Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Turbulent Descent earns a bullet without urging

Barbara D. Livingston

Turbulent Descent, shown winning the Ballerina at Saratoga, worked four furlongs in 47.12 seconds Sunday over the training track at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. - A “lively breeze” by the multiple Grade 1 winner Turbulent Descent highlighted a busy work tab Sunday morning at Belmont Park that included several horses potentially pointing to Breeders’ Cup races.

 Turbulent Descent, working in company with Ciao Bella, worked four furlongs in 47.12 seconds over the Belmont training track. It was the fastest of 67 breezes timed at the distance.

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 Turbulent Descent, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Gallant Bloom here on Sept. 22, is pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.

 “We weren’t really asking her for it but it sort of unfolded that way,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the quick breeze. “They went off in 24 and finished in 23. It didn’t look like they were going that fast but they did.

“It’s a positive sign for her,” Pletcher added. “She just kind of does what her workmate does and doesn’t put a tremendous amount of effort into her daily routine. So that was a lively breeze and might be a step in the right direction.”

 Turbulent Descent, who won the Grade 1 Ballerina in her first start for Pletcher, finished fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Gallant Bloom.

 “I think at that time the racetrack itself was lighting fast and most of the winning was done by horses that were on the front end and she broke a little flat and got well back,” Pletcher said.

 Pletcher worked several other horses whose Breeders’ Cup status has not yet been determined.

 Stay Thirsty, a tough-luck second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, worked four furlongs in 48.44 seconds in company with San Pablo. Stay Thirsty, owned by Mike Repole, is possible for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the BC Dirt Mile, or the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 24.

“I spoke to Mike briefly earlier this morning, told him that I thought Stay Thirsty breezed super, but we haven’t decided what the plans are,” Pletcher said.

 Overanalyze, the Repole-owned 2-year-old who won the Grade 2 Futurity, worked four furlongs in 48.55 seconds in company with Violence. He is possible for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Juvenile Sprint, or Nashua at Aqueduct.

 Kauai Katie, winner of the Grade 2 Matron, worked four furlongs in 48.49 seconds in company with Maristar. Kauai Katie is possible for the Juvenile Fillies, Juvenile Sprint, or the Tempted at Aqueduct.

 Awesome Feather, Zagora breeze

 Awesome Feather, undefeated in 10 starts, worked five furlongs 1:02.97 Sunday morning over the Belmont main track in preparation for the Ladies’ Classic.

 According to Cherie DeVaux, assistant to trainer Chad Brown, Awesome Feather “started off nice and relaxed and finished up strong, in hand.”

 The work was the second for Awesome Feather since she won the Nasty Storm, a one-mile overnight stakes by 11 1/4 lengths at Belmont on Sept. 20.

 “She’s very fit. She trains herself,” DeVaux said. “We don’t need her to go in 59 to know that she’s doing well.”

 Zagora, the Flower Bowl runner-up preparing for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, worked four furlongs in 51.75 seconds over an inner turf course labeled good.

 Zagora worked in company with the 2-year-old filly maiden winner Flashy Gal, whom Brown is hoping can get into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

 Also working on the turf Sunday morning was three-time Grade 1 winner Point of Entry, among the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Point of Entry went five furlongs in 1:04.27, loping along early and finishing in 24.04 seconds for his final quarter.