Keen Ice gets green light for Breeders' Cup Classic

ELMONT, N.Y. - Keen Ice did enough in a six-furlong workout Sunday morning at Belmont Park to convince his connections to pre-enter the 2015 Travers winner in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

Keen Ice, who has only one start in seven months, went six furlongs in 1:12.84, working in company with Tommy Macho. Keen Ice, with Javier Castellano up, went his opening three furlongs in 37.08 seconds and his last three-eighths in 35.76. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:26.20 and a mile in 1:39.80.

“Well pleased with the breeze this morning and we are all systems go for the Classic,” said Jerry Crawford, the co-owner of Keen Ice who was in attendance for the breeze. “I saw him in a very steady workmanlike form. His gallop-out was at least as impressive as the breeze itself.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he saw what he was looking for from the work, which was done following the 9:30 a.m. renovation break over a track that would probably have been rated “good.”

“I thought the further he went the stronger he got,” Pletcher said. “Javier had to reach up and really pull him up at the end. I think he got what we were hoping he’d get out of it.”

Keen Ice finished eighth, 6 3/4 lengths behind California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup in March. California Chrome is the horse to beat in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, but Pletcher feels that California Chrome could get some company early in the Classic which could aid Keen Ice.

“He’s proven he wants a mile and a quarter. What he needs is a legitimate pace in front of him,” Pletcher said. “It certainly looks like this race could offer that. Obviously, it’s a very difficult race to win but the conditions could suit him.”

Though Castellano worked the horse - and rode him to his victory over American Pharoah in last year’s Travers - it is expected he will ride Shaman Ghost in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Crawford said a rider for Keen Ice would be worked out over the next couple of days. Among those who have previously ridden Keen Ice is Kent Desormeaux, a California-based jockey who was aboard Keen Ice for a second-place finish in the 2015 Haskell and a third in the Belmont Stakes.

Keen Ice was one of 15 potential Breeders’ Cup horses to work at Belmont Park on a breezy, chilly but sunny Sunday. Strong winds and a diligent maintenance crew helped get the training track in good enough condition where Pletcher and trainer Chad Brown opted to go ahead with important workouts. Pletcher worked seven of his nine Breeders’ Cup horses while Brown worked seven of what could be 12 to 14 BC runners.

Curalina may have put in the most impressive move of the morning, going five furlongs in 59.32 seconds under John Velazquez. Curalina, on the inside of Zulu, drew away from the Fountain of Youth runner-up in the final furlong while getting her final quarter-mile in 23.64 seconds, winning the work by three or four lengths. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.54 and seven furlongs in 1:27.20.

Curalina was the first horse to work following the 9:30 a.m. renovation break by which time the track was on the good side of muddy. It would turn out to be the fastest five-furlong drill of the morning.

"When she worked I thought, okay, the track is going to be really fast with the rain," Pletcher said.

Pletcher said subsequent workouts, clocked in slower times, "indicated she just worked super good. I think the track was in good shape, and it was producing fair times. She just made it look fast."

Pletcher said Curalina would be pre-entered in both the Distaff, on Nov. 4, and the Filly and Mare Sprint, on Nov. 5. As of Sunday morning, he hadn't finalized with owner Aron Wellman which race would be declared as first preference or in which race Curalina will run. There is even a chance she could be entered in both if she is allowed.

Closer to 10 a.m., Juvenile contender Syndergaard, the Champagne runner-up, had a very solid five-furlong drill in 1:00.79, pulling away from the 2-year-old maiden Kahramani late. Syndergaard, with John Velazquez up and working on the inside of his stablemate, galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.97.

“He’s a good workhorse, a talented horse, thought he breezed well,” Pletcher said. “Thought the gallop-out was encouraging again to indicate to me he’s going to handle the stretch-out in distance.”

Sweet Loretta, the dead-heat winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway, worked five furlongs in 1:01.29 in company with the 2-year-old maiden colt Win With Pride. Sweet Loretta got her final quarter-mile in 24.30 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.69.

“She’s a filly that doesn’t carry a tremendous amount of excess weight; she’s a natural fit individual so trying to balance it out putting some good works into her without overdoing it,” Pletcher said. “Today and last week we asked her to do a little more.”

Photo Call, who upset Tepin in the First Lady, worked a half mile in 49.43 seconds. She took a funky step nearing the wire as did a few other horses that breezed - owing to a puddle near the wire.

Pletcher said Photo Call was fine back at the barn. She will be pre-entered in both the Mile and Filly and Mare Turf with the Mile "probably" being given first preference, Pletcher said.

Turf was unavailable to breeze over on Sunday so Pletcher worked his pair of Juvenile Turf horses - Made You Look and J.S. Choice - on dirt. They went a half-mile in 50.22 seconds.

Pletcher did say that Theory, last weekend's Grade 3 Futurity winner, would be pre-entered in the Juvenile. That horse will work next weekend.

Champagne and Hopeful winner Practical Joke was among seven potential Breeders’ Cup horses who worked Sunday morning for Brown over the training track. Practical Joke, working in company with Favorable Outcome, went a half-mile in 49.06 seconds, with a final three furlongs in 36.20.

“I thought he worked great and galloped out great,” Brown said.

Brown wants to work Favorable Outcome on turf and plans to do that next week. He said Favorable Outcome will be pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf. Brown was not sure as of Sunday if Favorable Outcome would be pre-entered in the Juvenile on dirt.

New Money Honey, who as a maiden won the Miss Grillo on turf, worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds in company with Going for Broke. Brown said New Money Honey could be pre-entered in both the Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf.

At 7:45 a.m., when the track was a little heavier, Wavell Avenue, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner, worked five furlongs by herself in 1:01.12 with a final quarter-mile in 24.08.

“I thought she worked terrific,” Brown said. “On a track that still had a lot of water in it she was impressive. She continues to train very, very well.”

Wavell Avenue will be joined in the Filly and Mare Sprint by Irish Jasper, who worked a half-mile in 50.00 seconds in company with Zindaya. She galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.30. Irish Jasper is being pointed to the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Ticonderoga worked a half-mile in 49.91 seconds with Heaven is Waiting. Ticonderoga will be pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf, Brown said. A Lot worked a half-mile in 48.08 seconds in preparation for the Turf Sprint.

Green Mask, trained by Brad Cox, went a half-mile in 46.55 seconds in preparation for the Turf Sprint.