Sunday, September 26, 2010
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- Mythical Power works for Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational; Wall Street Wonder possible for Vosburgh; Rapport OK after Gallant Bloom loss
- Fly Down fine after breeze at Spa for Gold Cup; Jackson Bend drills at Belmont
- Persistently on track for Beldame; Imperial Council aiming to Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile
- Al Khali, Treat Gently turn in weekend works for Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational; Drosselmeyer making progress toward return
- Girolamo, Regal Ransom breeze in preparation for next weekend's stakes; Sara Louise remains possible for Breeders' Cup
- Rose Catherine returns to
- Red Desire has easy breeze at
- Gio Ponti, Winchester, Funny Moon among notable Sunday works
- Sunday stakes expected to draw competitive fields
"Everything is good," reported John Terranova, who with his wife, Tonja, oversees the Hall of Fame trainer's horses while in
Terranova was also supervising Baffert trainees Bonnie Blue Flag, the Grade 1 Test runner-up who went five furlongs in 1:00.68 in preparation for Saturday's Grade 1, $350,000 Beldame Invitational, and Bulldogger, who breezed a half-mile in 49.73 on the main track after the break.
"I don't know what Bob has planned for him," said Terranova of Bulldogger, most recently sixth in the Grade 1 King's Bishop. "Right now, we're just keeping him happy."
Terranova reported this morning that Rapport, sixth as the favorite in Saturday's Grade 1 Gallant Bloom Handicap, exited the race in good order despite her disappointing performance.
"She looked great this morning," said Terranova of the Baffert-trained Rapport, who in her previous start was a front-running winner of the Grade 3 Victory Ride at
The
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Fly Down, set to make his first start against older horses on Saturday in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, worked four furlongs yesterday at Saratoga over the Oklahoma Training Track in 46.25, the quickest of 25 moves at the distance.
"It was very good," said his Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who yesterday picked up his third victory in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby with Morning Line, an allowance winner at
Owned by Robert LaPenta, Fly Down won the Grade 2 Dwyer before going on to finish second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. The son of Mineshaft was fifth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy before being nosed out by Afleet Express when second in the Grade 1 Travers in his most recent outing.
Jackson Bend, also trained by Zito for LaPenta, put in a 48.40 four-furlong breeze at
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Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey continues to be pleased with the progress of Persistently as she prepares for Saturday's Grade 1 Beldame at 1 1/8 miles. The 4-year-old Smoke Glacken filly had her second work at
"She doesn't need a lot of training," said McGaughey. "Obviously, I would like the Beldame to be around two turns, but hopefully, just having lengthened her out will have helped."
In addition to the 1 ¼-mile Personal Ensign, the Phipps Stable's filly took her 2010 debut at
Friday morning, McGaughey sent out Sequoia Racing's Imperial Council for his second move following a summer break, with the 4-year-old Empire Maker colt covering a half-mile in an easy 50.77.
"The ultimate goal for him this year would be the [Hill 'n' Dale] Cigar Mile," said McGaughey of Imperial Council, who went 1-1-3 in five starts earlier this year, most recently winning an optional claimer at Belmont on June 19.
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On Sunday morning, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott sent out expected Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational starter Al Khali for his final tune-up for next weekend's Grade 1, 1 ½-mile race. The son of Medaglia d'Oro covered a half-mile over the main track in 49.10 according to NYRA Clockers.
"He worked well," Mott said of the Grade 2 Bowling Green winner. "He's been close [going a mile and a half], but he seemed to handle the mile and three-eighths last time."
Mott said he was also likely to start the 5-year-old mare Treat Gently in the Joe Hirsch, and she posted a five-furlong work at
Finally, Mott reported that Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer, sidelined with an ankle injury in July, was doing well at WinStar farm and could return to training within the next two months.
"I saw Drosselmeyer last week," Mott said. "He's just getting some R&R, he's been in the Aquatred. He looks sound and good and I guess we're hoping to get him back to our barn maybe sometime in November, [but] he'll begin training at WinStar."
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Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will likely be well-represented in next weekend's stakes at
Redding Colliery, most recently second in the Grade 3 Iselin at
"He worked very well and we're taking a good look at the Gold Cup here," the trainer said. "Tranquil Manner is likely, also, it's a big purse and he's doing well."
Tranquil Manner, a willing third behind
Also on the worktab Sunday at
The Pilgrim is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Race, earning the winner an automatic starting berth in the Juvenile Turf on November 6 at Churchill Downs.
Looking ahead, McLaughlin said that turf runners Lethal Combination, winner of the Grade 3 Saranac at
Krypton posted a 49.10 four-furlong work over the Oklahoma Training Track at
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Godolphin Racing's Girolamo and Regal Ransom turned in separate five-furlong breezes this morning at Belmont Park as they continued their respective final preparations for Saturday's Grade 1 Vosburgh and Sunday's Grade 2, $250,000 Kelso Handicap.
