Gunnevera works for Breeders' Cup Classic

MIAMI, Fla. – Travers runner-up Gunnevera got a little more serious in his preparations for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4, working five furlongs in 1:00.75 over his home base at Gulfstream Park West on Saturday.

With jockey Edgard Zayas aboard, Gunnevera posted splits of 24 and 35.66 for his opening three-eighths before galloping out six panels in 1:14.63. He was pushed along early on after being chased and then joined inadvertently by an unidentified worker from another barn, who broke off behind Gunnevera at the six-furlong pole.

Gunnevera readily pulled away from his unexpected workmate through the final furlong under some light prodding by Zayas from the sixteenth pole to the wire.

Trainer Antonio Sano was not in attendance for Saturday’s work. Sano is in Italy, where his father is recuperating from successful emergency heart surgery performed earlier in the week.

Sano said by phone, several minutes after the breeze, that Gunnevera would work six furlongs here next week and have his final major Breeders’ Cup prep at Gulfstream Park West on Oct. 27 before boarding a plane for California the following day.

Sano also added that his father was doing well.

“The surgery added 25 years to his life,” Sano said.

Zayas has been Gunnevera’s regular work rider since his 2-year-old campaign. But he did not pick up the mount on the Fountain of Youth winner until guiding him to victory in the Tangelo overnight stakes at Gulfstream Park. It was Gunnevera’s first start since finishing fifth in the Preakness 2 1/2 months earlier.

Zayas also guided Gunnevera to his second-place finish behind division leader West Coast at odds of 24-1 in the Travers.

“This was his first real serious work since the Travers, the other two were very easy,” Zayas said. “I was very happy with the way he went and his gallop-out was very good. He’s not the kind of horse that’s going to kind of take you the whole way and work in 59. You have to help him a little bit. But when you ask him, he responds. And as the works keep going, he’s going to get even sharper.”

Zayas said Gunnevera heard the other horse coming up behind him immediately after breaking off.

“It got him on the muscle,” Zayas said. “He was very sharp today, a lot more so than last week.”

Zayas said he is looking forward to the opportunity being presented him by Sano to ride Gunnevera in the Classic.

“It’s obviously going to be tough going up against older horses for the first time in the Breeders’ Cup,” Zayas said. “Going into the Kentucky Derby I could tell from his workouts he was a little tired. But before the Travers, he trained the same way he did prior to the Delta Jackpot and his big races earlier this year, and it looks like he’s heading in that same direction for the Breeders’ Cup.”