Main Sequence on target for 2015 debut in Mac Diarmida

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Graham Motion said that Eclipse Award winner Main Sequence remains on target for the Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream a week from Saturday, a race he’ll use as a prep for the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 28. On Monday, Main Sequence worked seven furlongs around the Palm Meadows turf course in 1:23.90 in company with stablemate Bravodino, his fifth work since arriving at the training center from Fair Hill at the start of 2015.

Main Sequence was perfect in four starts in 2014, capping off his championship season with a game victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Main Sequence won Eclipse Awards for top older horse and top turf horse and finished second in the voting for Horse of the Year in 2014.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way he’s doing,” Motion said Wednesday. “He’s on the same schedule we had Animal Kingdom the year he went to and won in Dubai, other than his prep will be two weeks later and a quarter-mile longer, coming in the Mac Diarmida rather than the Gulfstream Park Turf.”

Animal Kingdom prepped for his victory in the 2013 Dubai World Cup with a second-place finish behind Point of Entry in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.

“I’ve never run Main Sequence less than a mile and three-eighths, so it didn’t make sense to do it now,” Motion said. “He’ll work an easy five furlongs next Monday and should be good to go for the race.”

Motion will have two of his top turf performers running at Gulfstream next Saturday, with Ring Weekend scheduled to launch his 2015 campaign that afternoon in the one-mile Canadian Turf. Main Sequence and Ring Weekend had been workmates up until the middle of January. On Monday, Ring Weekend went five furlongs in 58.40 seconds in company with Glenard at Palm Meadows.

Ring Weekend won three graded stakes at 3, including the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, but has not started since finishing sixth as the favorite Oct. 31 in the Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

“I originally thought briefly about running Ring Weekend in the Gulfstream Turf, but the one-mile Canadian has pretty much been the goal since we got down here,” said Motion. “I like the mile for him better than a mile and one-eighth, as well as not coming back in a Grade 1 off the layoff. It’s a logical spot to get him started, and by coincidence, the same day, Main Sequence is running, so they’ve been on the same work schedule right along.

“They had been work partners until the middle of January, when I separated them because they will be running different distances, and their preparation has been a little different since then.”

Speechify, who won the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector and the Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap to close out his 2014 campaign, worked five furlongs in 1:02.21 here Wednesday for trainer Ralph Nicks. Speechify is among the nominees for the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on Feb. 21.