BC Sprint: Fog goes easily in workout

ELMONT, N.Y. - Lost in the Fog, one of the marquee names on this year's Breeders' Cup card, turned in his final major prep for the $1 million Sprint when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 under jockey Russell Baze on Thursday morning at Golden Gate Fields.

Trainer Greg Gilchrist had originally planned on bringing Lost in the Fog to Belmont Park for his final Breeders' Cup work, but altered those plans because of the uncertainty of the weather conditions in the New York area this weekend. The new itinerary will have Lost in the Fog shipping from the West Coast to Belmont on Saturday.

"He pretty much went in 12's all around," Gilchrist said, referring to 12-second splits for each furlong of Thursday's work. "He's fresh and ready to roll. In fact, I probably could have gotten by without working him at all. Conditioning is not a big factor at this point of the year. I just cautioned Russell I didn't want to see another 57 work like before his last race. Today was perfect."

Lost in the Fog has won each of his 10 starts and has been seriously challenged only once, in Belmont's seven-furlong Riva Ridge Breeders' Cup Handicap. Lost in the Fog faced older horses for the first time in his last start, when he dominated the six-furlong Bay Meadows Speed Handicap by 7 3/4 lengths.

"The major work is over, but you still hold your breath the next time he goes back to the track and every day until they get into the starting gate," said Gilchrist.

A full field of 14 is expected for the Sprint.

"The one thing you have to guard against in a race like this is letting another horse with speed keep you from winning," said Gilchrist. "That's what happened to me with Soviet Problem," his starter in the 1994 BC Sprint. "The horse who ran head to head with us for the opening half-mile finished last, and we wound up second, getting beat a head.

"There will certainly be horses in this field who'll be 40- or 50-1 that can run and have speed, and it's up to Russell to make sure they don't get us beat."

One of those longshots with speed is Attila's Storm, who comes into the Sprint off an allowance victory at Monmouth Park. The outing was his first since being transferred to trainer Richard Schosberg's barn several weeks before the race.

"He's an extremely fast and talented horse, but one who is lacking in experience," said Schosberg, who has secured the services of Patrick Valenzuela for the Sprint. "And he should be forwardly placed just because of his natural speed."

- additional reporting by Chuck Dybdal