Bakken earns shot at Breeders' Cup with strong work

ELMONT, N.Y. – On a day when 28 horses bound for the Breeders’ Cup put in workouts at Belmont Park, trainer Chad Brown led the way with 11 horses.

Brown was thinking of just taking nine horses to Southern California for next week’s two-day Breeders’ Cup, but the lightly raced Bakken worked well enough – he went a half-mile in 48.12 seconds – for Brown to confirm him as a starter in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Brown also confirmed that Gary Stevens – three months after undergoing knee replacement surgery – will ride Bakken in the Sprint.

“He breezed well enough this morning to go out to the Breeders’ Cup,” Brown said. “That’s what [owner William] Warren wants to do, and the horse certainly breezed well this morning.”

Brown also worked his Classic contender, Zivo, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.95 in company with the 2-year-old maiden Dispersion.

The rest of Brown’s Breeders’ Cup contingent worked on the “good” Belmont inner turf course, including Filly and Mare contenders Stephanie’s Kitten and Dayatthespa. Stephanie’s Kitten, with John Velazquez up, worked five furlongs in 1:03.09 outside of stablemate Testa Rossi. As she did in last week’s work, Stephanie’s Kitten had her head cocked toward the outside, though less pronounced than last week when she was inside of her workmate.

“She’s always been a horse that lugs in a little bit in her works. It’s been something she’s always done,” Brown said. “I thought she breezed well, and she galloped out well. She looks really sound and healthy right now.”

Dayatthespa worked a half-mile in 50.25, per New York Racing Association clockers. Bobby’s Kitten, working for the Turf Sprint, went five furlongs in 1:02.88.

Brown worked six of his 2-year-olds pointing to turf races.

Lady Eli and Tammy the Torpedo went a half-mile in 49.09, while Partisan Politics and Sivoliere went together through a half-mile in 49.89.

Startup Nation and Offering Plan, two New York-breds who will both run in the Juvenile Turf, went a half in 50.90, which was a tad slower than Brown wanted.

The turf was labeled good and orange traffic cones were up, keeping works well toward the outside. Trainer Christophe Clement worked Summer Front in 49.55 in company with War Correspondent. It was the third straight solid move for Summer Front since he was scratched from the Woodbine Mile in September due to soreness.

“He has not run lately. I needed to be more aggressive,” Clement said.

In contrast, he was not looking for much from Irish Mission, his candidate for the Filly and Mare Turf, who went a half-mile in 51.44.

“Very willing, finished well, she’s dead fit, no problem,” Clement said.

Za Approval, whom Clement hopes to get into the Turf Sprint, worked four furlongs in 47.25 on the dirt – the fastest of 80 works at the distance on the main track.

Trainers Shug McGaughey and Bill Mott also sent out horses on the turf course.

McGaughey had Imagining (Turf) work five furlongs in 1:04.12, besting workmate Reflecting by three-quarters of a length. Imagining worked in blinkers, equipment he wears in races but equipment that he did not wear in his work last week.

McGaughey said he felt Imagining was looking at the cones and didn’t switch leads in his work last week. He felt he was better Sunday.
“I thought he worked good today, consistent with what he’s done. He held his leads the right way,” McGaughey said.

Abaco, whom McGaughey will run in the Filly and Mare Turf, went four furlongs in 50.94 in company with Divine Luck.

“Abaco has done really well since her last race,” McGaughey said. “I think she’ll give a good account of herself.”

Bill Mott worked Emollient (Filly and Mare Turf) and Seek Again (Mile) on the turf. Emollient, working by herself, went five furlongs in 1:02.88. Noting that Emollient doesn’t like soft turf, Mott said that “she was just skating out there.” Emollient already has proven herself a Grade 1 winner on firm turf courses in Southern California.

Seek Again began his work three lengths in front of Filimbi, who did catch Seek Again at the wire.

“In the morning, he makes a good lead horse because he’s not going to run off. He only goes as fast as his company goes,” Mott said. “Nothing to read into it – he actually likes a target in the afternoon.”

Filimbi is running Nov. 2 in the Grade 2, $200,000 Goldikova Stakes.

Mott’s other Mile candidate, Tourist, worked four furlongs in 48.61 over the Belmont training track. Bio Pro, whom Mott has pre-entered in the Turf Sprint, worked four furlongs in 49.40. He would ship Tuesday if he gets into the race.

Perhaps Mott’s best worker of the day was Puca, his longshot runner for the Juvenile Fillies, who drilled a sharp half-mile in 47.08 over the training track – the fastest of 91 moves at the distance. It was in sharp contrast to an extremely slow move last week.

“She worked as good as anything I worked this morning,” Mott said. “After last week, I was looking to see a little more.”

Feathered, one of two 2-year-olds trainer Todd Pletcher is running in the Juvenile Fillies, worked four furlongs in 51.37 in company with Miss Always Ready. While Pletcher acknowledged the work was a bit slow, he said “visually it looked better than the clock says it was.”

“It was one of those things I was hoping they would have picked it up a little bit, but I think she made up for it with a pretty good gallop out,” he said. “She’s a filly that doesn’t carry a lot of weight, and we feel like she’s very fit. Our focus has been between races to keep her in the feed tub, not do a lot with her, but it was just a little bit of rider error that she didn’t finish a little faster.”

Twilight Eclipse (Turf) went a half-mile in 50.20 while Better Lucky (Filly and Mare Sprint) went a half-mile in 49.80 for trainer Tom Albertrani.

– additional reporting by Mike Vesce