West Coast, Accelerate prep for BC Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. - The champion West Coast, and leading Breeders’ Cup hopefuls such as Accelerate, Catalina Cruiser, City of Light, McKinzie and Selcourt were among 144 recorded works on a gray morning at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Accelerate, the leading older male in California this year, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds for the BC Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

The workout was delayed a day after the track was closed on Saturday morning because of rain. Trainer John Sadler said the surface on Sunday was still wet. He timed Accelerate galloping-out six furlongs in 1:12.20.

“He likes a little bit of a track with moisture in it,” Sadler said. “Normally, he works a little slower, but I think the track is a little on the tighter side.”

Accelerate won the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29, his fourth win at the highest level this year. West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male of 2017, was second in the Awesome Again in his first start since a second in the Dubai World Cup in March.

West Coast worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds for the BC Classic on Sunday under jockey Drayden Van Dyke. Trainer Bob Baffert timed West Coast galloping-out six furlongs in 1:12.54.

“He came off the track and he wasn’t even blowing,” Van Dyke said. “The last race did him good.”

:: Breeders' Cup PPs: Choose from three plans, packages include PPs, strategies & more

McKinzie and Axelrod, the first two finishers of the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 22, worked Sunday for the BC Classic. McKinzie worked six furlongs in 1:12.

“He looked good,” Baffert said.

Axelrod, trained by Michael McCarthy, worked a half-mile in 51.40 seconds.

McCarthy worked four other candidates for Breeders’ Cup races. Liam the Charmer, who could start in the BC Turf, worked a half-mile in 51.40 seconds, his first major exercise since a win in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 30.

City of Light, who beat Accelerate in the Oaklawn Handicap in April, worked a half-mile in 50 seconds and is bound for the BC Dirt Mile.

Paved, a candidate for the BC Filly and Mare Turf, and Vibrance, a hopeful for the BC Juvenile Fillies, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds in company.

The BC Dirt Mile is led by Catalina Cruiser, who is unbeaten in four starts for Sadler. On Sunday, Catalina Cruiser worked six furlongs in 1:12 under Van Dyke.

“He was really relaxed,” Van Dyke said. “He can be a little aggressive.

“I like where his mind is. It was a nice workout.”

In other workouts, Selcourt worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint. Trained by Sadler, Selcourt has not raced since a win in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes here in March.

“She’s coming along,” Sadler said.

Gunmetal Gray, second to the highly rated Game Winner in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes on Sept. 29, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 for the BC Juvenile, which will include Game Winner.

Gunmetal Gray is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.