Breeders' Cup Clocker: Mitole, Omaha Beach take edge off

SANTA ANITA
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temp.: 45

ARCADIA, Calif. - The main track at Santa Anita was full to overflowing with Breeders’ Cup contenders on Tuesday morning, with nearly everybody now in town for the big event here Friday and Saturday.

As expected, the work tab was on the light side, with the first of the two Breeders’ Cup cards now just 72 hours away. The small list of workers was not without some big names, as the morning-line favorites for both the Sprint and Dirt Mile, Mitole and Omaha Beach, each blew out three furlongs.

Tuesday was the chilliest morning yet during training hours at Santa Anita, with temperatures in the mid-40s at dawn and the skies crystal clear once again.

MITOLE (Sprint) turned heads with his eye-catching gate work with jockey Mike Smith aboard a week earlier. He has had a relatively easy week since, although touted himself on Monday when he gave his exercise rider all he could handle during what was supposed to have been a routine one-mile gallop following some gate schooling. And trainer Steve Asmussen gave Mitole the opportunity to blow off some of that steam this morning. Mitole breezed an easy three-eighths in 12.09, 37.39 while going kindly to the wire before galloping out four furlongs in 50.81. The Met Mile and Forego winner, Mitole gave every indication he’s sitting on yet another big effort here Saturday.

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OMAHA BEACH (Dirt Mile) has shown no signs of tailing off even after his super impressive but certainly taxing comeback effort in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, when he outgamed Shancelot following a grueling stretch duel here earlier this month. He has made a favorable appearance on a daily basis this week, including this morning when he cruised through an easy three furlongs in 12.04, 36.58 after the second renovation break, easing up a half-mile in 50.78.

UNITED (Turf) was asked to do a little more this morning than his more-heralded mate Omaha Beach and responded with a very sharp-looking half-mile in 24.01, 48.18. He did it easily, with his final time much quicker on the watch than it appeared to the naked eye. He galloped out five-eighths in 1:02.59.

Japanese invader FULL FLAT (Juvenile) began his training session in company with stablemate Madera Sky, but left that one approaching the five-furlong pole to work solo to the wire in 1:03.60, completing his final three furlongs in 36.99. A turf specialist, Full Flat was getting over the main track willingly enough without need of much encouragement.

BLUE CHIPPER (Dirt Mile) earned far and away the bullet work at three furlongs on Tuesday, zipping along in 34.98 under jockey Flavien Prat, who was also aboard United for his drill. Blue Chipper, who has made a nice impression since his arrival, completed his final quarter in 23.04 while equipped in blinkers.

WRECKING CREW was a lot more contained this morning than last week during his final major drill for the Juvenile, when he flashed big speed out of the gate before faltering late. On Tuesday he breezed an easy three-eighths in 38.92 while kept well off the rail.

IMPERIAL HINT (Sprint) was dealing with some shoeing issues when he first arrived from New Jersey over the weekend. But one would never know there was any issue at all from the energy he showed during a routine jog around the outside fence following the second renovation break Tuesday. He was just one of many non-workers to show off plenty of energy in the cooler weather this morning, including GOT STORMY (Mile), FUN TO RUN (Dirt Mile), CASTLE LADY (Filly and Mare Turf), IMPROBABLE (Dirt Mile) and PARADISE WOODS (Distaff).