Accelerate, 11 others drill for BC at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Led by Accelerate, the ante-post favorite for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs, at least 12 horses with designs on Breeders’ Cup races worked Saturday morning at Santa Anita, each turning in what would be the penultimate drill for their respective races.

Accelerate went five furlongs in 59.80 seconds, a sharp work for a horse who is usually just an average work horse, and he did so without company.

“He went really well,” trainer John Sadler remarked just after Accelerate completed his drill under assistant trainer Juan Leyva.

“If I want a fast work, I’ll put him in company. He’s like a pitcher on a rotation. He’s had a solid race, hitting his marks. For him, that was really good.”

Leyva was similarly enthused.

“He worked super, John,” Leyva said as he came through the paddock following the work atop Accelerate. “His gallop out was impressive, too.”

Accelerate always works on Saturdays, always at 6:30 a.m., right after the first renovation break, and he will be on that schedule for his final drill for the Classic next Saturday. He ships to Churchill Downs on Oct. 28, Sadler said.

Sadler will have four horses in the Breeders’ Cup, including Catalina Cruiser (Dirt Mile), Catapult (Mile), and Selcourt (Filly and Mare Sprint).

The most representation from this circuit will be from trainer Bob Baffert, who on Saturday morning said he expected to pre-enter nine horses on Monday – Collected, McKinzie, and West Coast in the Classic, Dream Tree and Marley’s Freedom in the Filly and Mare Sprint, Abel Tasman and Vale Dori in the Distaff, Much Better in the Juvenile Turf, and Game Winner in the Juvenile.

But the trainer from this circuit who may have the second-most number of Breeders’ Cup runners is Michael McCarthy, who said he could have as many as five, all of whom worked five furlongs Saturday.

The best of McCarthy’s runners is the brilliant City of Light, who polished off the distance in 59 seconds, best of the 40 horses who worked at the distance. He is expected to face Catalina Cruiser in the Dirt Mile.

“He’s trained wonderfully up to this point. That was more of what we’ve been seeing all along. I’m very excited to lead him over,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said City of Light could be cross-entered at pre-entry time on Monday in the Classic in addition to the Dirt Mile.

McCarthy also could have Axelrod in the Classic. The Pennsylvania Derby runner-up was timed in 1:01 for his drill.

“He worked great today,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy also worked Liam The Charmer (Turf) and Paved (Filly and Mare Turf) in company, and they were timed in 1:01.40, and his Juvenile Fillies prospect Vibrance was timed in 1:00.40.

Jerry Hollendorfer worked his two candidates for the Nov. 2 Juvenile six furlongs each, with Dueling timed in 1:14.40, while Gunmetal Gray went in 1:13.40, equaling the fastest time of 11 at the distance.

Hollendorfer was particularly upbeat regarding Gunmetal Gray, who worked under Flavien Prat, who has the mount in the Juvenile.

“Really good,” Hollendorfer said, emphasizing “really.”

Hollendorfer said Manny Franco would ride Dueling.

Sharp Samurai, heading to the Mile on turf, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 for trainer Mark Glatt.

King of Speed, pointing to the Juvenile Turf, worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds for trainer Jeff Bonde.

And on the training track, Skye Diamonds worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds for trainer Bill Spawr for a potential repeat appearance in the Filly and Mare Sprint, and Summering worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds for Tom Proctor in advance of the Juvenile Fillies Turf.