It was another super busy day across the country, with literally dozens of Breeders' Cup contenders turning in workouts. The prominent names included Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Game On Dude, as well as top two-year-olds Executiveprivilege, Shanghai Bobby, and Dreaming of Julia.
At Belmont Park
The work tab was absolutely loaded with Breeders' Cup contenders -- by my count, there were at least ten. Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out four, including three undefeated juveniles. Perhaps the most impressive was Champagne Stakes (gr. I) winner Shanghai Bobby, who breezed a half-mile in company with graded stakes winner San Pablo and got the distance in :47.48. Frizette Stakes (gr. I) winner Dreaming of Julia also worked a half-mile, stopping the timer in :48.02 with the older mare Maristar. Kauai Katie, winner of the Matron Stakes (gr. II) and a candidate for either the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) or the Juvenile Sprint, breezed five-eighths in company with stablemate and Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I) candidate Turbulent Descent. Their final times were virtually identical, the older mare stopping the timer if 1:00.85 while Kauai Katie went 0.02 seconds slower.
Breezing six furlongs was the undefeated Eclipse champion Awesome Feather, pointing toward a start in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. The Chad Brown-trainee was quite sharp while stopping the clock in 1:12.34 and appears to be heading into her matchup with fellow Eclipse champions Royal Delta and My Miss Aurelia quite well.
Others on the work tab included Belle of the Hall (Filly and Mare Sprint, 4f in :49.71), Brilliant Speed (Classic, 5f in 1:00.64), Corporate Jungle (Turf Sprint, 4f in :47.45), Data Link (Mile, 4f in :49.36), and The Lumber Guy (Sprint, 4f in :48.50.)
At Betfair Hollywood Park . . .
The big name of the morning was Jeramino, winner of the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (gr. I) two starts back. Prepping for start in the Breeders' Cup Mile, the Michael Pender-trainee breezed five furlongs in an good 1:01 flat.
Also breezing five-eighths was Oklahoma Derby winner Politicallycorrect, who went the distance in 1:01.60. Trained by Mike Maker and owned by Ken and Sarah Ramey, he is being pointed toward a start in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, a race that Maker and the Ramseys won with Furthest Land in 2009.
Star Billing, runner-up in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I) two starts back, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20, but it is unknown at this time whether or not she is being pointed toward the Breeders' Cup. The same goes for Balladry, third in the Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) earlier this year. He went a mile in 1:41.60 and would be an intriguing contender for the Breeders' Cup Marathon should his connections choose to run him there.
At Churchill Downs . . .
The magnificent Groupie Doll, winner of four straight graded stakes races and a heavy favorite for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, turned in a second consecutive bullet work when she breezed five-eighths in :59.60 seconds. She is clearly coming up to the Breeders' Cup in exceptional form, and to be perfectly honest, a loss in the Breeders' Cup would be a truly shocking upset.
Broken Spell, runner-up in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) a little more than two weeks ago, went a half-mile in :49.60 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
It is also worth noting that a few miles away, at the Churchill Training Track, Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Sweet Shirley Mae breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80. It is unknown whether she will be entered in the Breeders' Cup or not.
At Keeneland . . .
Phoenix Stakes (gr. III) winner Sum of the Parts was the most prominent name on the work tab, and the three-year-old colt turned in a very nice breeze indeed, going a half-mile in :48.00. The work was the third fastest of nineteen on the card.
Also on the work tab was Oscar Party, most recently fourth in the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland. A candidate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the Wayne Catalano-trainee went five furlongs in 1:03.60.
At Santa Anita Park . . .
Trainer Bob Baffert had a very busy morning, sending out five major Breeders' Cup contenders. The most prominent was Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Game On Dude, who breezed six furlongs in 1:12.20 in company with the 2011 Santa Anita Derby winner Midnight Interlude. The work was highly impressive, as he started several lengths behind his workmate before blowing past him in the stretch, and he is clearly coming into the race quite well.
Baffert also sent out the unbeaten Executiveprivilege, the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The two-year-old filly went six furlongs in a bullet 1:12, even faster than Game On Dude.
Breeders' Cup Sprint candidates Coil (4f in :46.60, bullet), Capital Account (4f in :46.80), and Fast Bullet (5f in :58.60, bullet) all continue to train well and look like a formidable trio heading into what looks like a very contentious edition of the Sprint.
Trainer Steve Asmussen sent out a pair of major contenders in My Miss Aurelia (Ladies' Classic, 6f in 1:12.40) and Dust and Diamonds (Filly and Mare Sprint, 5f in :59.80). The latter filly especially seems to be in exceptional form, and appears to be coming into the Breeders' Cup in career best form.
Other Breeders' Cup candidates working out included Commander (Marathon, 4f in :48.60), Slim Shadey (Turf, 5f in 1:00), and Nates Mineshaft (Dirt Mile, 7f in 1:24.60).
-Keelerman
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