Drill Down's workout calms Machowsky

DEL MAR, Calif. - By 2 a.m. on Thursday, Mike Machowsky had abandoned hope of getting any sleep. His top 2-year-old, Drill Down, was a few hours from a workout and Machowsky could not stop thinking about it.

"I couldn't sleep well," he said.

Six hours later, Machowsky's mind was at ease. Drill Down, a sharp maiden winner last month and probable favorite for the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 5, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 to remain on course for the meeting's championship race for 2-year-olds.

Machowsky timed Drill Down through an opening half-mile in 48.60 seconds and a final quarter-mile in 25 seconds. The official time was the third-fastest of 12 recorded works at the distance Thursday.

"He went off nice and easy and finished up well," Machowsky said. "He's doing great, and he's getting smarter."

Owned by William and Suzanne Warren, Drill Down won a six-furlong maiden race by 2 1/4 lengths on July 28. The race has turned out to be productive. Shore Do, the fourth-place finisher, won a maiden race on turf on Wednesday. E Z's Gentleman, who finished in ninth place, won a maiden race on the main track last Sunday. Overextended, the runner-up on July 28, was second to E Z's Gentleman last week.

Overextended and E Z's Gentleman may start in the Futurity, which has nine probable starters. The most accomplished runner is Salute the Sarge, who has won the Hollywood Juvenile Championship and Best Pal Stakes this summer.

The others are Dixie Chatter, Georgie Boy, Kanan Dume, Leonides, and Whatever Whenever.

Trainer Ron McAnally said E Z's Gentleman's status will be assessed closer to the race.

Georgie Boy, the runner-up to Salute the Sarge in the Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 12, will be ridden for the first time by jockey Garrett Gomez in the Futurity, according to trainer Kathy Walsh. Gomez is riding in New York, but that circuit does not race on Sept. 5.

Leonides was scratched from the Best Pal with a fever, according to trainer Vladimir Cerin. Thursday, Leonides worked five furlongs in 1:01, which equaled the 17th fastest of 53 times at the distance. Cerin timed Leonides in 1:01.80.

Leonides will be ridden by Joe Talamo in the Grade 1 Futurity, which is run over seven furlongs. A confident Cerin described Leonides as "better than ever" since returning to training after being given a few days off.

"He spiked a little temperature the day before the [Best Pal], and I wanted to be safe with him," Cerin said. "I know if you're not safe, you're almost always sorry."

Whatever Whenever, the winner of the Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes at Santa Rosa on Aug. 5, will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, according to trainer Peter Miller. Whatever Whenever was third to Salute the Sarge in the Hollywood Juvenile on July 4. The Futurity will be Whatever Whenever's first start on Del Mar's Polytrack synthetic surface.

"It remains to be seen whether he'll like the track and seven furlongs," Miller said.

Thinking BC with Shore Do

Shore Do won his turf debut in Wednesday's third race and is considered a candidate for the newly created $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26, trainer Chuck Peery said.

Shore Do was making his second start on Wednesday. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Shore Do ($8.40) rallied from seventh in a field of 10 to finish a neck in front of Nutzapper. Talamo, aboard Nutzapper, claimed foul against Shore Do alleging interference in early stretch, but the stewards did not change the order of finish.

Shore Do ran a mile on turf in 1:35.90.

Thursday, Perry said he had discussed plans for Shore Do with the partnership that owns the Include colt - Mike Connors, Jim Hawkins and Kevin and Terry Jacobson. Shore Do will be pointed for the $150,000 Woodford Reserve Bourbon Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Keeneland on Oct. 7. If he runs well there, the $1 million BC Juvenile Turf becomes a stronger possibility for Shore Do.

"It has a nice ring to it," Peery said of the seven-figure purse.

Guns on the Table faces O'Neill trio

Guns on the Table, fifth behind Drill Down on July 28, starts in a $53,000 maiden special weight race over 5 1/2 furlongs on Saturday. He faces a field that includes Gone Grand, a runner-up in a maiden race on Aug. 4, and eight first-time starters.

Guns on the Table was beaten 6 3/4 lengths by Drill Down in his debut. Trained by Bob Baffert, Guns on the Table has drawn the outside post in a field of 10 and will wear blinkers for the first time.

Trainer Doug O'Neill has three starters: Gone Grand and the first-time starters Stalemate and Success Fee.

Gone Grand, who will wear blinkers for the first time, was beaten five lengths by Good Man Dan. O'Neill described Gone Grand as "a live horse of the three that I run."

Success Fee, by Mineshaft, was purchased for $500,000 at the Keeneland April sale of 2-year-olds in training by Paul Reddam.

"I think he'll need a race," O'Neill said.

Stalemate, by Dixieland Band, "has a pedigree that says more ground," O'Neill said.

Red Door Drive, trained by Ron McAnally, has drawn the rail.

"He'll need a race," McAnally said.

Student Council hits the track

Student Council, the upset winner of the $1 million Pacific Classic last Sunday, resumed trackwork on Thursday. Trainer Vladimir Cerin said that Student Council jogged on the main track.

The $500,000 Goodwood Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting on Sept. 29 is Student Council's next goal, Cerin said.

* Presidential hopeful and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in the winner's circle for Wednesday's sixth race at Del Mar. The race was named in his honor.