Yahilwa goes easily but fast in Distaff work

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Just like the weather, things are beginning to heat up during training hours at Keeneland with the Breeders’ Cup now just about a week away.

The temperature was approaching 60 degrees when the main track opened for business at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, and it was a half-hour later when trainer Todd Pletcher sent out the first of his five Breeders’ Cup workers. As they have been for the past week, the skies were clear and the track fast, perhaps even a bit on the glib side, as training on the turf course remained closed for Breeders’ Cup workers until Sunday.

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YAHILWA (five furlongs in 58.90 seconds) couldn’t have looked better breezing an easy but fast five-eighths shortly after the renovation break and completing her final quarter in 23.71. She was well within herself throughout and looked happy with her ears pricked at the wire. She cruised into the turn with good energy and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.08. This filly is coming off her best race yet in the Spinster and gives every indication that another forward move might be in the offing in the Distaff.

Pletcher’s day began with Race Day and CURALINA (Distaff) breezing a solid half-mile in company. Curalina stuck her head in front briefly near midstretch before the pair finished on even terms, shading 23 for their final quarter while never being extended. They completed the distance in 47.98 before galloping out strong in 1:00.65. A thumbs-up for both horses off this move.

Regular workmates AZAR (Juvenile Turf) and THRILLED (Juvenile Fillies Turf) paired up over the main track, with Azar once again the better of the team. Both 2-year-olds were a little rank getting to the pole, with Thrilled ultimately surging about 1 1/2 lengths in front nearer the inside leaving the half-mile marker. Azar reached even terms entering the stretch and was stronger to the wire after covering the distance in 48.12. Both youngsters galloped out well, with Azar easily better, getting five-eighths in 1:00.57, up six furlongs in 1:14.13.

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LIAM’S MAP (Dirt Mile) was the first Breeders’ Cup horse to work after the renovation break, and jockey Javier Castellano had his feet on the dashboard, holding Liam’s Map to a 37.84 opening-three-eighths split. Liam’s Map got to looking around a little bit, cocking his head outward while leaving the backstretch, before quickly getting focused upon entering the turn. He looked like his usual strong self down the lane, completing a final quarter in 23.32 while still under wraps and remaining on his correct lead through the wire, something he has not always done. The gallop-out was the most impressive part of the work, as Liam’s Map eagerly continued into and around the bend, going six furlongs in 1:13.68, up seven-eighths in 1:27.08.

GOT LUCKY (Distaff) went in company with the allowance type Zambian Dream, an excellent work horse, and came out second-best of the set. Got Lucky began a length back and moved within a head of her target after a 24.41 quarter but never could get past her mate. The pair completed four furlongs in 48.61, with Zambian Dream maintaining a similar advantage on the gallop-out – five-eighths in 1:01.26 and out in 1:14.72.

SALAMA (Distaff) breezed four furlongs in company with first-level allowance winner Lurego, broke a length back, was reserved off her mate to the stretch after a leisurely 25.68 quarter, and finished well, sticking her head in front at the wire while coming home in 23.10 to complete the distance in 48.78. She continued out nicely into the turn, galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.96.

LADY SHIPMAN (Turf Sprint) turned in a bit of an unorthodox work over the main track as she broke off at the five-eighths pole closer to the outside than the inside rail. She came away from the pole with some run, shading 25 for her opening quarter, but had little zip down the stretch with jockey Paco Lopez easing up some nearing the wire. She got five furlongs in 1:03.59, with no gallop-out, although trainer Kathleen O’Connell said afterward that had she instructed Lopez not to let her do too much.

HOLY LUTE (Sprint) did not look comfortable while barely getting out of an open gallop during a visually unimpressive five furlongs in 1:05.65 (or 51.95 if taken from the half).

BEHOLDER (Classic) made her delayed but much-anticipated first visit to the track shortly after sunrise, galloping an easy mile while showing no ill effects from the slight fever she contracted after her flight to Lexington and looking as though she wanted to do much more.

Although not Breeders’ Cup bound, PROTONICO and COMMISSIONER worked in company a few minutes past 6 a.m., with Protonico the better of the team for the second straight week, completing five-eighths in 1:02.10 off a 14.15 opening quarter, with Commissioner under urging to keep pace at the end. They’ll join Race Day in the Fayette Stakes on the first day of the Breeders’ Cup.

CAVORTING (Filly and Mare Sprint) breezed four furlongs in 48.73 over the Belmont Park training track at 8:30 a.m. For the third straight work, Cavorting went her first quarter faster than her second quarter, posing splits of 23.88 and 24.85 under exercise rider Renzo Morales. However, she seemed a bit more relaxed Thursday at the start of her breeze than she had been in her previous two breezes. Morales nudged her a little in the final eighth, but as always, he didn’t allow Cavorting to gallop out much.

– additional reporting by David Grening