Honor A. P. leads parade of high-profile Saturday workers

DEL MAR, Calif. – Led by Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P., a trio of prospects for next Saturday’s Shared Belief Stakes all worked Saturday at Del Mar during a busy morning that saw 195 horses record drills, including important preps by the older horse Improbable, the terrific 3-year-old sprinter Collusion Illusion, and the older mare Ollie’s Candy.

Honor A. P. worked in company after the second of the morning’s renovation breaks, around 7:45. He came through the paddock, up the tunnel, and onto the course, then jogged around to the five-furlong pole, from which he began his drill. He started off about three lengths behind his workmate and was one length in front crossing the finish in 1:01.20 before galloping out to the seven-furlong pole.

John Shirreffs had his assistant trainer, Cisco Alvarado, aboard for the work because Del Mar is not allowing jockeys to work horses, even if they come through the paddock first, a more restrictive policy than was in effect at Santa Anita. Shirreffs had been desirous of regular jockey Mike Smith being aboard on Saturday, and expressed displeasure with the inconsistency from track to track.

What he was pleased with was the way Honor A. P. went about his business.

“I was very happy with the way he worked this morning,” Shirreffs said. “He finished really well.”

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Only a handful of challengers are expected to face Honor A. P. in the Shared Belief, a 1 1/16-mile race that will serve as the final local prep for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5. It is worth 85 points overall, with 50 to the winner.

Two of the expected challengers are the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Cezanne and Thousand Words, who worked in company, going six furlongs after beginning at the five-furlong pole. They were even throughout and were given identical times of 1:13.80.

Baffert earlier Saturday morning sent out Improbable for his final work in advance of a start next Saturday at Saratoga in the Grade 1 Whitney. With exercise rider Juan Ochoa aboard, Improbable went seven furlongs in 1:25.80, his work compromised by a warning horn that sounded near the end of the drill after a horse dislodged an exercise rider.

Eight Rings, also trained by Baffert, will be joining Improbable on the flight to New York this week. He runs in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens, also Saturday.

Collusion Illusion, who had been under consideration for both the Jerkens and the Grade 1 Bing Crosby here next Saturday, will remain home, trainer Mark Glatt said Saturday, shortly after Collusion Illusion sped three furlongs in 36 seconds, the fastest time of 23 at the distance.

“He breezed great. We’re going to run here,” Glatt said. “There’s just too many variables shipping to New York, including that I can’t send someone with the horse. He’s never shipped, so I don’t know if he’d ship so well. We’ll take what’s right in front of us.”

Collusion Illusion will be taking on elders in the six-furlong Crosby, but the older sprint division here does not have a lot of depth, and by facing elders Collusion Illusion gets a weight break. In addition, Collusion Illusion is unbeaten in two starts at Del Mar, including the Grade 2 Best Pal last summer, and he will be able to keep regular rider Flavien Prat, who would not be able to ride Collusion Illusion in the Jerkens.

Glatt likely will double up in the Crosby, as he also has the older horse Law Abidin Citizen pointing for the race. Also likely for the Crosby is John Sadler-trained Flagstaff, who flew through a half-mile in 47.60 seconds on Saturday.

Ollie’s Candy, in her final drill for a title defense in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch on Aug. 2, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds for Sadler.