Roadster, Mystic Guide work bullets for Stidham at Fair Grounds

Friday was a black-letter kind of morning at the Mike Stidham barn at Fair Grounds, where stable inhabitants Mystic Guide and Roadster turned in bullet workouts, the fastest of the day at respective distances.

Mystic Guide worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds, the fastest of 71 four-furlong breezes and the 4-year-old’s first timed workout since Dec. 15. At that time, Mystic Guide was being considered for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, but Mystic Guide came down with a relatively minor virus making the rounds of the Fair Grounds backstretch and required time to fully recover.

Working for the first time in a month, and with no obvious immediate goal, Mystic Guide wasn’t sent out to work fast, but he did anyway.

“He looked fantastic,” Stidham said. “We just went out there for a half-mile work, and that was the time that was produced while doing it easily.”

Mystic Guide, a Godolphin homebred by Ghostzapper, debuted in February at Fair Grounds, developed steadily, and went on to win the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and finish a close second in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in October, his most recent start.

As for Roadster, he was having his first timed workout since arriving at Stidham’s barn about two weeks ago from California, where he’d been based with trainer Bob Baffert. Roadster won the 2019 Santa Anita Derby but since has lost seven in a row, his most recent start a second-place finish in the Grade 2 San Carlos on March 20. Roadster was timed in 1:00.20, the fastest of 40 works over five furlongs Friday morning.

“Roadster looked good this morning,” Stidham said Friday.

Roadster and Mystic Guide inhabit the same division – older dirt route horses – and there are suitable upcoming races for the two at Oaklawn, which hosts the Razorback on Feb. 13, and Fair Grounds, which has the Mineshaft the same day.

“Both horses are nominated to both races. We’ll see how the races are coming up, which race fits which horse better, and make a decision based on that,” Stidham said.

Stidham does know where he plans to run the Godolphin homebred Pixelate – the Pegasus World Cup Turf. Pixelate, who won the Woodchopper at Fair Grounds last month, has an invite to the Pegasus Turf, and the plan now is to send Pixelate by plane the Tuesday before the race.

“Doesn’t look like there are any superstars there, so why not take a shot,” he said.