Juvenile favorites post sharp workouts

ARCADIA, Calf. - While their workouts took place 2,500 miles apart Monday morning on opposite ends of the country, the two favorites for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile elicited similar glowing reviews from their trainers.

Lookin at Lucky worked a half-mile at Santa Anita, after which Bob Baffert confidently stated, "That was good, he's ready." Joe Steiner worked Lookin at Lucky in company behind El Martillo; Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch timed him in 47.35 seconds.

D' Funnybone worked five furlongs at Aqueduct, a move that trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said "could not have been any better." Exercise rider Rudy Rodriguez worked D' Funnybone; Aqueduct clockers timed him in 59.94.

Lookin at Lucky, unbeaten after four starts, is expected to start favored Saturday in the Juvenile; D' Funnybone, switching surfaces and stretching out to 1 1/16 miles following two blowout Grade 2 sprint wins on New York dirt, is expected to start as the second choice.

Baffert said the workout for Lookin at Lucky was "just cruising around; I just want to keep him happy." With a two-turn Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes victory at Santa Anita already under his belt, Baffert has kept Lookin at Lucky in a holding pattern.

"I don't need to train him that hard, because I know he can run that far," Baffert said. "He's really fit now."

Lookin at Lucky is 4 for 4 and has won at Hollywood Park, Del Mar, and Santa Anita.

D' Funnybone, who was to ship Tuesday from New York to California, will be making his first start on synthetic and his first start around two turns. He won the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special by more than 10 lengths, and followed with a 4 3/4-length victory Sept. 19 in the seven-furlong Belmont Futurity.

Dutrow recognizes the challenges facing D' Funnybone. "He has three hurdles to cross - we have to fly out, go two turns, and run on synthetic." He added, "We're not really worried a whole lot, only because our horse is doing so good."

Noble's Promise came out of his five-furlong workout Sunday in good shape, according to trainer Ken McPeek. The workout was crucial for the Keeneland Breeders' Futurity winner, because he missed a half-mile work last weekend with a leg infection.

Aspire, third-place finisher in the Grade 1 Champagne on Oct. 10, worked a half-mile Monday at Santa Anita in 47 seconds. Aikenite, runner-up in the Breeders' Futurity, had the fastest five-furlong work on Sunday at Belmont, 59.94.