Mshawish shines on busy day for Breeders’ Cup workers

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Friday proved to be the busiest morning yet at Keeneland for Breeders’ Cup workers, with a logjam after the renovation break caused in part by a forecast that calls for possible showers beginning around mid-morning Saturday and continuing over the next couple days.

The weather conditions did not impact trainer Todd Pletcher, who already had scheduled works for five of his Breeders’ Cup contenders Friday, four of whom worked pre-dawn. The fifth, Rachel’s Valentina, went after the break. One important work that was moved forward 24 hours due to the weather was that of Greenpointcrusader, who runs in the Juvenile.

As has been the case all week, the skies were clear and the track fast, quickening up as it always seems to after the harrows come out at 8 a.m.

Work of the day

MSHAWISH (four furlongs in 48.19 seconds for Mile) – The final time only tells a small part of the story of this work, which took place in the dark shortly after 6:30 a.m. Mshawish cruised to the top of the stretch in 26.07 before leveling out and finishing full of run, completing his final quarter in 22.12 without any real encouragement and continuing with great energy around the turn. He galloped out five-eighths in 1:00.90 before pulling up six furlongs in 1:14.18. This is the second straight extremely impressive work over the main track here for Mshawish, a turf specialist who appears to be heading into the Mile in top form.

It was a quick turnaround this morning for GREENPOINTCRUSADER, who had turned in a maintenance five-furlong work just four days earlier. The Champagne winner, Greenpointcrusader left the pole running and did not stop until he completed a lively half-mile in 46.48. His final quarter went in 22.68 without a hint of urging from jockey Joe Bravo, who was up in the irons shortly past the wire. But with a target directly in front of him in fellow Juvenile contender Sticksstatelydude, Greenpointcrusader continued strongly into the turn, galloped out five-eighths in 59.37, and looked much sharper than he had here earlier in the week.

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Greenpointcrusader was the last of four Juvenile entrants to work Friday. STICKSSTATELYDUDE also showed improvement over his previous work, which was more of a maintenance move than this morning’s easy-going 47.35 half-mile. He came home in 23.55 and galloped out just in front of Greenpointcrusader in 1:00.55 for five furlongs.

RALIS and COCKED AND LOADED rounded out the Juvenile quartet to work here Friday. Ralis went five furlongs in 1:00.87 while urged along much of the way by jockey Kieren Fallon. He eased up a bit on the gallop-out, getting six furlongs in 1:14.11. Cocked and Loaded was strictly in maintenance mode today, going an easy half-mile in 24.40, 49.20, and out in 1:02.51 for five furlongs.

The Pletcher trio of SWEET WHISKEY, RED RIFLE, and DAME DOROTHY kicked off the busy morning at 6 a.m. Sweet Whiskey was the first to go, loping along early before completing her 49.60 half-mile in 23.64, out five furlongs in 1:02.22 and up six furlongs in 1:15.85. Red Rifle came next, and the turf specialist was full of energy over the main track. He was a handful once turning down the backstretch just getting to the pole. Red Rifle went a half in 49.30 with a 23.51 final quarter, and galloped out another full three-eighths, going a strong 12.56 into the bend before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:28.78. Sweet Whiskey was the quickest of the early trio. I had her final three-eighths in 35.65 and out a furlong in a sparkling 12.02.

RACHEL’S VALENTINA went in company with overmatched stablemate Ransack, who had no bearing on the work. The Spinaway winner, Rachel’s Valentina broke off on the rail, a length in front of Ransack, and already had disposed of her partner by the time she hit the top of the stretch. The undefeated filly came down the lane solo in 23.67, completing five furlongs going easily in 1:01.27 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.31 in what basically appeared to be a second consecutive maintenance-type breeze over this track.

The biggest surprise of the morning came from DRESSED IN HERMES, a 2-year-old who is buried well down on the also-eligible list for the Juvenile Turf. It would be a shame if he didn’t get to compete, considering the way he blazed four furlongs without need of urging over the main track in 22.48 and 46.34 shortly after the break. Dressed in Hermes, who moves like a horse who’d prefer the turf, then continued out a solid five-eighths into the turn in a blistering 59.02.

FRIVOLOUS was the first to work over the fresh track after the harrows, showing big speed for the second consecutive week and getting a half-mile in 47.24 under trainer Vicky Oliver. She eased up a little quickly on the gallop-out and pulled up five-eighths in 1:00.88.

Trainer Chad Brown sent out a pair from his large contingent of Breeders’ Cup contenders, some of which still are in New York. CAMELOT KITTEN was first to go, working in company with the older Tweet Kitten, who was slightly better of the duo and completed an easy half-mile in 50.31 off a leisurely 26.60 opening split. Defending Turf Sprint champ BOBBY’S KITTEN went next and looked razor sharp over the main track, zipping the final quarter of his 47.68 half-mile in a brisk 23.05 while never asked. He galloped out strong, and got five furlongs in 1:00.87.

BEHOLDER made another very positive appearance shortly after sunrise, going a little farther – 1 1/4 miles – than the previous morning. Beholder showed great energy and cruised along at just a little over a two-minute clip down the stretch and around the clubhouse turn before pulling up near the five-furlong pole. She appears to be showing no ill effects from the mild temperature she spiked off the plane earlier this week.

SMOOTH ROLLER (Classic) continues to take things relatively easy since his arrival Monday from California. He merely jogged the wrong way accompanied by a pony once again this morning, and has galloped just once in the four days he’s been at Keeneland.

◗ RED VINE (Dirt Mile) worked five furlongs in 1:00.73 over the Belmont Park main track Friday morning under jockey Joel Rosario. Working by himself after about 9 a.m., Red Vine broke off at the half-mile pole and turned in splits of 12.48 for the first eighth and 24.47 for the quarter. He hit the wire in 48.26 and went an additional eighth in 12.47 under slight urging. Red Vine galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.04. Despite the cool morning, he had a little bit of sweat on his neck.

– additional reporting by David Grening