D'Funnybone will train in New York without a prep

The favorites for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile are safely tucked away, even while three prep races over the coming weekend could produce challengers for Lookin at Lucky and D' Funnybone. They are done for now. Next start, Nov. 7.

With a Grade 1 win over his home track, Lookin at Lucky has the comfort of training the next month from the Santa Anita barn of Bob Baffert. Meanwhile, D' Funnybone, romping winner of back-to-back Grade 2's in New York, will train in relative isolation.

"He's training on the best track in America - outer at Aqueduct," Rick Dutrow said this week, and that is where D' Funnybone will stay until on top of the Breeders' Cup.

D' Funnybone ships Nov. 3 to California.

"It's the best way," Dutrow said.

The Juvenile will be the first start in seven weeks for D' Funnybone. Dutrow will skip the Champagne on Saturday.

"I don't like the three weeks [between starts]. I like to give them plenty of time," he said.

D' Funnybone rolled to a powerful win three weeks ago (Sept. 19) in the Belmont Futurity, his second straight win after a 10-length blowout in the Saratoga Special. Dutrow is bringing a good horse to California. What it boils down to, he said, is "if our horse is looking for two turns, and he likes that track."

Those are two qualities that Lookin at Lucky already possesses.

The three weekend stakes include two Grade 1's on Saturday - the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland and the Champagne at Belmont - and the Grade 3 Grey Stakes on Sunday at Woodbine.

California shipper Make Music for Me will provide a West-Midwest form comparison when he runs in the Breeders' Futurity. Make Music for Me finished second twice to Lookin at Lucky at Del Mar. The Grade 1 Champagne includes Dublin and Aspire, one-two finishers in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga.

The Grey was won last year by Mine That Bird. This year, the early favorite is Ghost Fleet, a Canadian-bred likely pointed to the $250,000 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine on Nov. 8 and not considered a Breeders' Cup candidate.

Jung Man Scott underwent successful surgery Tuesday morning to insert screws in a fracture in his right front leg. He was injured in the Norfolk at Santa Anita and is out until sometime next year. John Scott, injured in the same race as Jung Man Scott, will undergo surgery next week.