Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Juvenile Fillies: Sky Diva breezes

At the Fair Hill training center in Maryland, Frizette winner Sky Diva breezed six furlongs in 1:13 Saturday under exercise rider Holly Webster in preparation for a start in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies. She galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.60, according to trainer Steve Klesaris.

Sky Diva, undefeated in two starts, figures to be the second choice in the Juvenile Fillies behind Stardom Bound.

"All I wanted her to do was stretch her legs around the racetrack, get some conditioning out of it," Klesaris said.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Juvenile: Terrain has solid work

At Keeneland, Terrain, runner-up in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity runner-up worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds Saturday morning under exercise rider Alejandro Gonzalez. Terrain worked in company with the maiden winning 2-year-old Moral.

"Everything went fine. He galloped out in a minute and change, he was in the bridle all the way," trainer Al Stall said. "The rider said he never gave it up at any point in time, which is good."

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Filly and Mare Turf: Mott confident with Dynaforce

Dynaforce will play a prominent role in Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. How long that lasts depends on whether she is comfortable near the front of the 1 1/4-mile turf race.

That style has led to a major stakes win this year for Dynaforce - the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational - at Belmont Park on Sept. 27, and two second-place finishes in major stakes in New York during the summer.

"You've got to like what she's done," trainer Bill Mott said.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Sprint: Midnight Lute has work done on foot

Although Indian Blessing is headed to the Filly and Mare Sprint, Bob Baffert will still have defending Sprint winner Midnight Lute in the race. Midnight Lute was the last horse to train over the main track, shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday, following a visit from the blacksmith.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Dirt Mile: O'Neill pair gets in

There were 14 horses pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, but a maximum of 12 can run in the race. Slew's Tiznow and Slew's Tizzy, full brothers trained by Doug O'Neill, initially ended up on the outside looking in. But the defection of Jonesboro, and the decision by

trainer Bobby Frankel to run First Defence and Mast Track in other races, has allowed both Slew's Tiznow and Slew's Tizzy to get in.

They both worked six furlongs on Saturday at Hollywood Park, with Slew's Tiznow going in 1:12.80, and Slew's Tizzy in 1:13.80.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Indian Blessing to sprint with the females

Trainer Bob Baffert all but put to rest any speculation that Indian Blessing might take on males in the Breeders' Cup Sprint shortly after the Eclipse Award winner worked five furlongs in 59.14 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday in preparation for her role as the heavy favorite in Friday's Filly and Mare Sprint.

"I put her in the Sprint just in case there were any major defections, but I've got her in the right spot," Baffert said, referring to the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Cocoa Beach serves notice

Barbara D. Livingston
Music Note, a 3-year-old who will face more seasoned rivals in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Anticipation for the coming week's Breeders' Cup festival at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting ratcheted up several notches on Saturday, when leading challengers to the established favorites in both the Breeders' Cup Classic and Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic turned in their final drills.

Here at Santa Anita, Cocoa Beach, Ginger Punch, Music Note, and the longshot Bear Now - all of whom will take on the unbeaten Zenyatta on Friday in the $2 million Ladies' Classic - had workouts, with Cocoa Beach impressing most with a swift, best-of-the-morning drill.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Clocker: Zenyatta shows 'em who's the boss

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Keep it under your hat, but the clocker says Zenyatta looks like she's ready to run a big one in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic.

Sat, 10/18/2008 - 00:00

Breeders' Cup continues to evolve

Barbara D. Livingston
Zenyatta tops the Ladies' Classic on a Breeders' Cup program that has morphed from a one-day, seven-race event into a two-day, 14-race festival.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It is only a 28-mile drive to Santa Anita from Hollywood Park, where the Breeders' Cup had its first running 24 years ago. But the Breeders' Cup will have come a lot farther than that for its 25th event here next Friday and Saturday.

Fri, 10/17/2008 - 00:00

La Tee's foot trouble a thing of past

ARCADIA, Calif. - The tender-footed La Tee was destined for a modest career as an obscure allowance filly until trainer Mark Glatt dared tradition by allowing her to go barefoot in summer.

"I'm kind of old-school, and never trained a horse without shoes. She's the first one," Glatt said. "You can get away with it on these synthetic tracks."