Higher Power leads crowd of BC contenders in morning workouts
Keeneland
Weather: Sunny
Temp. 33
Main track: Fast
Turf: Good
Lexington, Ky. - The skies were clear and cold, but the action on the racetrack was hot and heavy, with nearly 30 potential Breeders’ Cup starters getting in their final works on a crisp Saturday morning at Keeneland.
The temperature had barely edged over the freezing mark when the main track opened at 6 a.m., with a half-dozen Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants getting their business done well before dawn. The group was led by Classic contender HIGHER POWER, who worked five furlongs in 58.90 with assistant trainer Juan Leyva aboard.
Higher Power was originally scheduled to go after the renovation break. But Leyva was so impressed with the condition of the racetrack after working CHAOS THEORY four furlongs in 47.00 shortly after 6 a.m., he decided to bring Higher Power out an hour earlier than planned. The 2019 Pacific Classic winner completed his final three-eighths in 35.03 under some late urging, continuing to respond to some encouragement from Leyva to get a full six panels in 1:11.50 over the lively going. His only glitch was he did not switch leads until prompted by his rider near the furlong grounds.
Aside from Chaos Theory, who shaded :23 for his final quarter under urging before continuing out five-eighths in 59.50, other pre-dawn highlights included HARVEST MOON breezing an easy half-mile in 48.36 with Flavien Prat up, and a very sharp half-mile in 47.10 by MIDNIGHT SANDS, who flew down the stretch in 23.05 before sustaining terrific momentum into and around the turn, going out in 59.56 for five-eighths.
The action got even more frenetic after the break. The highlight of the second session was the appearance of TIZ THE LAW, who waited patiently until the first wave of workers had finished before beginning to make his way to the pole. With regular work rider Heather Smullen aboard, Tiz the Law breezed five furlongs in 59.16, completing his final quarter in 23.76 without need of prodding at any point, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.34. The Travers winner has done everything right since arriving locally several weeks ago and appears to be heading into the Classic about as sharp as he could be.
Leyva was back out after the break with Distaff contender OLLIE’S CANDY for a serious work, going six furlongs in 1:11.29 while given a target in stablemate Mongolian Hero. Ollie’s Candy broke two back, readily overtook his partner midstretch before increasing his advantage while prodded along to complete seven-eighths in 1:24.19.
Among the others to make a favorable impression after sunrise were VEQUIST and DREAMER’S DISEASE. The former, prepping for the Juvenile Fillies, breezed four furlongs in 47.48 going as easy as can be, continuing into the turn in 1:00.36 for five-eighths. Dreamer’s Disease didn’t wow anyone on the watch, but he was visually impressive completing the final quarter of a 49.39 half in 23.19 punctuated by a powerful gallop-out into and around the turn, easing up after six panels 1:14.97.
The turf course, still showing the effects of the heavy rains that pelted the area Thursday, was definitely on the softer side despite its official designation of “good”. LEINSTER was the first to test the going, bogging down some during the latter stages of a 24.69, 49.76 half-mile. He was followed by a couple of Wesley Ward teams, both laboring at the end of five-furlong drills. AFTER FIVE and GOLDEN PAL completed the distance, in company, in 1:05 and 1:05.20 respectively, and were followed by OUTADORE and CAMPANELLE, who struggled to cover the same distance in 1:07.90 and 1:08.20.