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Friday, Oct. 25 Morning Report: Sky Mesa Out
Juvenile
Sky Mesa, the morning-line favorite for the Juvenile, was declared from the race due to filling in his right front ankle, according to trainer John Ward.
"This morning in his stall he was a little light on the right front, we took the bandages off he had filling on the inside and outside of the right front ankle about halfway up the cannonbone,'' Ward said. "X-rays show that it wasn't any fractured cannonbone or anything at this point. We've got guarded optimism it's only the result of a sprain.''
Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian for the Breeders' Cup, said he would do a digital bone scan of the colt's right front leg early next week.
Ward said Sky Mesa would get the remainder of the year off, and remained hopeful the horse would resume training early enough next year to be pointed to the Kentucky Derby.
Meanwhile, Aidan O'Brien's trio of 2-year-olds hit the main track for the first time Friday and all looked impressive galloping over a sloppy main track. Van Nistelrooy and Tomahawk galloped 1 1-4 miles together. Hold That Tiger came out a little later and galloped 1 1-4 miles displaying smooth action. A wet track shouldn't hinder him.
Tomahawk did get a little lathered up coming off the track.
- David Grening
Distaff
All the runners in this race had routine days of training Friday on a sloppy main track, either galloping or jogging. Both Imperial Gesture and Summer Colony got their first experience on the track. They arrived Thursday from Belmont Park. Imperial Gesture on Friday galloped 1 1/4 miles, and Summer Colony galloped 1 1/8 miles after jogging a mile.
- Jay Privman
Juvenile Fillies
Storm Flag Flying, the even-money, morning-line favorite for the Juvenile Fillies, jogged a quarter of a mile and galloped a mile and a quarter over the sloppy Arlington surface Friday morning, her first day on the track.
Later in the morning, Storm Flag Flying schooled in the paddock without incident. She stood in her stall quietly, while her pony, Andy, stood in front of her. She took one walk around the paddock and did not act up. However, leaving the paddock she kicked her pony, apparently ticked off that she wasn't brought to the paddock to run. Overall, however, she acted very well. If she acts this way tomorrow, she should be fine.
Trainer Shug McGaughey said he has asked the Arlington stewards for Storm Flag Flying to be excused from the post parade. It is expected he will be granted that permission, though no official decision had been made as of early Friday afternoon.
- David Grening
Mile
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - As with most of the other
Breeders' Cup races, Friday morning was
hurry-up-and-wait time for the contestants of the
Mile.
Rock of Gibraltar, who could become just the second
odds-on favorite in race history, was out for a
leisurely canter over the turf course, as was his
Aidan O'Brien stablemate, Landseer. Activity was
similarly light for the balance of the 14 starters.
Beat Hollow merely trotted around the course, while
some of the others galloped a mile or more. Green Fee,
the last horse to arrive galloped 1 1/8 miles for
trainer Dan Peitz in getting acquainted with Arlington
for the first time.
- Marty McGee
Sprint
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.- Thunderello was the last of the Breeders Cup Sprint contenders to arrive on the grounds, getting in on Thursday. He paid his first visit to the track Friday morning.
"We've finally gotten him to the point where he's learned to relax but since we drew the one post we're going to have to send him to the lead," said trainer Scott Lake. "I think if he he breaks he's as fast as anybody in the field."
Crafty C.T. put in an energetic gallop over the wet track on Friday, giving trainer Howard Zucker confidence his horse will run well come rain or shine.
"We don't get a chance to train or run much over wet tracks in California," said Zucker.
Orientate, the likely Sprint favorite, and stablemate Day Trader went to the track for routine gallops.
- Mike Welsch
Filly & Mare Turf
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - As of Friday morning there were neither defections nor significant developments in the Filly and Mare Turf, but supporters of Banks Hill should be watching the sky with increasing concern. Persistent light rain here turned the main track sloppy for morning training, and as of 10 a.m. local time the turf was to be labeled yielding for Friday's races.
The connections of Banks Hill have maintained that they will scratch the filly if Arlington's turf course is soft on Breeders' Cup Day, and the next several hours could be crucial to her participation. If the rain continues the course won't have time to dry out before Saturday morning, when a decision on Banks Hill's status will be made. But dry weather through Friday afternoon and evening probably would allow Banks Hill to go.
"I think she'll be in there," trainer Bobby Frankel said Friday. "They'll have to walk the course, but it's probably okay. She doesn't want to run in a bog, that's all."
Banks Hill went out for an early jog over the main track Friday morning. Frankel's other Filly and Mare Turf horse, Starine, merely walked the shed-row. In contrast to Banks Hill, Starine moves up in wet conditions.
- Marcus Hersh
Turf
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The turf course was downgraded from firm to yielding
for Friday's program at Arlington Park after persistent rail fell over the
previous 36 hours.
Rain was expected to fall off and on through Friday. The course will have a
considerable amount of moisture for Saturday's's $2.4 million Turf.
Not all of the eight runners in the Turf had major exercise on Friday.
Falcon Flight walked at the barn, a day after arriving from California.
The Tin Man galloped on the main track, while Denon jogged. Golan went out
with stablemate Islington, a starter in the Filly and Mare Turf, during the
mid-morning, when light rain was falling.
Ballingarry and High Chaparral, the expected favorite, jogged on the turf
course. Laura de Seroux, who trains Ballingarry, described the course as
"squishy".
With Anticipation jogged on the training track. "He's seems very bright,"
trainer Jonathan Sheppard said. "I'm very happy with him."
With Anticipation arrived from New York on Thursday. On the same day, Perfect
Soul, a longshot from Canada, arrived via van from Toronto.
- Steve Andersen
Classic
Hawk Wing finally got out of quarantine and was able to gallop over the main track on Friday. It was his first time on the track, and he will make his main track debut in the Classic.
All 12 runners in the Classic were on the track Friday, with the exception of Dollar Bill and Macho Uno, who merely walked the shedrow at their respective barns because of the inclement weather.
- Jay Privman
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