Breeders' Cup Clocker: The Puma gets top marks on action-packed morning
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Keeneland
Saturday, October 24
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 47
Track: Fast
Turf: Good
LEXINGTON, Ky − The weather may still be on the cool side but the action on the racetrack certainly heated up Saturday at Keeneland where more than two dozen potential Breeders’ Cup starters put in their final works for the main event next Saturday.
The number one star for the morning goes to the Classic bound 3-year-old The Puma in a photo over Hymn.
Breaking off at the six-furlong pole under regular rider Javier Castellano, The Puma cruised along at a steady but strong pace throughout, completing the distance in 1:13.38 seconds then sustained tons of energy galloping out into and around the turn under just some light urging, easing up after a mile in 1:38.83. The work in blinkers was a big step forward off his previous work here one week earlier. The 3-year-old could be sitting on his best race yet, which will be needed to have an impact in salty Classic lineup.
Hymn was the first horse to work on a very busy morning breezing solo in the dark moments after the track opened at 5:30 a.m. a nd he couldn’t have looked any better. Breezing four furlongs in 46.91 seconds, he finished under a stout hold before easing up five furlongs in a lively 59.60. The work was reminiscent of his very impressive final work a week before his victory in the Grade 1 Forego this summer at Saratoga.
Magnitude has had a very good week. The Dubai World Cup winner turned in a sparkling breeze here last Saturday, bounced out of the drill with some very impressive gallops during the week, then came back this morning with another strong work. Today, he went five furlongs in 1:00.87 while never asked for his best at any point, completing his final quarter split in 23.31 before easing up after six furlongs in 1:13.95. He seems to be back in peak form after the very disappointing performance in the Whitney.
Knightsbridge was in maintenance mode today breezing an easy half-mile in 48.41 seconds, negotiating his final quarter in 23.83 while kept well contained to the wire. He did have his head cocked out a tad finishing and on the gallop out, easing up five furlongs in 1:01.73, while wearing a Dirt Mile saddle towel today.
Fully Subscribed, who many consider a major threat to likely odds on favorite Nitrogen in the Distaff, made a favorable impression locally for a second straight week. She breezed five furlong in 1:01.38, shading :48 for her final half-mile before galloping out in her usual willing fashion, going six panels in 1:14.55.
Immersive, considered among the outsiders in the Distaff, had a good morning herself cruising a fairly even but energetic looking half in 48.05 before galloping out with plenty of energy in typical fashion for this barn, easing up five furlongs in 1:01.03. She was followed a short whlater by her Brad Cox-trained stablemate Bless the Broken, who breeze a maintenance-like four furlongs in 49.56 with a very solid gallop out of her own, going six panels in 1:14.68, on the dirt prepping for the Filly and Mare Turf.
Coach Pope was pretty much in maintenance mode for a second straight week again working with unraced mate Real Goodbar. Another who keeps his head cocked out during his breezes, the Breeders’ Futurity runner-up was crying to do more while hard held throughout once again, turning in another better than the final time suggests work, five furlongs in 1:02.21, before galloping out six panels in 1:15 flat.
Deep Monster, a member of the large Japanese contingent on hand for this year’s Breeders’ Cup, had a good morning, like Coach Pope, posting a better-than-looked-on-paper half-mile in 50.23 seconds, punctuated by a strong gallop out. He went six furlongs in 1:15.59, a big effort for yet another turf specialist having his final Breeders’ Cup prep over the main track.
Trainer Michael McCarthy worked five Breeders’ Cup candidates throughout the morning, the best of whom was arguably the Filly and Mare Sprint bound Simply Joking, the only member of the group to work solo, breezing four furlongs in 47.60 out 1:01.17 going well within herself and finishing well off the rail in a bit of traffic coming to the wire.
Scottish Lassie, a morning all-star, was in maintenance mode testing the local surface for the first time, breezing an easy half mile in 49.50 but with a long gallop out, easing up after six furlongs in 1:14.46.
Only Hymn turned in a faster half-mile clocking on a tab of 91 recorded works at that distance this morning than Mad House, who went out in a quick 23:09 seconds for the opening quarter before weakening some to the wire but in a swift 47.02. He eased up a bit from the early effort, going five furlongs in 1:00.91 on the gallop out.
Sradale was not allowed to do much this week after blazing a very quick half-mile here one week earlier. A bit rank looking to blast off down the backstretch, he reined in nicely leaving the pole to cruise a very easy three furlongs in 37.84 prepping for the Sprint.
Bracket Buster, another working under the cover of darkness and on his toes in the brisk conditions very early this morning, breezed four furlongs in 48.11 before continuing out five furlongs in willing fashion going in 1:00.75 for the Dirt Mile.
The turf course was open for business this morning with the final times meaningless once again under the less-than-firm conditions and with the dogs set well out past the middle of the course. Only three horses availed themselves of the opportunity to breeze on the green, two of those, Kathynmarissa and Zulu Kingdom, for trainer Chad Brown.
Kathynmarissa turned in the slower final clocking of the two stablesmates, going five furlongs in 1:04.06, but made a very favorable visual impression while finishing/galloping out strongest of the duo, despite swapping leads briefly approaching the wire. Zulu Kingdom completed the same distance in 1:03.14 and also looked good coming down the home straight, posting a 23.36 closing split before sustaining good momentum as well on the gallop out.
The only other turf worker was Possiblemente, who breezed a very easy, maintenance half-mile in 52.10 off a pedestrian 28.20 opening quarter mile split.
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