Breeders’ Cup Sprint: Work All Week taking Phoenix path again

Work All Week took a somewhat unorthodox route while preparing for last year’s Breeders’ Cup, carefully picking his spots while barnstorming the country before ultimately earning a division championship with his half-length victory over Secret Circle in the Sprint.

Work All Week’s connections have put their speedster on a similar path with the hope of successfully defending that title at Keeneland on Oct. 31. When Work All Week goes postward Oct. 2 at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Phoenix, it will be his fourth start at as many different tracks this season, his previous three outings coming at Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, and, most recently, Mountaineer, where he posted his first win of the year in the Sen. Robert C. Byrd Memorial.

“He had some bad gate experiences earlier in the year,” said Richard Papiese, whose Midwest Thoroughbreds owns Work All Week. “He broke so sharp he stumbled in his first start at Churchill. At Gulfstream, he broke through the gate prior to the start, bloodied himself up pretty good, and was kind of dazed and broke flatfooted when the race finally began. So, we took him to Mountaineer, looking to get his confidence back. It worked out perfectly, and hopefully he’s in the same place now he was this time last year when he won the Phoenix and then the Breeders’ Cup.”

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Work All Week will have to be at his best to repeat in the Phoenix, where the competition likely will include the rising star Runhappy, who came out of nowhere last month at Saratoga to earn a spot near the top of the division with a sensational four-length victory in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop.

In addition to the Phoenix, this Saturday’s Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Park serves as a major prep for the Sprint. The Vosburgh will be led by Rock Fall, who prevailed by a nose over The Big Beast after a thrilling stretch duel in the Grade 1 Forego this summer at Saratoga. The Vosburgh field also likely will include Palace, sixth the 2014 BC Sprint, Clearly Now, Salutos Amigos, Stallwalkin’ Dude, Wildcat Red, and Brothersofthetime.

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Meanwhile, trainer Tony Dutrow Jr. said Wednesday that The Big Beast will miss the remainder of the year after sustaining what he termed “a small injury” coming out of his second-place finish behind Private Zone in the Forego.

“It’s not a big deal,” Dutrow said. “He’ll be fine. We’re just going to take the same path as last year and have him ready for next summer at Saratoga.”