Breeders' Cup clocker: Morning chill doesn't bother Swiss Skydiver or Tiz the Law
LEXINGTON, KY. – How cold was it at Keeneland on Monday morning? So cold they could not open the main track for training as scheduled at 6 a.m. with temperatures having dipped into the mid-20s after midnight. The conditions created frozen clods of dirt to form, despite constant harrowing of the track starting at 3:30 a.m.
Fortunately, Keeneland has a training track with a synthetic surface not affected by the cold weather. The strip was busier than usual Monday morning with many prospective Breeders’ Cup starters, including the first wave of European horses to arrive locally. The Euros, for the most part, did little more than jog and stretch their legs on their first appearance on the track since being released from quarantine.
After sunshine thawed it out, the main track finally opened for business at 7:30 a.m., and among the first horses to come through the gap was SWISS SKYDIVER, who made an amazing appearance in her first day locally since vanning over from Churchill Downs. Swiss Skydiver had a relatively busy morning, jogging a mile before reversing direction and galloping another 1 1/2 miles with jockey Robby Albarado aboard. She looks primed and ready for another huge effort in the Distaff.
Right behind Swiss Skydiver came TIZ THE LAW, back to the track for the first time since working a very impressive five furlongs here Saturday. The day off and crisp conditions combined to have him on the muscle from the moment he was let loose by trainer Barclay Tagg aboard the stable pony. Tiz the Law turned in a very aggressive 1 1/2-mile gallop, with his regular work rider, Heather Smullen, having her hands full to safely throttle all that pent-up energy. I would take this kind of enthusiasm just 48 hours removed from his last work as a positive sign.
Albarado also was aboard Swiss Skydiver’s younger stablemate, the undefeated juvenile filly SIMPLY RAVISHING, who was in run-off mode returning to the scene of her one-sided victory in the Grade 1 Alcibiades one month earlier. Simply Ravishing flew by the wire and into the clubhouse turn before Albarado finally got her to come to hand and pull up once turning down the backstretch. Like with Tiz the Law, I’m taking this as good sign from for a horse who turned in a sharp drill of her own Saturday.
Trainer Brad Cox shipped his Breeders’ Cup contingent over from Churchill Downs on Sunday and had the leader of that band MONOMOY GIRL out for a routine gallop Monday. She, too, was on her toes when first stepping out on the track, but quickly came to hand, settling into a nice, smooth rhythm and looking terrific.
Among others who caught the eye Monday morning were the undefeated DAYOUTOFTHEOFFICE, who’ll square off against Simply Ravishing in the Juvenile Fillies, and the Cox-trained AUNT PEARL, another coming off a very solid-looking work over the weekend at Churchill Downs. POINT OF HONOR also turned in a pretty aggressive-looking gallop of her own preparing for the unenviable task of facing Swiss Skydiver and Monomoy Girl in the Distaff.