Belmont: Artemis Agrotera among BC workers

ELMONT, N.Y. – After three consecutive mornings of sloppy surfaces, the two tracks at Belmont Park dried out at least to the point where some trainers felt confident enough Saturday morning to work their horses for next week’s Breeders’ Cup.

Mike Hushion, the trainer of Filly and Mare Sprint contender Artemis Agrotera, felt more comfortable breezing over the training track than the main track and loved what he saw in a five-furlong move from his 3-year-old filly that Daily Racing Form timed in 1:00.69.

With jockey Jose Ortiz up, Artemis Agrotera broke off at the five-furlong pole and went her first quarter-mile in 24.48 seconds and three furlongs in 36.56. With Ortiz basically motionless on the filly and with her ears straight up, Artemis Agrotera came home her final quarter in 24.13 seconds. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.74.

“On the training track, that’s a huge gallop-out,” said Hushion, who added that he walked both the main track and training track early Saturday morning and deemed the training track better. “All’s well, she cooled out fine. I’m glad we got through this, and off we go.”

Artemis Agrotera, the winner of the Grade 1 Ballerina and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in her last two starts, is scheduled to ship to Southern California on Sunday.

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Working right after Artemis Agrotera on the training track was Stanwyck, a late addition to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff field. With Junior Alvarado up, Stanwyck worked five furlongs in 1:01 after going her first quarter in 23.20 seconds. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40 and seven furlongs in 1:29.80.

“She needed to do something decent today,” said John Shirreffs, a two-time Distaff-winning trainer. “Junior Alvarado worked her, and he was very happy with her.”

Stanwyck was pointing to Sunday’s Turnback the Alarm Handicap at Belmont – a race she won last year – before Beholder was withdrawn from the Distaff with a fever and Close Hatches ran a subpar race in the Spinster. Beholder and Close Hatches ran 1-2 in last year’s Distaff.

Stanywyck is winless in seven starts this year but has finished second or third in six graded events. Most recently, she was fourth in the Beldame, though that race was run around one turn.

“I don’t think she’s peaked yet,” Shirreffs said. “She came out of her last race great. I think she has more to give. Also, the two turns works well for her.”

Shirreffs said that Corey Nakatani will ride Stanwyck, who ships to California on Sunday.

Isabella Sings, training for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, worked four furlongs over the training track in 48.59 seconds, galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.83.

The New York Racing Association accommodated trainer Kiaran McLaughlin by allowing Breeders’ Cup Mile contender Sayaad to work at 10:30 over the main track after harrowing it once regular training hours were over.

The only horse on the track at that time, Sayaad worked a sharp half-mile in 48.15 seconds, getting his second quarter in 23.10, then galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.75 and six furlongs in 1:14.72.

“That was an excellent work for him,” McLaughlin said. “Though he can go faster or slower, he did it the right way, ears up and galloping out great. He came back with a little tiny blow, which is what we wanted. Tough race, but we’re ready to go.”

Sayaad and McLaughlin’s Juvenile Turf contender, Imperia – who vanned down Saturday morning from Saratoga – were both scheduled to ship to Southern California on Sunday.

– additional reporting by Mike Vesce