Melatonin sizzles in six-furlong workout for Breeders' Cup Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. – Melatonin would enter the Breeders’ Cup Classic as the only starter with two Grade 1 wins this year at Santa Anita. He also would enter the Nov. 5 race following the longest layoff of any in the prospective field – 133 days.

Winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita his most recent start on June 25, Melatonin has been out of sight and out of mind. But on Sunday at Santa Anita, Melatonin a posted a flashy work that showed his summer setback is history.

Melatonin and jockey Joe Talamo smoked six furlongs in 1:11.80, fastest of the day over a surface that produced slow times. He finished powerfully, and galloped out huge.

“We wanted a good, solid work because I haven’t been working him that hard,” trainer David Hofmans said. Mission accomplished.

It was 6:45 a.m. when Melatonin broke far behind workmates Bluegrass Bronco and Majestic Kitten. Those two opened up several lengths on the turn, but when Talamo asked Melatonin to go after them in the lane, he took off.

Hofmans timed the final quarter-mile in 22:20 seconds; Melatonin caught his work rivals and galloped out super.

“Very good,” Hofmans said in dramatic understatement. “I thought he was not going to catch them, but he caught them.”

Melatonin has catching up to do regarding fitness. The BC Classic will be his first start in more than four months after his summer campaign was interrupted by illness at Del Mar.

“There was a little influenza that went through there. He got it, we backed off and gave him some time,” Hofmans said.

His first work back was Sept. 6, at which time the Grade 1 Awesome Again, won Saturday by California Chrome, was considered a possible comeback.

“We couldn’t make the Awesome Again. I didn’t feel comfortable pushing him,” Hofmans said. “I didn’t want to push him into that, have a hard race, and then come back [in the Breeders’ Cup].”

Instead, Hofmans will train Melatonin to the race. “He loves this track, so hopefully we’ll get there.”

Melatonin is 4 for 4 at Santa Anita, and based on his impressive Sunday workout, the gelding is on target. The BC Dirt Mile is not an option.

“He’s better at a mile and a quarter,” Hofmans said.