Welsch: Belmont BC clocker's report for Saturday, Oct. 18
Belmont Park
Main track: Fast
Training track: Fast
Weather: Cloudy, 66 degrees
Elmont, N.Y. – There are upward of 40 potential Breeders’ Cup starters currently stabled at Belmont or Aqueduct, the overwhelming majority of whom will get in all major preparation for their races prior to shipping to Santa Anita over the next 10 days.
Of that large group, only two, Zivo (Classic) and Palace (Sprint), worked Saturday, both drills coming at Belmont, one over the main track, the second over the training track, which appeared to be somewhat on the cuppy side throughout the morning.
In sharp contrast, Sunday morning figures to be chaotic one for Breeders’ Cup runners throughout the local area, with more than two dozen scheduled works, a good many of which will take place over the Belmont turf course.
Zivo (five furlongs in 1:01.21 on the main track): The Suburban winner and Jockey Club Gold Cup runner-up is usually not a flashy work horse, but he did turn in another typically efficient five-eighths drill in company with the Grade 1-placed filly Endless Chatter.
With Zivo working nearest the rail, the team barely shaded 13 seconds for the opening eighth, then began to pick up the pace on the turn. Endless Chatter was about a half a head best of the team while perhaps going a trifle easier at the wire, the duo completing a final quarter in 25.21 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.20.
Palace (six furlongs in 1:11.99 over the training track): Palace has touted his good form in the morning on many occasions this season, and he continued to indicate his sharpness Saturday with another excellent move while making a slow training-track surface look fast well after the renovation break.
With jockey Cornelio Velasquez aboard, Palace broke off at the half-mile pole and went easily to the wire in 47.24, with a 23.54 second quarter. He then continued on purposefully into and around the turn under mild encouragement, getting five-eighths in 59.68 before shading 1:12 for six furlongs.
This work was reminiscent of, if not a touch better than, the similarly orchestrated six-furlong drill he turned in over the training track prior to his victory here last June in the True North Handicap.