Mott trio among a dozen Breeders' Cup workers on Sunday

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bill Mott will have three chances to win two Breeders’ Cup races next Saturday at Santa Anita, and all three of his prospects went out for maintenance drills on Sunday morning, part of a group of dozen Breeders’ Cup runners who tuned up here.

Most of the 12 works were of the kind that are simply trying to keep a horse on a regular schedule days out from a championship event. Their quality, and the reaction of their trainers, ranged from a brilliant work by Improbable for the Dirt Mile to a Classic work for Mongolian Groom that his trainer worried was too slow.

Mott, a Hall of Fame trainer who has won the Classic twice previously with Cigar and Drosselmeyer, will have Yoshida and the mare Elate in this year’s race. They are part of a field of 11 expected to be entered on Monday, when final entries are due and posts are drawn for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races that will be run Friday and Saurday.

Mott also has the longshot Channel Maker in the Turf.

All three worked half-miles, all under exercise rider Juan Quintero, all going without company, one each working after each of the three renovation breaks.

Yoshida was up first. He was timed in 50 seconds by Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch – whose times are noted for all works in this story – and he galloped out strongly.

“Not looking to show off,” Mott said back at the barn. “Came through the stretch nicely, gave him a little blowout. Cooled out quick.”

Elate, an imposing specimen, was next. She went in 49.66 seconds.

“She goes so easy you don’t know if she’s going 35 or 37,” Mott said, referring to three-furlong times. “She’s very straightforward in her training, very willing.”

Channel Maker worked in 50.27 seconds. Mott preferred to work him Sunday rather than wait a day, when the turf course will be open for works.

“He’s run enough that we don’t need to teach him to run on turf,” Mott deadpanned.

Improbable was the star of the morning, one of three runners sent out for final works by Bob Baffert. With his Dirt Mile rider, Rafael Bejarano, aboard, Improbable went five furlongs by himself in 58.89 seconds, continuing a strong pattern of recent drills.

“He smoked. He was supposed to go in a minute,” Baffert said. “He was full of himself coming back.”

Bast, who goes in the Juvenile Fillies, went five furlongs in company in 1:01.25 under Drayden Van Dyke and was urged to leave her company late and on the gallop-out.

“Once she lost her company, she lost interest,” Baffert said. “This track is so heavy and deep, it’s harder to get a gauge on your horses.”

Later in the morning, Eight Rings, scheduled to go in the Juvenile, worked five furlongs in company in 59.72 seconds, also being urged late.

The races for Bast and Eight Rings are Friday, when all the Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds are contested.

Mongolian Groom, who joins Elate and Yoshida in the Classic field, worked five furlongs in 1:02.41, which concerned his trainer, Enebish Ganbat, to an extent that he had the horse examined with an endoscope to make sure he hadn’t bled.

“Scoped just in case. He scoped clean,” Ganbat said.

Mongolian Groom was caught by track clockers in 1:00.80 in his final work before his upset victory last month in the Awesome Again. Ganbat cited the difference in that time versus the time on Sunday as to why he was initially displeased with Sunday’s work, which took place after the final renovation break.

“Too slow. Last time 1:00, this time 1:02,” he said. “I need to understand it. Maybe the track is very deep.”

Paradise Woods, readying for the Distaff, went off fast during a five-furlong work in 1:00.01 for trainer John Shirreffs.

Mirth, working on the training track for Phil D’Amato, went five furlongs in 1:01.98 in preparation for the Filly and Mare Turf.

Castle Lady, also headed to the Filly and Mare Turf, was caught going three furlongs in 37.71 seconds.

Blue Chipper, the South Korean invader who is in the Dirt Mile, pretty much went at a two-minute lick for his gallop, but was timed going his final half-mile in 52.22 seconds.

Fair Maiden, who goes in the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday for Eoin Harty, worked five furlongs in company in 1:01.30 under Van Dyke.