Muth gets back to work for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
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Four-time stakes winner Muth worked a half-mile in 47.40 seconds on Monday at Santa Anita, moving closer to a scheduled start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
The exercise was Muth’s first workout since the 3-year-old colt finished last of six in the Grade 1 California Crown on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita, a loss trainer Bob Baffert described a day later as leaving him “very puzzled.”
Muth’s loss in the California Crown ended a three-race winning streak that included the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in March and his comeback in the Shared Belief Stakes at a mile for 3-year-olds on Sept. 1 at Del Mar. Muth was the morning-line favorite for the Preakness Stakes in May, but was held out of the race because of illness.
In a text message, Baffert said that Muth “worked well” on Monday.
Last November, Muth was second to Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.
Baffert had a busy morning of works by leading runners Monday. The 2-year-old Grade 1 stakes winners Citizen Bull and Gaming each worked five furlongs in 59 seconds for scheduled starts in the BC Juvenile on Nov. 1.
Gaming won the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 8, but was held out of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 5 at Santa Anita, a race Citizen Bull won by leading throughout.
Newgate, a contender for the BC Classic, worked five furlongs in 1:00. Newgate, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, finished third by a head to Subsanador in the California Crown.
Subsanador was declared from consideration for the BC Classic on Saturday by trainer Richard Mandella because of an ankle injury. Mandella said Sunday that Subsanador will resume training in January and will not need an operation.
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