Domestic Spending still a go for Breeders' Cup Mile
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Domestic Spending and Virginia Joy worked five furlongs in company over the Keeneland turf course Saturday morning – same time, but entirely different works.
Virginia Joy, who is bound either for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf or Breeders’ Cup Turf, basically had completed her workout when the pair hit the finish line together, but Domestic Spending just was getting warmed up. Urged by his rider into the clubhouse turn, Domestic Spending galloped out around the bend and onto the backstretch with even more force than through the homestretch in what may have been the best turf work of the morning.
It impressed his trainer, Chad Brown, who confirmed afterward that provided Domestic Spending came out of the work with no issues, the audacious plan to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Mile would go forth.
The race would be the 5-year-old gelding’s first since the Mr. D Stakes in August 2021. Domestic Spending was training toward the Breeders’ Cup Turf last fall at Del Mar when he injured a suspensory ligament. The setback took him out of training several months, but Domestic Spending so impressed Brown with the way he came back that the Mile became a potential target several weeks ago.
“It’s a tall order. I have him as ready as a I can, given the timeframe I’ve had to work with,” Brown said.
Virginia Joy last saw action Sept. 3, when she won the Flower Bowl by a neck over leading BC Turf hope War Like Goddess. Brown said instructions to his rider Saturday morning were to shut Virginia Joy down at the finish while Domestic Spending went on.
“He continues to gallop out away from her because he’s coming off a much longer layoff,” Brown said. “They’ve done that the last three weeks. I thought the work was excellent.”
Virginia Joy upset War Like Goddess in the 1 3/8-mile Flower Bowl after she set a slow pace and War Like Goddess had a very compromised trip. Brown said he and owner Peter Brant were “leaning toward” the Filly and Mare Turf over the Turf with the mare; Virginia Joy better suits the Turf’s 1 1/2 miles than the Filly and Mare Turf’s 1 3/16 miles, but Brown said he wasn’t eager to run against males.
Brown’s second Mile entrant, the 6-year-old mare Regal Glory, worked in company with Rougir, another one of his Filly and Mare Turf hopes. Track clockers had that pair going a half-mile in 49.80. Rougir will be a longshot in her race, despite winning the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine last out, while Regal Glory should garner plenty of support in the Mile, which Brown won with the mare Uni in 2019.
“They just worked a half-mile real comfortable,” Brown said. “They’re running on four weeks' rest, so I’m just doing some maintenance with both of them.”
Brown’s lone solo turf worker was In Italian, who beat Regal Glory here earlier this month in the one-mile First Lady and is a major player in the Filly and Mare Turf. Track clockers had In Italian going an easy half-mile in 50.80.
“She’s a very willing work horse and she, too, is running back in four weeks. I thought she had a very strong race making all the fractions [in the First Lady]. She doesn’t need much; she’s very fit now.”
Before the turf course opened for training, Brown put Jack Christopher, confirmed for the Sprint, and Goodnight Olive, a key contender in the Filly and Mare Sprint, through solo half-mile drills on the main track. Track clockers got Jack Christopher, who also had been considered for the Dirt Mile, in 48.60, while Goodnight Olive, last seen winning the Ballerina at Saratoga on Aug. 28, got an official time of 47.80.
“You see some of my horses went solo this week because they had really stiff works last week, which was what I wanted,” said Brown, who often works horses in pairs. “All my solo works went beautiful - exactly what I was looking for.”
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