By Jessica Martini
Centennial Farms' Mihos (Cairo Prince), tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after his maiden-breaking score at Aqueduct Nov. 24, recorded his first work at Palm Meadows Training Center Monday, going four furlongs in :50.00 (17/22). The bay colt could be in line for a first stakes assignment in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 5 at Gulfstream Park.
“He worked well,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said Monday afternoon. “He worked with a stablemate of his, Illudere (Ghostzapper), a decent 3-year-old. The track looked like it was a little on the slow side, but they went the way they were supposed to go for this first go-around.”
Mihos worked four furlongs in :51.10 at Belmont Park Dec. 5 and shipped south to Jerkens's winter base last week.
“We just got down here on Wednesday,” Jerkens said. “So this was the first work for both of them since they got here.”
As for what is next for Mihos, Jerkens said, “We will nominate to the Mucho Macho Man and see how his next work goes. That will give us a better idea.”
Mihos finished third behind subsequent GIII Nashua S. winner Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) in his six-furlong debut at Belmont Sept. 23. Favored at 3-5 in his second outing and again going six furlongs, the handsome bay strode home an effortless 1 1/4-length winner despite a wide trip (video).
“I thought his first race was a key race–the two horses who finished in front of him came back and ran good,” Jerkens said. “And he came back and won pretty handily. He lost a lot of ground and he still looked like he won pretty easily. He acts like he's pretty genuine and he looks like he's all business. So we're pretty excited about him.”
Also Monday at Palm Meadows, Jerkens sent out multiple graded stakes winner Holy Helena (Ghostzapper) to work four furlongs in a bullet :48.00 (1/22).
“She is nominated to the [Dec. 29] Via Borghese,” Jerkens said. “It's not set in stone, but it's a logical spot to get her back going again. It looks like the distance is good, 1 3/16 miles seems to be her thing.”
Holy Helena, winner of the 2017 Queen's Plate and Canada's champion 3-year-old filly that season, won last year's GII Sheepshead Bay S. and GIII The Very One S. She was most recently third in the Nov. 3 GIII Turnback the Alarm S.
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