Breeders' Cup Clocker: Coolmore horses on parade

ARCADIA, Calif. – The first sighting of Team Coolmore and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Breeders’ Cup contingent was the highlight of training hours on another unseasonably cold morning Thursday at Santa Anita, where the temperature was in the low to mid-40s throughout much of the five-hour session. One could also smell a hint of smoke from the wildfires burning in the area, which don’t figure to have any impact on the two Breeders’ Cup cards here this weekend.

The 10 O’Brien horses entered the track shortly after the second renovation break, jogged in single file for nearly a mile to the finish line, reversed direction, then cantered another mile and one-eighth, all in perfect unison, back into the clubhouse turn. It’s truly a sight to behold and now a familiar routine once the group exits quarantine just prior to Breeders’ Cup Day.

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The pack was led by perhaps the two most fancied of the O’Brien runners in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, ANTHONY VAN DYCK (Turf) and CIRCUS MAXIMUS (Mile). KING NEPTUNE (Juvenile Turf Sprint), MOUNT EVEREST (Turf) and ARIZONA (Juvenile Turf) did get a little warm this morning despite the cold.

Europeans were also well represented when the turf course opened for a special 15-minute training session at 7:30 a.m. Among those who made the most favorable impressions were FANNY LOGAN (Filly and Mare Turf), who showed good energy, with ears up, while galloping in the blinkers that have helped turn her form around over the last three starts, and OLD PERSIAN (Turf), who blew out a half-mile in 54.03 with Fanny Logan as a target. The U.S.-based BANDUA (Turf) also had himself a very good morning, galloping strongly and striding out nicely on the grass.

The cool weather had most of the Breeders’ Cup horses on the muscle. DREAM SHOT (Juvenile Turf Sprint) and SHEKKY SHEBAZ (Turf Sprint) each lost their rider briefly, but was none the worse for wear. SECRET SPICE (Distaff) did a little dance of her own at one point, but fortunately her rider was able to stay aboard and complete the gallop without further incident.

The number one star this morning on the main track was YOSHIDA, who made another outstanding impression while giving off signs that he could be an upset threat in the Classic. VINO ROSSO looked very sharp galloping today, ears up, as he came through the wire, as did fellow Classic contender OWENDALE. ELATE (Classic) continues to impress, while CODE OF HONOR (Classic) obviously enjoyed the cooler temperatures, looking very happy galloping about a mile and three-eighths in semi-darkness just before dawn.

Among the many who who caught the eye were MR. MONEY (Dirt Mile), WITHOUT PAROLE (Mile), and SPUN TO RUN (Dirt Mile). Spun to Run was so full of run that he had his rider water skiing in the irons trying to slow him down before finally just giving up and getting down in the saddle to let him blow out a quarter-mile from the head of the stretch into the clubhouse turn. He was the last of three main-track blowouts down the lane on Thursday. The others were DAAHYEH (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and ALOUNAK (Turf).