Clocker: Reflect has impressive workout

CHURCHILL DOWNS
Saturday Oct. 27

Weather: Cloudy/Drizzling
Temp: 46
Track: Sloppy/Muddy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Mother Nature continues to put a damper on training hours leading up to the 2018 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs.

Showers over the previous 24 hours left the racetrack sloppy when it opened at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday, with some additional light rain during the course of the morning causing the track condition to be downgraded to muddy following the second renovation break.

The wet conditions prompted several trainers to call an audible and postpone scheduled workouts for their Breeders’ Cup contenders here Saturday. The most noteworthy among that group were Monomoy Girl, City of Light, and Promises Fulfilled. Five potential Breeders’ Cup starters did make the work tab, including Axelrod and Vibrance, stablemates of City of Light from trainer Michael McCarthy's barn.

REFLECT (Juvenile Fillies) was one of two horses to work during the special training session designated for Breeders’ Cup runners only - to be held from 7:30-7:45 a.m. daily during the coming week - and made another excellent impression on the heels of a pretty nice half-mile breeze here last weekend. The Juvenile Fillies hopeful broke from the five-eighths pole under Jose Ortiz and completed the distance in a faster-than-it-looked 59.89, covering her final quarter over the wet surface in 24.30 while going easily throughout and kept several paths off the rail down the lane. She then showed great energy on the gallop out, six furlongs in 1:13.72 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:28.08 for trainer Keith Desormeaux. Alcibiades runner-up definitely moving in the right direction.

SIGNALMAN (Juvenile) worked in company with stablemate Math Major as a target and while the work was scheduled for a half-mile, the team really left the five-eighths pole, completing an opening eighth in 13:40 with Signalman breaking off a couple of lengths behind his target. Signalman remained about a length back after an opening three-eighths in 36.42 before proving clearly best at the end, absolutely cruising to the finish line outside his pressured partner after five panels in 1:01.19. He, too, had plenty of gas left in the tank for the gallop out, getting six furlongs in 1:14.67 and easing up seven-eighths in 1:28.08, then continuing a long ways down the backstretch before finally pulling up under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

AXELROD (Classic) and VIBRANCE (Juvenile Fillies) waited until 9 a.m. and wound up catching a muddy track going in company in total maintenance mode. The duo breezed the very easy half-mile in 24.18, 48.54 with Axelrod, working nearest the rail, under a big hold throughout from jockey Jose Ortiz, who fanned him several paths off the rail turning for home while controlling the work and maintaining a short advantage inside his younger and vastly less-experienced mate to the wire. He then proved much the best, as expected, continuing out impressively into and around the turn, completing five furlongs in 1:01.74 before pulling up six panels in 1:14.99. Tyler Gaffalione was aboard Vibrance, who held in willingly against her older, Classic-bound partner before falling back some on the gallop out.

DERBY DATE (Juvenile) wasted little time getting his work done as the first horse to breeze over the sloppy going just minutes after the track opened, posting a relatively quick half-mile in 48.20 while nudged along down the stretch before easing up on the gallop out in typical D. Wayne Lukas style. Is still on the outside looking in, hoping to land a starting slot in the Juvenile.

MONOMOY GIRL might have had her work postponed a day, but she was certainly geared up and ready to go this morning, giving her rider all he could handle with a spirited gallop shortly after the track re-opened at 7:30 a.m. Her chief rival in the Distaff, Midnight Bisou, on the other hand, was among the first Breeders’ Cup horses to train under the lights early Saturday morning and likewise showed terrific energy throughout the routine gallop.

Like Monomoy Girl, CATHOLIC BOY is coming off a very impressive work here last weekend and he, too, is scheduled to have a final, maintenance-type breeze Sunday morning. He made his usual imposing appearance again this morning, as did the Classic-bound YOSHIDA.