Girolamo negotiated the distance in 1:01.05 in the fifth-fastest of 35 workouts at the distance. Winner of the one-mile Grade 2 Jerome Handicap last fall and fifth in the Grade 2 Forego at
"With his pedigree, we'd like to take a shot at winning a Grade 1," said Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. "Without Majesticperfection and Big Drama going to the race, we thought it might be a winnable Grade 1."
Regal Ransom, who took the 2009 Group 2 U.A.E.
"We're really happy with him," said Mettee. "It's going to be a tough race, but he tries hard every time."
Mettee revealed that Sara Louise lost a shoe during her third-place effort in yesterday's Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap, her first start following her narrow defeat at the hands of Indian Blessing in the 2009 renewal.
"She was squeezed at the start, and that's when I assume it happened," said Mettee. "She's a little tired this morning, but that's what you'd expect after going 6 ½ furlongs off a layoff."
Prior to the Gallant Bloom, Mettee said Sara Louise was under consideration for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on November 5, and that status hasn't changed following yesterday's performance.
"It was an OK race," said Mettee. "The winner got a Beyer of 93, so that would put her in the high 80s. I don't know if that's good enough for the Breeders' Cup, but we're going to proceed as if that's where we're going. We'll see what Saeed wants to do, although I'm not sure what else is available."
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Jonathan Thomas, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, was happy to report that Rose Catherine,
"She ate her dinner and looks good," said Thomas. "We'll make a decision as to the Breeders' Cup later on, and give her some time to recover."
Pletcher has some of his stable's biggest stars under consideration for upcoming stakes at
Awesome Maria, who won the Riskaverse over
"With her there are so many options," he said. "She could go out of town, go to the Beldame, or even go back on turf."
Looking ahead, Pletcher has both Stay Thirsty, runner-up in the Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful, and Uncle Mo, impressive maiden winner at the Spa, possibly pointing toward the Grade 1 Champagne on October 9. The pair worked Saturday, with
Training up to the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on November 5-6 for Pletcher are Grade 1 Woodward winner Quality Road, who went a half-mile in 49.56; Discreetly Mine, who worked a half in 50.12, and Malibu Prayer, who went the same distance in 48.83, all on Saturday.
Quality Road, whose next start will be the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, worked over
"He seems to train pretty well over there," said Thomas. "We thought we'd change it up a little bit."
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Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational hopeful Red Desire pleased her connections with an easy 1:04.97 five-furlong breeze yesterday in her first official workout in the
"She went very easily and is a happy horse right now," said Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for Tokyo Horseracing Co. Ltd. "Regarding her demeanor, she is a calm and quiet filly with great character, and listens to people."
A Group 1 winner in her native
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Grade 1 Man o'War winner and dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti headed a quartet of notable works for trainer Christophe Clement this morning, covering five furlongs in 1:01.06 around the dogs over the firm inner turf. Also going for Clement were Grade 1 Manhattan winner and Grade 2 Bowling Green runner-up Winchester (5f, 1:01.55, turf); Funny Moon, most recently third in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap behind Life At Ten (5f, 1:01.55), and Grassy, who was seventh in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer (5f, 1:01.19, turf) and was among those newly extended an invitation to the Joe Hirsch.
"They all went very well and I am absolutely delighted," said Clement.
Gio Ponti is among the original invitees to the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational next Saturday, while Funny Moon is among those invited to the Grade 1 Beldame.
"The Beldame is a bit quick back for her, so I do not know," said Clement.
Also working on the turf Sunday were Get Stormy (5f, 1:00.24), Keertana (5f, 1:02.67) and Maram (4f, 49.18), with other notable works including Buddy's Saint (4f, 48.90), Convocation (5f, 1:01.60), Haynesfield (4f, 49.37), Ibboyee (4f, 48.50), Uncle T Seven (4f, 48.44, training track), Friend Or Foe (5f, 1:00.07, bullet, training track) and Interpatation (5f, 1:02.47).
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In additional to Regal Ransom, the Grade 2 Kelso is looking at eight other probable starters, according to New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) stakes coordinator
In addition to Soldat, probable for the Grade 3 Pilgrim are Powhatan County, who gets another shot at Soldat after finishing second in the With Anticipation; Volcker, who has yet to break his maiden but has never finished out of the money; Rustler Hustler, a recent winner of a one-mile stakes at Monmouth Park; The Flying Whizzer, coming off three straight runner-up finishes, and Air Support, who earned his diploma at this distance. Deciphering Dreams and Madman Diaries are listed as questionable.
The winner of the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Grillo, another Breeders' Cup Challenge race scheduled for October 3, will be guaranteed a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 5. Probable to comprise the field of 2-year-old fillies traveling 1 1/16 miles on the turf are Fancy Point, who broke her maiden in the P. G. Johnson at Saratoga at this distance; Pleine Forme, third in the P. G. Johnson; Upper East Sider, an eight-length maiden winner at six furlongs earlier this month at Belmont; and Table Talking, currently riding a two race winning streak in sprints. Also expected to join the field are Arch Support, Button Girl, Come a Callin, Excited, Floating Alone, Kathamanblu, Salsa Bullet, Silent Joy, and Winter Memories. Le Mi Geaux is questionable.
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