Breeders' Cup Clocker: Malavath lone worker as race day is upon us
KEENELAND
Weather: Foggy
Temperature: 46
Track: Fast
Turf: Good
LEXINGTON, KY. – Save for Breeders’ Cup Mile contender MALAVATH, all major prep work was done before the three tracks opened for business Thursday morning at Keeneland. The theme of the day was just keeping everyone safe and happy in the final hours leading up to Friday and Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup.
The weather threw a little monkey wrench into training hours at the main track immediately after the renovation break with a light fog descending over part of the course that corresponded with a brief dip in temperatures into the low 40s. The combination of the two had everyone perhaps a little more on their toes than normal as they went through their paces.
The lone official worker of the day also was the final horse out to train on either the main track or turf course, with Malavath wasting little time breaking off at the five-eighths pole on the grass course. He completed the distance around the wide dogs in 1:05.96, picking up the pace coming down the home straight with a 24.55 final quarter before easing up midway on the clubhouse turn.
He did switch to and remain on his right lead through the stretch, which is usually not the case for European invaders when training in this country. He breezed over a part of the strip that still had plenty of cut to it.
A wide gamut of training styles were on display Thursday, with most trainers opting to take the conservative route so close to race day. A handful of others allowed their runners to really stretch it out one last time before the big event.
Among the most notable in that group were the Doug O’Neill-trained VEGAS MAGIC, who open galloped a full mile in a sprightly 1:51.35 under cover of darkness. BLUE STRIPE, who had one of the best pre-Breeders’ Cup works here last week, had her most aggressive morning since, open galloping a full mile at a two-minute clip under jockey Hector Berrios in preparation for an extremely competitive Distaff.
After training on the turf course Wednesday, the Charlie Appleby-trained Team Godolphin came out in the fog immediately after the renovation break, all seven getting a little more aggressive Thursday and all making great appearances with NATIONS PRIDE, MODERN GAMES and particularly REBEL’S ROMANCE really catching the eye.
Not to be outdone, the Godolphin seven were followed by the Coolmore seven of trainer Aidan O’Brien, all of whom have settled in here particularly well since leaving quarantine earlier in the week. The group fanned out seven wide across the track coming down the stretch while completing their gallops before heading to the paddock to do a little schooling, nary a one turning a hair.
There couldn’t be a training session overview this week without mentioning some of the Classic contenders, starting, of course, with FLIGHTLINE who looked as sharp as ever, getting particularly strong, per usual, completing another impeccable training session down the backstretch and into the far turn. He was followed shortly thereafter by LIFE IS GOOD, who made another great appearance of his own, turning in an easy and more controlled gallop this morning before getting more aggressive once turning up the backside the final time. OLYMPIAD may be flying a little under the radar with Flightline dominating the Classic conversation, but he has looked rock solid since arriving locally after doing all his major work at Saratoga, like the majority of trainer Bill Mott’s Breeders’ Cup runners.
While Life Is Good, Malathaat, and Nest dominate the conversation when talking about trainer Todd Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup contenders, he’s got plenty of other bullets to fire over the next two days. Among them juveniles ATOMICALLY and LOST ARK, both of whom really caught the eye Thursday morning.
Among those joining Malavath on the turf Thursday morning were POGO, who had an easy gallop while on his left lead down the lane; FLOTUS, who blew out an eighth of a mile, also finishing on her left lead; HIGHFIELD PRINCESS, who had little more than a canter over the course but looked happy with her ears pricked passing the wire, and EMARAATY ANA who blew out an easy three furlongs from the eighth pole around the turn in 39.11.
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