Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic: My Miss Aurelia surprises Asmussen with her quickness

Barbara D. Livingston

My Miss Aurelia, shown breezing at Saratoga in July, worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds at Santa Anita.

My Miss Aurelia, the undefeated champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, preparing for a start in the Breders' Cup Ladies’ Classic on Nov. 2.

Trainer Steve Asmussen timed My Miss Aurelia in 1:00.12.

“I guess they got her quicker than I did,” Asmussen said. “I thought she went well on this track.”

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My Miss Aurelia won the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on Sept. 22, her second start of 2012.

Asmussen will have a strong team for several of the Breeders’ Cup races.

For the BC Turf Sprint over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, Asmussen plans to start Unbridled’s Note, who won the Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course on Sept. 29, and Great Mills, the runner-up in the Woodford Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6.

Great Mills was scheduled to arrive in California this week. “He’s very fast, if he can go that far,” Asmussen said.

Sunday was a busy day of workouts for Breeders’ Cup hopefuls.

Smiling Tiger, a seven-time stakes winner who was third in the 2010 BC Sprint at Churchill Downs, worked six furlongs from the gate. Unraced since finishing fifth in the Triple Bend Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park in June, Smiling Tiger is being trained up to the BC Sprint, trainer Jeff Bonde said.

Capo Bastone, third in the FrontRunner Stakes behind Power Broker, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20. He is a candidate for the BC Juvenile.
Lady of Shamrock, the winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks and Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks during the summer, worked six furlongs on turf in 1:15.80.

An illness kept her from a start in early October, but trainer John Sadler said on Sunday that she will be trained up to the BC Filly and Mare Turf.

Slim Shadey and Turbo Compressor, the first two finishers of the John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 30, each worked a half-mile on the main track in 49.80 seconds. They did not work together.

Turbo Compressor is trained by Todd Pletcher, who will start Love and Pride in the Ladies’ Classic. Love and Pride worked a half-mile in 49.80 seconds on Sunday.