Breeders' Cup clocker: Three trainers alter workout plans

Keeneland

Track: Fast

Weather: Clear Temp: 32

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Long before the NFL kicked off its schedule of games later that afternoon, a trio of Breeders’ Cup trainers called audibles of their own on a frigid Sunday morning at Keeneland.

It was literally freezing at the site of this year’s Breeders’ Cup with the temperature hovering at 32 degrees when the track opened for training at 5:30 a.m. Among those horses on the schedule to work later that morning were Private Zone, who was slated to breeze out of the gate for trainer Jorge Navarro, the Jeremy Noseda-trained Nemoralia, and a quartet of turf specialists from the barn of trainer Wesley Ward, who was hoping to breeze all four of his horses on grass.

But like any good quarterback, Navarro, Noseda, and Ward all made a late change in plans, two by choice, and the other out of necessity due to the cold weather.

Navarro made a last-minute decision to work Private Zone (Sprint) from the pole instead of sending him to the gate, which is located in a chute that cuts into the main track near the 3 1/2- furlong pole. Private Zone, as usual, put his abundant speed on display right from the outset, posting splits of 11.20 seconds, 22.40, and 34.60 while well within himself to the stretch. He was allowed to angle five wide leaving the turn by regular work rider Carlos Marquez Jr. and continued along on his own to complete five furlongs in a brisk 59.03 over a track that quickened after the break.

But while the work was fast, it did not have the same appeal as his final, awesome drill prior to victory in the Grade 1 Forego as he appeared to tire a bit coming to the wire while not having nearly the same enthusiasm or pop in his bat on the gallop-out as he displayed at Saratoga, pulling up six furlongs in 1:13.60.

Navarro said later that Private Zone has shown a tendency to try to pull himself up when nearing the gaps during routine gallops over the previous two days. That’s why he didn’t want to work Private Zone out of the chute or let him gallop-out too fast around the turn where he would have to pull up near the seven-furlong chute.

To his dismay, Ward was not permitted to send his two teams out to work on turf. According to Ward, management told him the course had too much frost on top to allow it to be used on Sunday morning.

“Santa’s coming,” Ward quipped when asked to comment on the situation.

So Ward went to Plan B, sending out the pair of Sunset Glow and Green Mask (Turf Sprint) to work five furlongs in 1:00.08 and the duo of Undrafted (Turf Sprint) and Ruby Notion (Juvenile Fillies Turf) to complete the same distance in 1:00.20, both teams using different means to the same end. Sunset Glow and Green Mask sizzled early, posting a 33.18 three-eighths split before tiring to the wire with Sunset Glow holding off her partner to the wire. Undrafted and Ruby Notion, on the other hand, went a relatively easy 37.40 to the top of the stretch before finishing well and galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.20 with the younger Ruby Notion slightly best.

Meanwhile Noseda called off a scheduled work for Frizette runner-up Nemoralia (Juvenile Fillies or Juvenile Fillies Turf), sending her out after the break for just a routine gallop instead.

Work of the Day

Tapiture (five furlongs in 1:00.80) set the bar high as the first Breeders’ Cup worker of the morning while giving every indication he could be a major player in the Dirt Mile. Working before sunrise shortly after 7 :a.m., Tapiture cruised through an easy opening three-eighths in 25.20 and 37.63, angled well off the rail into the stretch, and then poured it on down the lane without need of urging, completing his final quarter in 23.17 before galloping out extremely well into and around the turn, six furlongs in 1:13.72, up seven-eighths in 1:27.74.

Unlike stable mate Tapiture, Untapable (Distaff) worked in company along with Gold Hawk. Untapable was a bit anxious early while being well held a half-length off and outside her target through a 25.53 opening quarter, drew even while fanned well off the rail by Gold Hawk entering the stretch, and then edged about 1 1/2 lengths clear at the wire under some light urging, completing the distance in 1:01.46. She then extended her advantage galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.79 in her first work since a second-place finish in the Spinster.

Trainer Steve Asmussen also sent out potential Sprint starter Holy Boss to work a sharp five-eighths in 36.30, 59.79 after the break, finishing well without much encouragement before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.35.

Grand Arch (Mile) did little more than stretch his legs this morning, the turf specialist cruising through an easy maintenance half-mile over the main track in 51.60 for trainer Bryan Lynch.