Workout report: Dayatthespa best of Brown's bunch

Belmont Park: Main track: Fast Training track: Fast Turf: Good

Weather: Clear Temperature: 53

ELMONT, N.Y. .- There might have been a chill in the air, but the action was hot and heavy out on the racetrack Sunday at Belmont Park, with more than 30 potential Breeders’ Cup starters working over the main track, training track, and turf, much of the important business taking place simultaneously over all three venues during a hectic hour between 8:45 and 9:45 a.m.

The turf course took the majority of the action and with the dogs set out approximately 25 feet to protect the inner portion of the course for the afternoon’s races, final workout times are subjective at best, with accurate gallop-out times possible to calculate only at a quarter-mile interval beyond the wire. There was a moderate tailwind blowing down the stretch, favorably influencing the final quarter-mile and gallop-out times for both main track and grass workers.

WORK OF THE DAY

Dayatthespa (four furlongs in 47.76 seconds): Filly and Mare Turf candidate was one of nine Breeders’ Cup hopefuls trainer Chad Brown worked on the grass on Sunday and she couldn’t have looked any better, striding out very impressively through the stretch, completing her final quarter in an eye-catching 22.46 while never extended at any point of a very swift but easy looking drill around the dogs.

Turf

Lady Eli/Tammy the Torpedo (five furlongs in 1:01.61 on turf): Another candidate for Work of the Day honors, Lady Eli went in company with stablemate and likely Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf rival Tammy the Torpedo. The pair broke off at the five-eighths pole and eased through a 25.61 and 38.64 three-eighths before coming home a solid final quarter in 22.97 with Lady Eli surging late to finish a head best while seemingly having plenty left in the tank outside her mate at the wire. The duo continued out strongly into the clubhouse turn, pulling up seven-eighths in 1:26.52 with the lesser regarded Tammy the Torpedo under a bit more pressure to finish but holding her own nicely with her highly regarded mate throughout this drill.

Stephanie’s Kitten (five furlongs in 1:01.32): She was the first to breeze over turf this morning along with Danza Cavello, who is not being pointed to a Breeders’ Cup event. Like Lady Eli and Tammy the Torpedo, the pair opened up with average quarter and three-eighths splits of 25.49 and 38.64 before shading 23 for their final quarter down the straight with Stephanie’s Kitten finishing about a neck behind and with her head cocked inward from the eighth pole to the wire. She was later to cause some anxious moments for Brown when dropping her rider while about to exit the course, running loose the wrong way for nearly a mile before being safely picked up by the outrider and led home seemingly none the worse for wear.

Startup Nation/Offering Plan (five furlongs in 1:01.85 on turf): This Brown set of Juvenile Turf hopefuls were in the latter stages of their work, heading down the stretch, as the riderless Stephanie’s Kitten approached from the opposite direction, forcing railbirds to hold their breath until the loose horse had safely passed the team. Jockey Jose Lezcano, aboard Offering Plan, did seem to take a hold of his mount nearing the wire but still finished a head better than Startup Nation, who remained under urging to the finish line. The duo then galloped out with good energy once in the clear while urged a bit to complete seven-eighths in 1:26.40.

Bobby’s Kitten (five furlongs in 1:00.81 on turf): Turf Sprint-bound colt took a good run at the pole before breaking off at the five-eighths marker, posted splits of 24.20 and 36.75, continued well to the wire without need of urging in a very sharp move around the dogs.

Partisan Politics/Sivouere (final half-mile in 48.25 on turf): Another set of potential Juvenile Filly Turf candidates for Brown. Picked them up at the half-mile pole, they went 24.60 to the top of the stretch, and then finished well enough down the straight with Partisan Politics proving a head best at the line with neither really being extended to finish.

Isabella Sings (final half-mile in 48.20 on turf): Worked solo for trainer Todd Pletcher, picked her up at the half-mile pole, flashed good speed, was nudged on just a bit to complete her final quarter in 23.60.

Summer Front (four furlongs in 48.20 on turf): Another Work of the Day candidate, he broke off a length behind and outside his stablemate, was hard-held through an opening quarter in 25.58 and then finished extremely well under just some mild urging to hit the wire on even terms with his partner, completing a final quarter in a wind-aided but eye-catching 22.62. The pair then continued strongly while kept under some encouragement past the wire before pulling up a big six furlongs in 1:12.69.

