Pessin isn't second-guessing his Bell's the One decision
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Neil Pessin has no regrets. Even though he was correct in suspecting heavily favored Gamine was ripe for an upset, the trainer also believes he made the right move by not sending his stable star Bell’s the One to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
“My decision not to run was based strictly on transportation,” Pessin said early Monday.
With local charter flights unavailable, Pessin thought the trip to Del Mar by way of Indianapolis could be too taxing for Kentucky-based horses such as Bell’s the One. Whatever the case, Pessin, watching from Churchill Downs, merely shrugged his shoulders after Ce Ce won the BC Filly and Sprint, with Gamine laboring home third at 2-5 in a field of just five.
Waiting instead to run Bell’s the One this coming Saturday in the $300,000 Dream Supreme at Churchill, Pessin made very productive use of his Breeders’ Cup weekend anyway. He won a Friday allowance with Audrey’s Time, then came right back Saturday to win an allowance with Happy American. Both were second-level allowances at the traditional Kentucky Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles on the main track, with both horses earning $77,380 for owner Bob Lothenbach.
“We can’t complain too much,” said Pessin. “I love these mile and quarter races. They’ve only got so many of them here.”
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Bell’s the One – a last-out winner of the Oct. 9 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, from which her expenses-paid BC berth went unused – had her final prep for the six-furlong Dream Supreme when breezing a half-mile Saturday in 48.60 seconds at Churchill.
“She’s about as good as I can get her,” said Pessin, adding the 5-year-old mare will be turned out four to six weeks after this race prior to being brought back for a 6-year-old campaign for Lothenbach.
The Dream Supreme is coming up particularly deep this year. Bell’s the One and her familiar rival Sconsin both will go, with Club Car and Frank’s Rockette among the rest.
Sconsin and Club Car also had been considered for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint before their connections decided against going. Sconsin was sent through her main breeze for the Dream Supreme when going a half-mile for Greg Foley on Thursday in 49.40 seconds at Churchill, while Club Car, the TCA runner-up, has not worked since Oct. 24 at Keeneland.
Club Car “gallops very strong and runs well fresh,” said trainer Brad Colebrook. “We plan on running.”
Two allowances on tap
A pair of allowance sprints are the prime offerings Thursday at dirt-only Churchill, where first post is 1 p.m. Eastern.
Race 4 is a five-furlong race that drew just five 3-year-old fillies for a $160,000 purse. Abrogate is the 6-5 program favorite over Miss Speedy (7-5) in a race with wide-open conditions.
Race 8 is a 5 1/2-furlong dash in which Beverly Park will risk a seven-race win streak when trying to get through his first allowance condition as a lukewarm program favorite in a field of eight vying for a $127,000 purse. The 4-year-old colt has won five straight starter-allowances since being claimed in August by owner-trainer Norman Cash.
The Churchill racing office, hamstrung by not having turf racing to offer horsemen at this meet, has slimmed down the Thursday and Friday cards to nine races each. Through the first six programs at the 21-day meet, field size is averaging 7.66 starters per race. The turf course is expected to be ready next spring after undergoing a $10 million renovation.