War Story earns bullet working for Southwest

War Story and Mr. Z were among a handful of Southwest Stakes workers Wednesday at Oaklawn. It was sunny and in the 30s, and the track was listed as “fast.” War Story and Mr. Z breezed in the first set, with Lecomte Stakes runner-up War Story going a half-mile in a bullet 47 seconds in his first drill at Oaklawn.

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War Story, working by himself, skipped over the track, breezing from the half-mile pole to the wire. Oaklawn head clocker Jim Hamilton caught the horse in fractions of 12 seconds for the opening eighth of a mile and 23.60 for the first quarter. Hamilton had War Story’s final quarter in 23.40 and caught him galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.

“The work went well,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “It was quicker than we anticipated, but I believe part of that was due to how quick the surface was this morning. In any case, he cooled out like we wanted to see.”

Amoss said War Story remains on schedule for the Southwest with one caveat. He said if a forecast that calls for freezing and steady rain throughout Monday materializes, “we would forsake the race.”

Mr. Z worked shortly before War Story, also going by himself while covering a half-mile in 49.20 seconds. Hamilton caught the horse in fractions of 13.20 seconds for the opening eighth of a mile, 26.40 for his first quarter, and 22.80 for his final quarter. Mr. Z, who drifted in the stretch when third in last month’s $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn, hugged the rail into the stretch in his work and ran straight and true to the wire. Hamilton caught him galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.60.