Belmont Park: It’s Tricky has bullet workout for Breeders' Cup start

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s Tricky sharpened her speed for a potential start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00.06 late Thursday morning over the Belmont Park training track.

The quirky It’s Tricky came out after 10 a.m. for her breeze with jockey Eddie Castro in the irons. After backing up to the seven-eighths pole, It’s Tricky left her pony at the 5 1/2-furlong pole and after going her first eighth in 13.44 seconds, she zipped around from the half-mile pole to the wire in 46.62 seconds.

“Sometimes she can go too easy, but with the jock we knew we were going to get a little bit faster work,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “But she went very well, she’s doing great.”

McLaughlin said It’s Tricky will be pre-entered on Monday for both the Filly and Mare Sprint, at seven furlongs, and the Ladies’ Classic at 1 1/8 miles.

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It’s Tricky finished second to Royal Delta in last year’s Ladies’ Classic, and was beaten 9 1/2 lengths by Royal Delta in the Beldame Invitational here on Sept. 29.

Royal Delta is one of three champions being pointed to the Ladies’ Classic. Awesome Feather, who galloped strongly around the Belmont training track Thursday morning right before It’s Tricky came on, and My Miss Aurelia, are the other champions pointing to the race.

The depth of the Ladies’ Classic and the fact McLaughlin and Godolphin Racing have Questing pointed to that race make the Filly and Mare Sprint a more likely choice for It’s Tricky, who is 4 for 5 in races run around one turn.

“The Ladies’ Classic is tough, tough, tough,” McLaughlin said. “We have Questing in there. I would say the chances are 55-45 to go in the other spot. We’ll see how things unfold.”

McLaughlin said Castro would ride regardless of what race It’s Tricky winds up.

Meanwhile, at Saratoga, McLaughlin’s 2-year-old Fortify worked four furlongs in 48 seconds over the synthetic surface at Greentree. He galloped out five furlongs in 59.97 seconds, according to Neal McLaughlin, brother and assistant to Kiaran.

Kiaran McLaughlin was heading to Saratoga where on Friday he was scheduled to work Questing, Alpha (Classic) and Emcee (Sprint) at Greentree.

Questing, Alpha, Emcee, and Fortify will ship to California on Oct. 27. It’s Tricky ships on Oct. 30.