Brightwork training well, forces connections to take on elders in TCA

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A plan B, born out of necessity, worked out for Brightwork this summer. After she was a late scratch from her planned season debut earlier in the month, she rerouted to the Grade 3 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga, and was gamely victorious in her first start in nearly 10 months.

Brightwork has trained so well since that effort that she’s got her connections going to plan B again. The original plan was for her to appear in the entry box later this meet; but instead, she’s a prominent contender in the Grade 2, $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, taking on older fillies and mares for the first time in the six-furlong sprint. The race is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Brightwork, who is trained by John Ortiz for WSS Racing, was entered for her 2024 debut in the Grade 1 Test Stakes on Aug. 3 at Saratoga. But, off a long layoff and on a busy Saturday at the summer meet, she became uncharacteristically fractious in the paddock and flipped, suffering only superficial abrasions but resulting in her late scratch. The filly rerouted to the Prioress on Aug. 31, and was much more settled before the race. The filly needed all that energy, as she tracked while racing wide, dueled with Two Sharp the length of the stretch, and, despite appearing to tire, was up by a neck in the final yards while under left-handed encouragement.

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Brightwork likely needed that race, and should move forward off the effort. Initially, the plan for her second start of the year was the Grade 2 Raven Run on Oct. 19 at this Keeneland meet, with Ortiz planning to campaign against 3-year-old fillies while that condition is available. But Brightwork has trained so well since returning to Kentucky that she not only put herself into the TCA, she is the 2-1 morning-line favorite despite being the only 3-year-old in the field of seven.

With the Prioress score, Brightwork remained unbeaten around one turn. The filly won her first four career starts last year, including the Debutante at Ellis, the Grade 3 Adirondack, and the Grade 1 Spinaway, the latter over Ways and Means, who has emerged as a leader in this division this year. Brightwork finished fifth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades and sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in two-turn attempts to end her 2-year-old campaign. The removal of a minor knee chip accounted for her late return to the races as a 3-year-old.

There is plenty of speed in this field from which Brightwork ideally would track. Spirit Wind won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga on the front end, and Clearly Unhinged used forward tactics taking the Grade 3 Winning Colors this spring at Churchill Downs. Run for the Hills, who most recently set the pace in the Open Mind at Churchill before fading to fourth, should also be involved. Multiple graded stakes winner Red Carpet Ready is getting back to her preferred surface after two turf starts this summer. If she also returns to past tactics of being closer to the pace, she would play a key role.

A hot pace would suit Zeitlos, late-running winner of three stakes this season – the Carousel at Oaklawn and the Roxelana and Open Mind at Churchill. Steve Asmussen – who has a two-pronged attack with Clearly Unhinged and Zeitlos – has opined that a moderately sized field in a dirt sprint with plenty of speed is the ideal scenario for Zeitlos, and she appears to have just that here.

Woodford Stakes

One race preceding the TCA, the Grade 2, $350,000 Woodford Stakes for turf sprinters has the opposite scenario in field size – it has drawn an overflow group, with 12 in the main body of the field permitted to start, and three also-eligibles on the program. The 5 1/2-furlong tilt, which kicks off an all-stakes pick five at Keeneland, is headlined by defending winner Arzak and defending Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals.

Arzak has won both his starts at Keeneland for Mike Trombetta, taking last year’s Woodford and returning to win the Grade 2 Shakertown this spring, finishing well through the stretch. He’s winless in three outings since, including a second to divisional leader Cogburn in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Saratoga.

Late-running Arzak will need some pace up front; Nobals and Souper Quest, the latter the morning-line favorite at 7-2, could be among those providing it as they get a rematch.

Nobals won four stakes in 2023, capped by the BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. He didn’t start this year until July at Saratoga, when he finished fourth in an allowance race but was in contention throughout and was beaten less than a length by Souper Quest. Nobals was then fourth in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, beaten 4 1/4 lengths by victorious Cogburn, but only a length for second.

Souper Quest, never worse than third, owns three stakes placings, including a third to Nobals in the Da Hoss at Colonial Downs last year.

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