With the Del Mar Breeders' Cup officially less than two weeks away, trainer Chad Brown is continuing to oversee his string's preparations at Belmont Park, while the accomplished MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) puts in her final works for conditioner Ken McPeek upstate at Saratoga.
Over the training surface in Elmont, Brown sent out two juveniles for half-mile works in 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) [:48.01] and Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) [:48.63], who are targeting the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, respectively. Zulu Kingdom prepped in company with older GSW Running Bee (English Channel).
“A little quick, but did it easy in a solo breeze,” said Brown of the Chancer McPatrick workout. “He acts a year older than he is really in everything he does–both in the morning and in the afternoon. He'll need some pace in front of him with his running style, but he's certainly training well.”
Also making an appearance on Saturday was dual graded stakes-winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who posted a half-mile work for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. The colt hit the dirt training track shortly after reopening from a renovation break at 9:30 a.m. ET and breezed solo in :49.25 over the fast track. It was his third work at Belmont since moving south from Saratoga Race Course about three weeks ago.
“It went super. He worked a half-mile and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 1/5. It was extremely impressive,” Brown said. “The horse has been training really well and I'm really excited about him going into the Breeders' Cup.”
Brown said he is hopeful a winning result could put Sierra Leone in the mix for Eclipse Award honors as champion 3-year-old as he takes on GI DK Travers Stakes winner Fierceness (City of Light) for the third straight race.
“I think Fierceness is clearly the leader of the division and it's well earned,” Brown said. “I know some of these horses have taken turns beating each other but he has had a spectacular summer in my opinion and he's not only the one to beat in the Classic, but also the leader of the division right now. But if Sierra Leone was to break through and take down a race like the Breeders' Cup Classic facing mostly older horses, I think he'd be in serious consideration given his consistency.”
Domestic Product | Sarah Andrew
The New York-based conditioner also sent out Domestic Product as he readies to make his final career start in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before retiring to stud alongside his sire Practical Joke at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
The dark bay colt, a Kentucky homebred for Klaravich Stables, covered a half-mile solo in :48.42 in an earlier set before Sierra Leone.
“Outstanding–more of the same from him. Very consistent,” said Brown, who said that Domestic Product would also be pre-entered in the GI Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint. “He's gotten stronger and faster as the year has gone on and I'm really looking forward to his race.”
Alpha Delta Stables's GISW Raging Sea (Curlin), with Flavien Prat up, breezed a half-mile in company with their recent GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes runner-up Occult (Into Mischief), the pair covering the distance in :49.46.
“She [Raging Sea] was traveling well,” Prat said. “It was a pretty standard work and she went good. She's happy and moving well.”
The 4-year-old filly will enter the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff off three straight graded wins.
One of the top female sprinters, Ways and Means, also breezed Saturday, covering four furlongs in :48.21 in company with sophomore filly Pretty Ana (Quality Road). The daughter of Practical Joke notched her first top-level score in the GI Test Stakes at the Spa back in August.
“She was the only one last week I thought got a little lost in her work switching to the training track after primarily being based in Saratoga all year,” Brown said. “Today, I gave her a workmate and she worked dynamite. A little bit of focus for her and she was all business.”
Last but not least on the tab for Brown at Belmont was GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile hopeful MGISW Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), who went a solo half-mile in :49.51 and GI John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender and 'TDN Rising Star' Virgin Colada (More Than Ready), who breezed a half-mile in :49.42 in company with MGSW Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}).
Grizzly Bear Tracks In Saratoga
Thorpedo Anna breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 Saturday on the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Race Course. Affectionately dubbed the “Grizzly Bear” earlier this season by her trainer Ken McPeek, the filly posted the sharp work in company with MSP Denington (Gun Runner) [1:01.50], who she started behind but was well in front of during the gallop-out. The dark bay has been working weekly en route to the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Thorpedo Anna at the Spa | Sarah Andrew
“It was a fantastic work, actually,” said McPeek, adding that she will work again before heading west. “She is going to work next weekend.”
McPeek added that Thorpedo Anna met the objectives of the move under regular exercise rider Danny Ramsey, who TDN's Steve Sherack spoke with last week after the filly worked at the Spa. “Just sit off Denington, be patient, and range up to him, and finish down the lane,” said McPeek. “He is a nice horse in his own right. He is stakes-placed and has made quite a bit of money, but she is hitting on all cylinders.”
Thorpedo Anna will likely be a short price in the Distaff along with reigning Champion Older Dirt Mare Idiomatic (Curlin), who worked a half-mile in :49.80 for trainer Brad Cox on Friday at Churchill Downs.
“I don't worry about the horses that I don't train,” McPeek said.
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