Although Monday wasn't quite as busy as Saturday and Sunday in terms of Breeders' Cup contenders turning in workouts, the morning nevertheless saw numerous major contenders hit the racetrack for morning training, including a formidable trio of Classic contenders at Belmont Park.
At Belmont Park . . .
The morning was dominated by prominent names from the barns of Bill Mott and Chad Brown, who between them sent out eight major Breeders' Cup contenders. Mott's quartet was comprised of Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) favorite Royal Delta, who went five-eighths in a bullet :59.16; Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out, who went that same distance in 1:00.10; Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) winner Ron the Greek, who went five-eighths in company to stop the clock in 1:00.10; and Woodward Stakes (gr. I) winner To Honor and Serve, who breezed the distance in 1:00.53. All are candidates for the Breeders' Cup Classic, although Royal Delta is much more likely to run in the Ladies Classic.
From Brown's barn came Balance the Books and Noble Tune, two of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Breezing a half-mile together over the yielding turf course, they both recorded times of :49.11, the fastest clocking of the morning.
Brown also sent out Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Watsdachances, who went a half-mile over the turf in :50.29, and Zagora, who went five furlongs in 1:04.50 over the sodden course in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.
Also breezing on the turf was three-time grade I winner Point of Entry, the likely favorite for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the four-year-old colt wasn't really asked for urging while breezing five furlongs in 1:02.72 over the turf course and seems to be maintaining his form quite well.
Other prominent horses that breezed included Archwarrior (Juvenile, 4f in :47.67), Beau Choice (Turf Sprint, 4f in :50.55), and Darwin (Juvenile Sprint, 4f in :49.07).
At Betfair Hollywood Park . . .
The highlight of the morning was Breeders' Cup Mile candidate Mr. Commons, coming off of a close third-place effort in the Arroyo Seco Mile (gr. II). Trained by John Shirreffs, the colt went six furlongs in a bullet 1:13 flat, the fastest of the morning by a full second. He seems to be coming into the Mile in excellent form, and has the potential to improve upon his fifth-place finish in that race last year.
At Betfair Hollywood Park . . .
The highlight of the morning was Breeders' Cup Mile candidate Mr. Commons, coming off of a close third-place effort in the Arroyo Seco Mile (gr. II). Trained by John Shirreffs, the colt went six furlongs in a bullet 1:13 flat, the fastest of the morning by a full second. He seems to be coming into the Mile in excellent form, and has the potential to improve upon his fifth-place finish in that race last year.
At Churchill Downs . . .
The biggest name of the morning was Fort Larned, winner of the Whitney Invitational (gr. I) and third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I). Trained by Ian Wilkes, the Breeders' Cup Classic candidate went five furlongs in 1:01 flat, the fourth fastest breeze of the morning at that distance.
Wilkes also sent out Indiana Derby (gr. II) winner Neck 'n Neck, who candidate for either the Classic or the Dirt Mile. The son of Flower Alley went five-eighths in 1:02, which was really nothing more than a maintenance work.
Another Sprint candidate to breeze was Hamazing Destiny, runner-up in the 2010 edition of the race and fifth last year. Coming off of a decent second in the Forego Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga, the D. Wayne Lukas-trainee breezed a bullet half-mile in :47.80 and seems to be coming up to the Breeders' Cup in good form.
At Monmouth Park . . .
While the work tab was fairly busy, there appeared to be only one Breeders' Cup candidate out for morning training, that being Royal Currier. The talented seven-time stakes winner breezed a bullet five-eighths in :59.80, which should have him in good shape the the Breeders' Cup Sprint should his connections choose to run him there.
At Santa Anita Park . . .
Another busy morning at Santa Anita saw at least a dozen contenders turn in workouts, including six from the powerful barn of Bob Baffert. The most impressive was probably Contested, winner of the Test Stakes (gr. I) and Acorn Stakes (gr. I) this year. Pointing toward a start in the Filly and Mare Sprint, the three-year-old filly breezed five-eighths in :59 flat, the second-fastest of 53 such morning works. Also impressive were FrontRunner Stakes (gr. I) winner Power Broker and maiden special weight winner Title Contender, who breezed six furlongs in company with each other, getting the distance in 1:12.80. Both are pointing toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Fed Biz, most recently third in the Indiana Derby (gr. II), breezed a half-mile in :48 flat. He is being aimed at the Dirt Mile, where he will be ridden by Joe Talamo.
Baffert also sent out Zuma Beach Stakes runner-up Den's Legacy and FrontRunner fourth-place finisher Carving to breeze a half-mile in :47.60 and five-furlongs in 1:01.80, respectively. Both could wind up in Breeders' Cup races -- the Juvenile Turf for Den's Legacy and the Juvenile Sprint for Carving -- but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Trainer Steve Asmussen also had a big morning, sending out a quartet of contenders. Perhaps the most impressive was Tapizar, most recently sixth in the Kelso Handicap. A possibility for the Dirt Mile, he went six furlongs in 1:12.80, which was the third fastest work of the morning. Unbridled's Note, winner of the Eddie D Stakes an one of the favorites for the Turf Sprint, looked sharp breezing five furlongs in 1:00.20. Fellow Turf Sprint candidate Great Mills went the distance in 1:02.80, a fairly unremarkable work, but a good prep nevertheless. Justin Phillip, runner-up in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) two starts back, breezed five-eighths in 1:00.20.
Other workers included L.A. Woman Stakes winner Rumor (Filly and Mare Sprint, 4f in :47.80) and the group II-placed colt Cogito (Turf, 3f in :36.80).
-Keelerman
No comments:
Post a Comment