Oasis Dream walks, Peace Rules works

ARCADIA, Calif. - At two Southern California racetracks on Monday, top 3-year-olds Oasis Dream and Peace Rules took different paths in their preparation for Saturday's $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Mile.

Oasis Dream, the English invader, cleared quarantine and took a walk through the Santa Anita backstretch and paddock with jockey Richard Hughes. He is among the favorites for the Mile.

Peace Rules worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds at Hollywood Park. As he was galloping out, exercise rider Marco Ramirez was unseated when his left iron broke. Peace Rules ran off through the Hollywood Park backstretch before being caught and taken back to trainer Bobby Frankel's barn. Peace Rules was not injured, Frankel said.

Oasis Dream is among the top candidates for the Mile, along with French 3-year-old filly Six Perfections and Southern California stakes winners Designed for Luck and Special Ring.

Oasis Dream has won two major sprints this year in England - the July Cup at six furlongs and the Nunthorpe Stakes at five furlongs. The Mile will be his first start beyond six furlongs.

Trainer John Gosden cites the win in the July Cup at Newmarket on July 10 as evidence that Oasis Dream can be effective going a mile. In the final strides of the July Cup, Oasis Dream was pulling clear, and he won by 1 1/2 lengths over Choisir, who won two sprints at Royal Ascot this year.

"It's a stiff six and an uphill finish," Gosden said. "It was encouraging."

Oasis Dream has not raced since finishing second in the six-furlong Haydock Park Sprint Cup on Sept. 6. The race was run on a yielding turf course that Oasis Dream did not like, according to Gosden. Oasis Dream was scratched from the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp earlier this month because of similar conditions.

To continue preparation for the Breeders' Cup Mile, Oasis Dream subsequently had a workout at Ascot. "He was fully fit going to Longchamp, so fitness is not an issue," Gosden said.

What could be a problem is a crowded 14-horse field. Oasis Dream is expected to be close to the front, and Gosden is banking on his turn of foot to be an asset.

"He's got that kind of speed," Gosden said. "So much is down to the draw in this race. You'd love to be drawn anywhere between four and eight."

Peace Rules will be trying turf for the first time since winning the minor Hill Rise Stakes here last December against 2-year-olds. Third in the Kentucky Derby, he has not started since finishing second in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23.

"I think the mile is a great distance for him," Frankel said. "With his kind of speed and he's so fresh, it's a perfect scenario."

The longshot Century City worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds on Monday at Hollywood Park. Trained by Beau Greely, Century City was third behind Designed for Luck in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile on Oct. 5.

- additional reporting by Brad Free