Keeneland: Wise Dan tunes up on Polytrack

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wise Dan had his first workout since his lengthy win streak was halted when he breezed a half-mile in 47.40 seconds before dawn Friday on the Polytrack course at Keeneland.

Trainer Charlie LoPresti had wanted to breeze Wise Dan, the 2012 Horse of the Year, on the turf, but recent rain led him to settle on the Polytrack.

“I thought the grass might be a little soft, so we went ahead with this,” he said. “It was really no big deal either way.”

Wise Dan most likely will breeze once more before being flown Oct. 29 to Southern California, where he will defend his title in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Mile on the Santa Anita turf. The 6-year-old Wise Dan was upset by Silver Max in his last start, the Oct. 5 Shadwell Mile, after winning his nine previous starts.

Keeneland clocker Billy Pettingill said his impression of the work was that Wise Dan “is an angry horse and wants to get back at somebody. He knows he got beat. He is some kind of rippled out and dappled and looking great.”

Wise Dan wasn’t the only champion coming off a surprising loss to work Friday at a Kentucky track. Groupie Doll had her first breeze since finishing third in the Oct. 5 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, going a bullet half-mile in 46.40 over a fast main track at Churchill Downs.

Groupie Doll also will work once more before being flown Oct. 29 to defend her title in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint for trainer Buff Bradley.

In one other notable Friday work at Churchill, Will Take Charge went six furlongs before dawn in 1:14.40 in his final breeze before leaving Tuesday for California for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.