Baffert lets Drefong roll in Breeders' Cup work

Santa Anita

Weather: Showers early/cloudy

Temp.: 68

Track: Fast

ARCADIA, Calif. – Some unexpected overnight showers served to tighten down what had been a fairly cuppy Santa Anita main track for Monday’s training session, leading to faster times in general, including several very swift drills from the handful of Breeders’ Cup horses who breezed.

Drefong (Sprint) led the way over the quicker surface, working five furlongs in 58.72 seconds in company with stablemate Ten Blessings. With Martin Garcia substituting for jockey Rafael Bejarano, Drefong, equipped with blinkers, broke off nearest the rail, about a half-length in front of his mate, and maintained that margin throughout the work.

The pair posted splits of 23.65 and 35.40 to the top of the stretch before finishing strongly, with Drefong going easiest to the wire. Garcia then urged Drefong on for another quarter-mile per instructions from Baffert over the walkie-talkie, completing six furlongs in 1:11.50 before pulling up seven-eighths two lengths clear of Ten Blessings in 1:24.51.

“My first 59 of the meet,” Baffert said immediately after the work. “I don’t always work him in blinkers, but I do when I want to get serious, and this was a serious work. I wanted to give him something really stiff today and then come back and blow him out a little next week. I worked him six furlongs out of the gate last week, and he got a little tired, but that was over a much more demanding track than we had today.”

Baffert also sent out Enchanting Lady on Monday to work for the Filly and Mare Sprint. A good work horse, Enchanting Lady broke a length behind a stablemate, rated back a couple of lengths to the top of the stretch in 35.41, caught her partner, and pulled two lengths clear under mild urging after five furlongs in 59.31. She, too, was urged on an additional quarter-mile, going out six furlongs in 1:13.07 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:27.35.

Filly and Mare sprint hopeful By the Moon breezed an easy five-eighths in 1:00.80 for trainer Michelle Nevin.

The first Breeders’ Cup worker of the morning was Juvenile contender Lookin At Lee for trainer Steve Asmussen. He was asked to get down to some serious business, going five furlongs in 59.90 and responding to a couple of sharp cracks from a right-handed stick through the final furlong to complete his final quarter in 23.99. He continued out six furlongs into the turn under some urging in 1:13.22.

Avenge, trainer Richard Mandella’s expected entry in the Filly and Mare Turf, was very eager, working six furlongs over the main course. Avenge broke two lengths behind stablemate Tryst but was extremely aggressive away from the pole, running past her partner under a big hold down the backstretch while zipping her opening quarter and three-eighths in 23.02 and 34.86.

The pair turned for home on even terms, with Avenge angling a bit wide coming off the turn and edging clear again under urging to the wire in 1:12.06. She did ease up fairly quickly on the gallop-out, pulling up seven-eighths in 1:26.98.

A number of the Eastern-based Breeders’ Cup contenders who have arrived here early were out on the track Monday, among them Frosted (Classic) for Kiaran McLaughin, Tourist (Mile), who looked terrific for trainer Bill Mott, and potential Juvenile favorite Not This Time for Dale Romans.