Clocker: Ward sends out six to exercise on turf

KEENELAND

Track: Sloppy

Turf: Good

Weather: Cloudy

Temp.: 55

LEXINGTON, Ky. - It was not surprising to see the main track sealed when it opened at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday following overnight showers. What was surprising to learn a short while later was that there would be no renovation break, meaning Breeders’ Cup horses would have nothing but a sealed, wet, packed down racetrack to train over throughout the morning with only five days left before the first Breeders’ Cup card.

It also came as a bit of a surprise that the turf course would be open for training on Sunday despite the rain, affording a half-dozen potential Breeders’ Cup starters to breeze over a course which has been off limits to them the past two weeks.

Trainer Wesley Ward sent all six of his potential Breeders’ Cup runners to the turf at 9:30 a.m. although two of them, THE GREAT WAR and JUDY THE BEAUTY, did little more than gallop cautiously over the wet and somewhat chewed-up course.

Ward did breeze two sets, GREEN MASK and UNDRAFTED going first, followed close behind by the team of RUBY NOTION and SHEIKH OF SHEIKHS.

Green Mask and Undrafted completed five furlongs in 1:01.95, their final quarter in 24.03 seconds, with Undrafted going easiest while sticking his head in front at the wire. They continued on even terms into the turn, pulling up six furlongs in an average 1:16.48.

Ruby Notion, with jockey Kiaran Fallon up, broke off a length in front of Sheikh of Sheikhs and held that one off to the wire with Sheikh of Sheikhs well-held on the outside after covering five furlongs in 1:01.49, his final quarter in 24.28. Ruby Notion pulled up pretty abruptly into the turn while Sheikh of Sheikhs did gallop out to where he began at the five-eighths pole.

GRAND ARCH was strictly in maintenance mode for trainer Brian Lynch, loping to the top of the stretch in 26.68 before finishing well without urging, completing an easy half-mile in 50.91 with not much in the way of a gallop-out. NEMORALIA’s rider also appeared to be very cautious, breaking away from the pony right on top of the five-furlong pole, cruising through a 27-and-change opening quarter before letting her stretch out a bit down the lane, coming home in 23.88 before easing up on the gallop-out.

The sealed track meant all scheduled main track works were postponed until Monday. BEHOLDER, in fact, had her routine gallop moved to the training track before walking over to the paddock, where she schooled for nearly a half-hour.

Among the most impressive looking gallopers over the wet track Sunday morning were YAHILWA (Distaff), who has trained with great energy here since her last start, and TAP TO IT, who two-minute clipped it down the stretch during her routine gallop. She’s scheduled to have her final prep for the Juvenile Fillies on Monday.