Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile candidates get in works

Dirt Mile contenders throughout the nation put in solid workouts over the past few days.

Five prospective starters had works at Santa Anita ranging in length from a half-mile to six furlongs, beginning with Bronzo (four furlongs in 47.20 seconds) and Goldencents (five furlongs in 59 seconds) on Friday.

Defending Dirt Mile champ and likely favorite Goldencents had Rafael Bejarano up, going in splits of 23.80, 36.00 and 47.80 seconds, and galloping out six furlongsin 1:11.40 under the watchful eye of Leandro Mora, who has replaced the suspended Doug O’Neill as trainer.

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“When he broke his maiden, I was training him, so (the owners) are comfortable with me training Goldencents now,” said Mora. “The horse is doing excellent.”

Working on Sunday at Santa Anita were Fed Biz (six furlongs in 1:12.80); Tapiture (five furlongs in 59.60); and Tonito M. (five furlongs in 1:00.80).

Like 2012 Dirt Mile winner Tapizar, Tapiture is a son of Tapit who was bred and is owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen. Asmussen also worked Untapable (Distaff) and Lucky Player (Juvenile) over the weekend.

It was the third local work for Tapiture since shipping in following a runner-up finish in the Pennsylvania Derby. “They’re getting over the track really well,” said Asmussen. “They’ve settled in nicely.”

In New York on Sunday, Capo Bastone breezed a half-mile in 48.80 seconds over the training track at Belmont Park for Todd Pletcher. Winner of the King's Bishop last year, Capo Bastone goes into the Dirt Mile off a fifth in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont and a fourth in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga.

At Monmouth Park in New Jersey, Pants On Fire zipped a half-mile in a bullet 46 seconds on Saturday for trainer Kelly Breen. The 6-year-old comes off an easy score in the Wild N Wonderful Stakes at Charles Town, earning a 106 Beyer Figure. Pants On Fire raced wide against a strong inside speed bias after breaking from post 10 in last year’s Dirt Mile, and finished seventh.

At Keeneland in Kentucky, 2013 Dirt Mile runner-up Golden Ticket went five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Saturday for trainer Ken McPeek. Also on Saturday, at the Churchill Downs Trackside Training Center, dual Grade 2 winner Vicar’s in Trouble breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker, who won the 2009 Dirt Mile with 21-1 shot Furthest Land.