Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Chunk of Gold turns in nice half-mile work

Chunk of Gold, one of seven horses who as of Sunday seemed definite for the Dirt Mile, worked a half-mile in 49.63 seconds Sunday morning over Keeneland’s main track. He got his final quarter in 23.90 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.28, per Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch.

Ethan West, aboard for the work, was pleased with how the horse went.

“Couldn’t have done it better,” he said. “Relaxed, easy, finished up good, galloped out good, cooled out good. Everything is going to plan, nothing has derailed us yet.”

Chunk of Gold has worn blinkers in his last seven starts and has shown speed in virtually every one; he won the West Virginia Derby in 2025 and finished second in all three of his starts this year. West said he plans on cutting back the blinkers a little for the Dirt Mile.

“Maybe it’ll take some of the aggression out of him,” West said. “He’ll relax if he gets covered up or gets in the clear, it’s when he’s head and head that he’s aggressive. He relaxed well last week [working] in company, that was nice to see.”

West said he’s anxious as everybody else to see in which race Knightsbridge runs “even from a fan’s standpoint.”

Others considered definite for the Dirt Mile are Forged Steel, Full Serrano, Lord Fons, Bracket Buster, Coal Battle and Owen Almighty. Those whose plans may be dictated by which race Knightsbridge runs are Further Ado, Iron Man Cal, and Napoleon Solo.

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