Breeders' Cup workouts: Secret Compass, New Year’s Day, Fed Biz work for Baffert

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup picture is starting to come into sharper focus after a couple of weekends of watching workouts on both coasts. Things might be even clearer were it not for the fog that rolled in at Santa Anita on Saturday and again Sunday morning, obscuring the view of many works from high atop the grandstand.

The majority of Sunday’s works were turned in by horses racing on Friday’s Breeders’ Cup program, including four from the Juvenile Fillies field featuring a somewhat surprising one-mile breeze by morning-line favorite Sweet Reason. Trainer Bob Baffert sent out three of his Breeders’ Cup contenders to work Sunday: Secret Compass, New Year’s Day and Fed Biz.[bc_video_id:308487:]

The morning began clear and cool, but fog began to roll in shortly after the second renovation break and hung around until just after training hours ended at 10 a.m. Both the main track and turf course remain very fast.

Main track

She’s a Tiger (Juvenile Fillies) – Word is that this filly was a little headstrong in her previous work. But she couldn’t have settled any better than she did under jockey Gary Stevens on Sunday, covering a half-mile in 48.45 seconds despite looking like she was doing little more than open galloping most of the way, completing her final quarter in 24.06 without being asked before galloping out a strong five-eighths in 1:00.89. Rating: B+

Secret Compass (Juvenile Fillies) – She began about a half-length behind her stablemate, the pair showing good speed right from the start, covering an opening three-eighths in 35.60, then pulled away readily coming to the wire and galloping out into the turn under Martin Garcia, going five furlongs in 1:00.32 and up six panels in 1:13.51. Rating: B

Sweet Reason (Juvenile Fillies) – She caught a lot of people by surprise when breaking off at the wire and working once around the one-mile oval, crawling early through a trotter-like 55.67 opening half-mile with jockey Alex Solis aboard. But despite the slow early pace, she didn’t have much punch left at the end, struggling through a final quarter-mile under some urging in 26.82 to complete a mile in a disappointing 1:47.02 – not the best of signs for a filly who remains unproven around two turns. Rating: C-

Untapable (Juvenile Fillies) – This work was just what one expected, a typical Steve Asmussen half-mile maintenance run five days prior to the race, although she looked very good doing it, cruising early, then coming home the final quarter of a 49.26 breeze in 24.25 despite being angled four wide off the bend and not asked to the wire. Rating: B

Sweet Lulu (Filly and Mare Sprint) – She worked in the dark and picked up some unexpected company when running up on another worker approaching the half-mile pole; wisely eased off that rival on the turn after an opening quarter in 24.57, and while unable to catch her unscheduled target (who was very impressive, by the way), she did finish willingly enough to complete a half-mile in 48.76 before ultimately running past the workmate and galloping out a nice five-eighths in 1:01.23. Rating: B

Holy Lute (Dirt Mile) – A routing work with a scary moment approaching the wire when he apparently lost focus, stumbled badly, and nearly went down before quickly righting the ship and completing a half-mile in 48.36 with an average gallop-out in 1:01.51. Rating: B-

Blueskiesnrainbows (Marathon) – Somewhat of an odd work for a horse slated to go 1 3/4 miles in the Marathon on Friday, as he blazed four furlongs in 47, the final three-eighths on my watch in 35.30 while angling well out to the middle of the track exiting the final bend. Rating: B-

New Year’s Day (Juvenile) – He worked in the fog in company with Miss Personality, broke off at the 4 1/2-furlong pole inside his mate, was really asked to pick up the pace once passing the wire, completed five panels to the 7 1/2-furlong marker in 1:00.16, then continued to be pressed into and around the turn to finally pull well clear of his mate, going six furlongs in 1:13.26 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:27.29. Rating: B

Fed Biz (Dirt Mile) – He worked in company with the talented, Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Den’s Legacy, the pair just loping through a 13-and-change opening furlong before really picking up the pace through the stretch. The duo completed the final three-eighths of their 1:00.67 five-furlong drill in 35.06, after which Fed Biz really got down to business and edged away from his partner after galloping out another huge eighth in 12 into the turn to complete six furlongs in 1:12.67 and gallop out seven-eighths in 1:27.17. Rating: B+

Tale of a Champion (Turf) – This turf specialist worked on the dirt in dense fog, and I caught the last eighth in 12.60 and out another furlong in a decent 12.75 under mild coaxing. Rating: B

Turf

Caracortado (Turf Sprint) – The turf course was pretty much obscured by fog for all except the final quarter-mile, and he appeared to be going easily and striding out well to the wire; I timed his last eighth in 12.29 with an average gallop-out. Rating: B-

Indy Point (Turf) – He looked good coming down the stretch, covering his final quarter-mile in 24.54 without the need of urging; also galloped out willingly into the bend. Rating: B