Santa Anita: Drill recovered and ready for BC Juvenile push

ARCADIA, Calif. – Drill has sufficiently recovered from an elevated temperature detected earlier this week to resume training on Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said.

The winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last month and the runner-up in the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, Drill is a leading candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.

Earlier this week, Baffert said Drill was battling an illness, but he said on Friday he has recovered.

“His blood work is normal,” Baffert said.

“As long as he doesn’t have a relapse, we’re good. He never got really sick.”

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Drill has won 2 of 4 starts and $238,150.

Baffert said that an illness affected several horses in his stable, including Santa Anita Derby winner Midnight Interlude, who is scheduled to make his next start in the $150,000 Oak Tree Derby over 1 1/8 miles on turf next Saturday. Friday, Midnight Interlude worked six furlongs in 1:13.80, his first workout since late August.

The Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby is also expected to include Dreamy Kid, the winner of the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park in July, and Venomous, who was third in the French 2000 Guineas in May and will join trainer Leonard Powell’s stable this fall.

As many as four horses from the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby may be in the field. Aside from runner-up Midnight Interlude, the candidates include Cloud Man, Lil Bit O’Fun and Thirtyfirststreet, who were fourth, seventh and eighth.

The Oak Tree Derby will be the stakes debut of Ultimate Eagle, who has won his last two starts.