Seek Again (five furlongs in 1:02.06 on turf): Began a length in front of Filimbi while working nearest the rail, cruised through a 25.94 opening quarter, was on even terms at the finish line after completing his final three-eighths in 36.12 while appearing to have something left at the wire, pulled away during latter stages of the gallop-out getting seven-eighths into the clubhouse turn in 1:27.61.

Emollient ( final four furlongs in 49.03 on turf): Picked her up at the half-mile pole, clocked her in an average 37.11 for the final three-eighths of what was a five-furlong breeze while niggled on a bit to finish, pulled up fairly abruptly once passing the wire with no appreciable gallop-out.

Irish Mission (four furlongs in 52.20 on turf): Rider had him well in hand throughout a very easy, maintenance- type half-mile.

El Kabeir/Heavens Runway (five furlongs in 1:00.39 and 1:00.59 respectively on turf): El Kabeir, from the barn of trainer John Terranova, broke off a length behind and outside trainer Jimmy Toner’s horse Heavens Runway, was still a length back after hitting top of stretch in 37.20. El Kabeir looked like the stronger of the team nearing midstretch but appeared to be getting out slightly at that point, floundered a bit before straightening away to finish on even terms with his partner with both under vigorous urging nearing the wire, the duo pulling up an average seven-eighths in 1:27.

Main track

Tonalist (five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:00.57): Timed him from the five-eighths pole to the wire in 1:02.39 but the official order for the work from trainer Christophe Clement was five furlongs from the half-mile hence the faster final time. The Belmont Stakes winner, who is traditionally not a strong work horse when going solo as he did this morning, clearly did his best running (as was the case in his works leading up to the Belmont) from the finish line on out when put to some encouragement, continuing on nicely into the clubhouse turn to gallop out six furlongs (from the half) in 1:13.70 while going without blinkers.

Close Hatches (four furlongs in 49.12): Pretty much of an even, maintenance-kind of half-mile, angled about four paths off the rail turning for home, covered her final quarter in 24.69 without being asked, galloped out in 1:02.30, pulled her up three-quarters in 1:16.44. A decent move but have seen better from her in the past.

Cigar Street (five furlongs in 1:00.07): Classic hopeful posted splits of 24.80 and 36.17 to the top of the stretch, was clearly being asked to finish by his rider leaving the eighth pole narrowly shading 24 for his final quarter under pressure, out in 1:13.10, up seven-eighths in 1:27.22.

Sweet Reason (three-eighths in :34.74)- Just an easy three eighths in her first breeze since suffering an eye injury, was a little rank going to the pole but was under wraps much of the way showing good speed over a somewhat cuppy strip, galloping out a half mile in :48.59 to complete a sharp looking blowout.

Better Lucky (four furlongs in 50.91): A somewhat typical maintenance-type move for this barn, an easy half-mile in 50.91 although she did come home in a bit of a lackluster 26.15 for the final quarter with the wind to her back, galloped out in 1:05.

Training track

Carpe Diem (four furlongs in 48.26): Worked in company under jockey John Velazquez with talented mate Blofeld, seemed a little rank heading to the pole, got his opening quarter in 24.04, finished a half-length in front without need of urging, galloped out best in 1:01.66 for five-eighths, pulled up in 1:14.76 in penultimate prep for Juvenile.

Feathered (four furlongs in 50.08): Worked with Enchantress, the pair beginning at a modest pace, came home her final quarter in 24.48, finished a head best nearest the rail while going easily to the wire, galloped out about a half-length in front after five furlongs in 1:03.73.

Bio Pro (four furlongs in 48.69): Turf specialist began two lengths in front of mate Theophilia, finished a head behind while nearest the rail, the team did post a decent 24.12 final quarter before galloping out in 1:02.76.

Puca (four furlongs in 51.44): Juvenile filly loped through a 26.16 opening quarter, remained in hand to the wire, galloped out in 1:05.

Tourist (five furlongs in 1:02.84)- An average-looking five-eighths, was put under some encouragement from the sixteenth pole home to complete final quarter in 25.11, out in 1:17.28, keeping in mind this is a turf horse working on dirt.

Daredevil (four furlongs in 49.08): Worked inside mate Divine Oath, the pair covering an opening quarter in 24.58, edged a length clear while appearing to have something in reserve at the end, galloped out two lengths best in 1:02.

Wonder Gal (final five furlongs in 1:03.37): She broke off at the six-furlong pole, picked her up from the five-eighths, appeared to tire some to the line under urging, completed her final quarter in 25.75, galloped out in an average 1:17.53.