Flintshire, Ectot get rare Saturday Belmont turf workout
ELMONT, N.Y. - Flintshire and Ectot, the beaten favorite and the winner, respectively, of the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on Oct. 1, returned to the worktab Saturday morning at Belmont Park as they prepare for a rematch in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.
The New York Racing Association opened the turf course Saturday for horses, and their workmates, who have Breeders' Cup plans. The turf course usually is open only on Sundays.
Flintshire, the winner of the Manhattan and Sword Dancer, went four furlongs in 50.72 seconds in company with Money Multiplier. It was an easy move, with riders of both horses - Javier Castellano was on Flintshire - maintaining a firm hold. The two galloped-out six furlongs in 1:15.01.
"They went really well," trainer Chad Brown said. "Thought it was a nice maintenance move, both horses were moving very well.”
Money Multiplier, third in the Joe Hirsch, is also pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Ectot, who led gate to wire over the soft Belmont turf in upsetting Flintshire in the Joe Hirsch, went a half-mile by himself in 49.36 seconds while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.36.
"I thought he went great. He seemed full of run throughout. It looked like he was ready for the breeze, happy to get back to work," trainer Todd Pletcher said.
Pletcher also worked Made You Look, a contender for the BC Juvenile Turf. Made You Look went five furlongs in 1:03.04 in company with About that Base, who is being pointed to the Chelsea Flower Stakes at Belmont on Oct. 30.
On dirt, Pletcher worked Curalina, who went five furlongs over the main track in 1:01, according to DRF clocker Mike Vesce.
Curalina was on the training track getting ready to breeze when a horse trained by Jimmy Jerkens fell at the wire while galloping and needed attention. Remarkably, that horse simply bled and was otherwise okay.
Curalina got to the main track just before it closed and went in splits of 12.20, 36.40, 1:01, and out six furlongs in 1:14.20.
“Thought she went very well, pricked her ears in the stretch taking it all in, very good,” Pletcher said.
Curalina is likely to be pre-entered in both the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Also working on the dirt Saturday was Mind Your Biscuits, who went five furlongs in 1:00.45 under jockey Joel Rosario. Trainer Robert Falcone Jr. is pointing Mind Your Biscuits to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Mind Your Biscuits, a 3-year-old son of Posse, won the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga, finished fifth in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop and, most recently, finished second in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing.
“If he would have had a little better trip in the King’s Bishop, he would have been in the top three, in my opinion,” Falcone said. “He didn’t have a clean trip. He deserves a shot, but it’s definitely a tough division.”
Other definite or potential Breeders' Cup horses to breeze Saturday were: Oscar Performance (half-mile on turf in company with Hammers Vision in 50.07 seconds) for the Juvenile Turf; Rymska and Beat the Benchmark (half-mile together on turf) possibly for the Juvenile Fillies Turf; New Money Honey (half-mile in 50.32 over the main track) for the Juvenile Fillies Turf; Wavell Avenue (half-mile in 49.77 seconds over the main track) for the Filly and Mare Sprint; and Paulassilverlining (half-mile in 49.99 over the training track) for a potential start in the Filly and Mare Sprint.