Mor Spirit returns to work tab, drills quick half-mile

DEL MAR, Calif. – Met Mile winner Mor Spirit, who was given an easy fortnight when he wasn’t training satisfactorily, returned to the work tab in a big way Thursday morning at Del Mar with a half-mile drill in 47 seconds that was the best of the morning at the distance.

“Worked nice. Just freshened him up,” said Bob Baffert, who had not worked Mor Spirit since a dull drill Aug. 12. “The Met Mile was a hard race on him. When he first got here, he was losing interest. He was struggling with the track. He’s fresh now, seems good.”

The main goal for Mor Spirit is the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here Nov. 3. Baffert said he could train Mor Spirit up to that race, or prep him in something like the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso, which like the Met Mile is a one-turn mile at Belmont Park. That race is Sept. 23.

Also Thursday morning, Arrogate had his second morning on the track since returning to serious training after getting 1 1/2 weeks of walking at the barn following the Pacific Classic on Aug. 19.

Baffert said Arrogate had lost weight after the Pacific Classic, but had put on quite a bit in recent days. He said Arrogate – who will not race again until the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4. – will not work again until after his barn returns to Santa Anita next week following the end of Del Mar’s meet Monday.