take anything out of him to do it.”
Other notable workers Friday morning at the Great Race Place included Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags, Sprint), a half-mile in :47.80 (XBTV video); 'Rising Star' Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo), five furlongs in 1:00.60 (XBTV video) for the Juvenile Fillies; Lazy Daisy (Paynter), a half in :47.80, also prepping for the Juvenile Fillies; and War of Will (War Front, Classic), four furlongs in :47.40 (XBTV video) with blinkers on.
“I thought he went extremely well,” said trainer Mark Casse. “I think he looks great, but he's got to pick up his game. He's going to need his A-plus game. We figure if he comes with it, he's got a shot. It's tough. He's playing against the older boys now.”
Diamond Oops (Lookin At Lucky) drilled seven furlongs over the turf course at Palm Meadows in 1:22.45 Friday morning, with a decision on his participation in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint or GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile yet to be made.
“He worked very, very well. He's in perfect form,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “We look forward to next Saturday.”
Biancone, who owns the GIII Smile Sprint S. winner with Diamond 100 Racing Club, Deron Pearson's D P Racing and Amy Dunne, said the team is mulling over all options and that a decision should come Sunday.
Julien Leparoux completes the French connection in either Breeders' Cup test.
Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Friday that Ricardo Santana, Jr. would have the mount aboard GI Pennsylvania Derby upsetter Math Wizard (Algorithms) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
“They reached out to us,” the conditioner said. “A bunch of them did for four different riders. We made the final choice to go with Santana. He's had a great year. He's won six Grade Is.”
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