Finest City, West Coast drill for Breeders' Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. - Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, and West Coast, who has emerged as the dominant 3-year-old male this year, worked at Santa Anita on Sunday in advance of scheduled starts in Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

Both worked six furlongs in 1:12, which tied for the fastest times among 13 recorded works at the distance. Finest City and West Coast did not work together.

Finest City won the 2016 BC Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita and will start in the same race this year. Owned by Tyler Seltzer, Finest City has not raced since finishing third in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 8. She has been working steadily since late August at Del Mar. Trainer Ian Kruljac said a brief summer vacation was needed.

“It was the first break of her career,” he said. “She’s ready.”

West Coast, who has won four consecutive stakes since early June, worked in company with the stakes winner Cat Burglar, starting about four lengths behind, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“He broke off behind another horse and he went really well,” Baffert said.

Owned by Gary and Mary West, West Coast is part of a strong team of West Coast is part of a strong team of Baffert-trained candidates for the BC Classic, along with Arrogate, Collected, Cupid, and Mubtaahij.

West Coast’s winning streak includes the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby in July, Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August, and the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in September.

Bolt d’Oro, the leading candidate for the BC Juvenile, worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds, his first workout since an impressive win in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29.

Owner and trainer Mike Ruis described the workout as “incredible.”

“It looked like he was going in 51,” he said. “He went so smooth. It can’t get here fast enough.”

In other works, Midnight Storm, third in the 2016 BC Mile, worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds. Trainer Phil D’Amato said Midnight Storm will be pre-entered for the BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 3 and the BC Mile on Nov. 4.

Constellation, the winner of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies last December, worked seven furlongs in 1:26.80 for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint. Constellation recently joined Baffert’s stable.

Snapper Sinclair, the winner of the Fasig-Tipton Juvenile on turf at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6 worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 for the BC Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3. Steve Asmussen trains Snapper Sinclair who has won two of three starts.