ELMONT, N.Y. – Tonalist, the Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, worked five furlongs in 1:00.56 over the Belmont main track Sunday morning in preparation for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Originally scheduled to work in company, Tonalist worked by himself under Lee Vickers. Given a good run up to the half-mile pole by Vickers, Tonalist went his opening quarter in 24.12 seconds and got his final three-eighths in 36.44. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.01.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott admits the poor performance by Close Hatches in the Grade 1 Spinster two weeks ago still has him puzzled. But after watching his filly train Sunday at Belmont Park, he remains steadfast about giving her another chance in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a race in which she finished second last year.
Working by herself over the main track after the renovation break Sunday, Close Hatches breezed four furlongs in 49.12 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Exercise rider Steve Schmez was up for the move.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder is out of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The two-time champion filly spiked a temperature on Sunday, was treated with medication, and will not pre-enter the Distaff scheduled for Oct. 31 at Santa Anita.
“She had a temperature, we had to treat it, and she’s not going to be able to run,” trainer Richard Mandella said late Sunday morning. Breeders’ Cup pre-entry deadline is Monday; fields will be announced Wednesday.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Stephanie’s Kitten gave her connections a scare Sunday when she got loose following a workout at Belmont Park, but she was uninjured and remains on target for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.
Stephanie’s Kitten, the Grade 1 Flower Bowl winner, was leaving the Belmont turf course when she got spooked by a noise, wheeled, and unseated her exercise rider, Walter Malasquez. Stephanie’s Kitten ran back onto the course and went almost an entire lap around before being corralled by an outrider.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The visually impressive workout by Untapable on Sunday morning at Santa Anita was so fast trainer Steve Asmussen declined to reveal the time on his stopwatch.
“I’ll let them say that,” Asmussen said, referring to track clockers.
The official time was 58.60 seconds, co-fastest five furlongs of the day and a move that further confirms Untapable as a top contender for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Oct. 31. BC Sprint contender Big Macher also worked five furlongs in 58.60.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Tapiture had been under consideration for both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Dirt Mile, but after he worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds on Sunday morning here at Santa Anita, owner Ron Winchell said it was most likely that Tapiture would go in the Dirt Mile, and wouldn’t even be cross-entered in the Classic at the pre-entry stage on Monday.
“The Dirt Mile is more his spot at this point in his career,” said Winchell, who watched the work with trainer Steve Asmussen. “The Classic looks tough. I guess we have to decide by noon tomorrow.”
ELMONT, N.Y. - Sweet Reason, who came out of her second-place finish in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 20 with an eye injury, returned to the work tab Sunday morning, drilling three furlongs in a quick 34.63 seconds over Belmont Park’s main track, a move that convinced her connections to move on to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Trainer Art Sherman stood in the stands at Los Alamitos on Saturday morning, a few minutes before California Chrome was to come on the track and work in preparation for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita. This was to be the longest and most important of the four works he will have prior to the race, and Sherman was anxious that it would go as planned.
He turned to a visitor and said he had told jockey Victor Espinoza to go six furlongs in about “1:12 and 2,” and then gallop out seven-eighths.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder will have one more work before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but her workout Saturday at Santa Anita was the final major drill, and trainer Richard Mandella turned it into a mini-race.
Beholder worked seven furlongs under jockey Mike Smith at 8 a.m. She broke off behind two workmates, tracked those two until the lane, ran past at the eighth pole, and galloped out a mile in 1:38.
Mandella said he works horses in company “when it’s time for a serious work. She needed a real work.”
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.
