BC Clocker: Souper Colossal sizzles in work

SANTA ANITA
Main track: Fast
Turf: Firm
Weather: Hazy, 64 degrees

ARCADIA, Calif. – Monday marked the final busy morning for Breeders’ Cup workers at Santa Anita, with the emphasis on speed, as five of the 14 prospective starters in the Sprint turned in their final major tune-ups for the event, including defending champion Secret Circle and his speedy stablemate, Indianapolis.

A half-dozen Europeans also got their first opportunity to stretch their legs since arriving locally and escaping quarantine, a group of six acclimating themselves to the new surroundings while doing little more than jogging over the main track just before training ended at 10 a.m.

As has been the case for the last several days, the main track was fast and watered only during the third and final renovation break.[bc_video_id:340432:]

Work of the day

Souper Colossal (four furlongs in 45.59 seconds) – The New Jersey invader was colossal on Monday, not only the way he zipped a quick but seemingly effortless half-mile over a tight track after the final break, but more so for the energy level he displayed after concluding the sharp breeze.

With jockey Paco Lopez aboard, Souper Colossal took a pretty good run to the half-mile pole, breaking off in full stride and completing his opening quarter-mile in 22.28 seconds. Yet despite the breakneck early pace, Souper Colossal still had something left down the lane, with Lopez as still as a statue throughout, galloping out a solid five-eighths in 58.44 and pulling up six furlongs in 1:12.41. He then continued out another half-mile before Lopez finally got him pulled up back around at the quarter pole. Although the work was effortless, the lone caveat is whether it was too fast, too close to his race.

Parranda (four furlongs in 48.35) – One of three Breeders’ Cup horses to breeze before dawn, along with Regally Ready and Mr. Z, she worked an extremely easy half-mile, completing her final quarter in 24.67 while never asked, looking happy and with her ears pricked at the wire, and galloping out another eighth in 13.47.

Mr. Z (four furlongs in 48.97) – Equipped in blinkers, which he’ll wear for the first time in the Juvenile, the Kentucky invader flashed some early foot, tired a bit while not really being extended to the wire, out in 23.80, home in 25.17 with not much of a gallop-out, which is pretty much standard practice for workers from the D. Wayne Lukas barn.

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Palace (four furlongs in 47.05) – Multiple Grade 1 winner turned in an impressive six-furlong drill over the Belmont training track last Sunday, and he was good again Monday while being urged along a bit throughout a fairly routine half-mile breeze. Although his attention seemed to wander momentarily on several occasions once turning into the stretch during a couple of his local gallops, he was straight as a string through that portion of the drill Monday before going out five-eighths in 59.96.

Indianapolis (five furlongs in 58.21) – The final time aside, this work was not nearly as impressive as his super gate drill alongside Secret Circle the previous week. With Mike Smith up, the lightly raced 3-year-old broke off at the 4 1/2-furlong pole four lengths behind his stablemate and was hard pressed from the top of the lane to the wire to finally catch his target while making quite a bit of noise as he crossed the line. Smith eased off the pedal shortly thereafter, with not much of a gallop-out, six furlongs in 1:12.89.

Secret Circle (five furlongs in 59.12) – In the running for work-of-the-day honors, the defending Sprint champion cruised through an easy five-eighths breeze from the 4 1/2-furlong pole while going solo Monday, finishing strongly without urging, his final quarter in 23.60 before galloping out six panels in 1:12.25.

Mico Margarita (four furlongs in 49.84) – An easy maintenance half-mile in 25.46 and 49.84 with Rosas aboard before being pulled up fairly abruptly, apparently by design, approaching the turn after a very fast five-furlong drill one week earlier.

Stormy Lucy (four furlongs in 49.29)- A very average-looking half-mile breeze with Rafael Bejarano up, switched prematurely back to and finished on her left lead, although she did still have some run into the turn, galloping out five-eighths in a decent 1:01.83.

Take Charge Brandi (four furlongs in 49.05) – Maintenance-type half-mile in 25.38 and 49.05 with not much of a gallop-out for this Lukas-trained 2-year-old filly.

Private Zone (four furlongs in 49.40) – It was the manner in which the two-time Grade 1 winner accomplished the drill, and not the final time, that made this work stand out over most of the others Monday. Breaking off a couple of lengths behind his company, Private Zone was well held but quickly made up the ground to join his partner midway on the turn, fanned about five paths wide coming out of the bend but remained straight as an arrow down the stretch while restrained to the wire and with seemingly plenty more in the tank on the gallop-out.

Sweet Reason (four furlongs in 47.38) – Breezing for the second week in a row with a protective cup over her injured right eye, Sweet Reason was reserved through a 23.94-second opening quarter, then sharply roused from the sixteenth pole to the wire before galloping out an average five-eighths in 1:00.63. She did not look quite as sharp Monday as in her three-furlong blowout at Belmont the previous weekend.

One Lucky Dane (five furlongs in 1:00.24) – Began at the 4 1/2-furlong pole, eased around to the head of the stretch in a relatively leisurely 36.28 before coming down the final straight to the 7 1/2-furlong pole in 23.96 without much encouragement, out six furlongs in an okay 1:13.91.

Footbridge (five furlongs in 1:00.12) – The lone Classic contender to breeze Monday, he cruised through an easy opening three-eighths in 36.20 before being roused some to finish from the top of the stretch home, shading 24 seconds for his final quarter but with just average an gallop-out, six furlongs in 1:13.94.

Bronzo (four furlongs in 47.18) – Picked him up at the half-mile pole, was all out to the wire while finishing on his left lead and not much of a gallop-out, five-eighths in 1:01.70.

Wonder Gal (four furlongs in 48.04) – Like her stablemate Sweet Reason earlier, she too was sharply roused once inside the sixteenth pole and offered just a moderate response to that urging but did gallop out with nice energy, five-eighths in 1:00.96, up six furlongs in 1:14.23.

Turf

Flying Tipat (four furlongs in 48.84) – Surprisingly, the only turf worker Monday, the Juvenile Fillies Turf also-eligible responded to heavy urging down the stretch from exercise rider Tammy Fox to cover her final quarter over the very firm surface in 23.77 and carried that momentum out well into the clubhouse turn.