Rich Strike breezes half-mile for possible BC Classic start

Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike had his penultimate race breeze toward a potential start in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Classic when going a half-mile in 47.60 seconds well before dawn Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

With regular exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes aboard, Rich Strike galloped out in a minute flat over a fast track.

“He worked like a monster,” trainer Eric Reed said afterward. “He went real easy the first part and just took off down the stretch. Gabe liked to have never got him pulled up.”

The work was the first for Rich Strike since the Keen Ice colt finished a close second to Hot Rod Charlie in the Oct. 1 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs. The colt made the quick ship Friday afternoon from Reed’s Mercury training center on the outskirts of Lexington and was to return there later Saturday morning.

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Rich Strike, owned by the RED TR-Racing of Rick Dawson, has raced three times since his epic 80-1 upset of the May 7 Kentucky Derby at Churchill. He was sixth in the June 11 Belmont Stakes and fourth in the Aug. 27 Travers before his near-miss in the Lukas Classic.

Reed has not fully committed on running Rich Strike in the $6 million BC Classic at Keeneland, saying he also is considering the Nov. 25 Clark at Churchill as an alternate option. Breeders’ Cup pre-entries are due Oct. 24. For either race, Sonny Leon will have the return mount on Rich Strike.

If Dawson and Reed agree to run in the 1 1/4-mile Classic, Rich Strike would return to Keeneland “a couple days before his last work, which would be about 10 days out from the race,” Reed said. “But, right now, I honestly don’t know what to do. He’s doing so good – but his best track is Churchill. I don’t know what to do. It’s crazy.”

In other Saturday works:

*** Chad Brown, in town to saddle the two favorites for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup later in the day, worked a handful of his BC hopefuls, led by Jack Christopher, who went five furlongs in a minute flat alongside stablemate Artorius, the likely favorite next Saturday for the Grade 3 Perryville.

Brown also oversaw works for BC Distaff hopeful Search Results (5 furlongs in 1:00.60); BC Filly and Mare contender Virginia Joy (5 furlongs in 1:01 with the dogs up on the turf); BC Filly and Mare Sprint runner Goodnight Olive (5 furlongs in 1:00.60); and Juvenile prospect Blazing Sevens (4 furlongs in 48.60 seconds in company).

*** BC Classic hopeful Hot Rod Charlie also had his first work since edging Rich Strike in the Lukas Classic when going a half-mile in 49.40 seconds.

*** Before dawn at Churchill, BC Classic hopeful Cyberknife breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 in company over a fast track with regular jockey Florent Geroux up.

*** Tyler’s Tribe (BC Juvenile Turf Sprint), the unbeaten Iowa sensation, had his first feel for grass when going three furlongs in 39.80 seconds with the dogs up.

*** Jorge Delgado, in from Florida, worked both his BC hopefuls a half-mile when Awesome Strong (Juvenile) went in 49.80 and Willy Boi (Sprint) in 49.

New Year’s Eve sidelined

New Year’s Eve, the third program choice for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Saturday at Keeneland, was scratched from the Grade 1 turf race because of an apparent foot abscess, said her trainer, Brendan Walsh.

“She’s had a busy year, so we’ll probably give her a break and have her ready for a 4-year-old campaign,” Walsh said.

The highlight of the year for New Year’s Eve was her victory in the Grade 2 Edgewood at Churchill in May. The daughter of Kitten’s Joy is owned by Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Fergus Galvin.v

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