Bradester, I'm a Chatterbox work for Breeders' Cup

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile contender Bradester heated up stopwatches on a cold Saturday morning at Keeneland, turning in a sharp five-furlong move that had trainer Eddie Kenneally pleased with how his charge handled the track.

Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch caught Bradester and jockey Corey Lanerie in 59.01 seconds as they finished several lengths ahead of workmate Ready Get Set. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.23.

"He went real good," Kenneally said. "We wanted a good work today, put him down on the inside, got some pressure from the outside, and he worked really, really well. He seems to like the track."

Bradester has not missed the board since a trip to Dubai this season, with wins in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup and the Grade 3 Salvator Mile over the summer.

Hitting the wire just seconds after Bradester was I’m a Chatterbox, who turned in a solo five-furlong breeze toward the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in 1:00.40 under regular jockey Florent Geroux. Trainer Larry Jones was pleased with the filly's relaxed work, her second since winning the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes on Sept. 19.

“She was a little more agreeable,” Jones said. “Last week, she was pretty rank. She went pretty quick – I'm not saying too quick, but she was really toting around there last week. This time here, she was a little more agreeable. She started off just a little high-headed but then settled in.”

• Trainers Todd Pletcher and Mark Casse, who between them worked eight Breeders’ Cup hopefuls at Keeneland and Churchill Downs on Friday morning, confirmed that all of yesterday’s workers emerged in good order.

Pletcher sent out another quintet of Breeders’ Cup prospects on Saturday morning, with Dame Dorothy (Filly and Mare Sprint) and Red Rifle (Turf) going together in 49 seconds, Sweet Whiskey (Filly and Mare Sprint) going in 49, Stopchargingmaria (Distaff) in 59.90, and Mshawish (Mile) in 1:00.

• Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, a five-furlong breeze by Classic hopeful Keen Ice was among a handful of workouts turned in Saturday morning by Breeders’ Cup prospects.

Going after the regular harrow break with Tammy Fox aboard, Keen Ice went in 1:02.20, with Churchill clocker John Nichols timing the drill from the half-mile pole to the seven-furlong pole. Splits were 12.20 seconds, 24.40, and 49.60, with a six-furlong gallop-out time of 1:15.60.

Keen Ice, a 16-1 winner of the Aug. 29 Travers in his last start, will have nine weeks between races when running in the Oct. 31 BC Classic – just like the colt he defeated in the Travers, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

“Everything’s going according to plan so far,” said trainer Dale Romans. “I’m sure he’ll have one more work next weekend. The day depends on the weather, as usual.”

Romans also sent out Brody’s Cause (BC Juvenile) for his first breeze since the colt won the Oct. 3 Breeders’ Futurity. Using the same pattern (starting at the half-mile pole) with Fox up, Brody’s Cause went five furlongs in 1:01.80, with a gallop-out time of 1:15.40, according to Nichols.

In other Churchill works: Unbridled Outlaw (BC Juvenile), 1:02.40; Barbados (BC Sprint), four furlongs in 49 seconds; and Alsvid (BC Sprint), four furlongs in 47.60.

– additional reporting by Marty McGee