Two-time Grade I-winning sophomore Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) worked an easy half-mile in :50.65 (46.55) at Belmont Park Saturday as he begins preparations for the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
“I thought he looked great,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “We're just getting him started again and he went off easy, finished up well, galloped out great and came back in good order. So we'll come back next weekend and get a solid work into him.”
Code of Honor, winner of the GI Runhappy Travers S. in August, was most recently promoted to victory in the Oct. 5 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Also breezing Saturday at Belmont Park ahead of the Breeders' Cup, Come Dancing (Malibu Moon) worked five furlongs in 1:00.44 (1/14) over the training track.
Coming off wins in the GI Ballerina S. and GII Gallant Bloom H., the 5-year-old is expected to make her next start in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint.
“She was smooth. Just really, really comfortable,” trainer Carlos Martin said of the work. “She just does things so easily. Rajiv [Maragh] just nudged her a little bit and she just took off. I wanted to get a decent work into her, but not squeeze the lemon dry and still have some time for the Breeders' Cup. I wanted to go between a minute and 1:01 and just get her to finish a bit the last eighth and she did that. I think they got her last quarter in :23 1/5, but she really did it the right way. She didn't draw a breath after, cooled out really sensationally.”
Tobey Morton and Chuck Hovitz's Crystalle (Palace Malice) tuned up for the Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a four-furlong work over the turf in :50.04 (18/23) Sunday at Belmont.
Winner of the Aug. 29 P.G. Johnson S., Crystalle was most recently second in the Sept. 29 GII Miss Grillo S. She worked in company with stablemate Famished (Uncle Mo), :50.77 (22/23).
Diamond Oops Points Towards Dirt Mile
Diamond Oops (Lookin at Lucky) was most recently second over the lawn in the Oct. 5 GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, but the 4-year-old is likely to be back on the main track for the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
“I talked to my partners and we are going to the Breeders' Cup for the Dirt Mile,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “That's our first choice. If he doesn't get in for some reason, he'll go in the Sprint.”
Diamond Oops won the GIII Smile Sprint H. in June and was second behind Imperial Hint (Imperialism) in the July 27 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H.
“I think he's better on dirt, to be honest with you,” said Biancone. “The plan for the [Shadwell] Mile was to give him a good mile before we go to California. He's a nice horse. He's a very nice horse.”
Diamond Oops, owned by Patrick L. Biancone Racing LLC, in partnership with Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, and DP Racing LLC, won three of his first four starts as a 2-year-old, but was sidelined for most of his sophomore season.
“He had a pulled flexor in his pastern. It is very rare–the first time I've seen that,” Biancone said. “My partners have been very patient and now he's just showing up. He has to improve, he lost so many months of training at three. Every race he seems to get better and better. Hopefully, he'll keep going. He better.”
Math Wizard Tunes Up for Classic
Math Wizard (Algorithms), who most recently upset the GI Pennsylvania Derby at 31-1, tuned up for a start in the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a three-furlong work in :35.80 (3/16) at Gulfstream Park Sunday.
“It went good. It went to plan. He went three-eighths and galloped out really good. He did it with his ears pricked,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. “Edgard Zayas was on him. He had a lot of energy and is showing all the signs that he's moving forward, which is good because he'll need to improve four or five lengths to have a shot.”
At Gulfstream Park West Sunday morning, Matalona Thoroughbreds LLC's Stormy Embrace (Circular Quay) breezed five furlongs in 1:03.40 (1/1) for a scheduled start in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. The Kathleen O'Connell-trained mare won a fees-paid berth in the championship race with her win in the GII Princess Rooney S. at Gulfstream June. 29.
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