ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Phil D’Amato worked all seven of his prospective Breeders’ Cup starters Saturday morning at Santa Anita.
Vodka With a Twist (Juvenile Fillies) worked five furlongs in company with One Magic Philly (Filly and Mare Sprint), the two being timed in 1:00.80. D’Amato liked what he saw from Vodka With a Twist, who will be stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With National Treasure now out of the Dirt Mile, trainer Bob Baffert will be coming into next weekend’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar a bit under the radar with many of his eight starters and he’s not thrilled about it.
“I like to be 1-9,” Baffert said. “There’s room for error. I like blinking lights.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – There Goes Harvard was last of three on an also-eligible list for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2 when pre-entries were announced on Wednesday.
By Saturday, trainer Michael McCarthy was making plans to start There Goes Harvard in the $5 million race at 1 1/2 miles.
There Goes Harvard is expected to gain a berth in the race following the absences of Continuous and Illinois from the Breeders’ Cup, and a likely decision to start Content in the BC Filly and Mare Turf and Next in the BC Classic the same day.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The California-based mare Kirstenbosch and 2-year-olds McKinzie Street and So There She Was will not start in Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 1-2, their trainers said on Saturday.
Kirstenbosch was withdrawn from the BC Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 2 after she scoped poorly following a five-furlong workout in 1:01.20 on Saturday, trainer John Sadler said.
“We didn’t like her work this morning,” Sadler said. “She had a good bit of mucous.
“She’s not ready to go the next round. We don’t feel she’s where we want her.”
Thorpedo Anna, the four-time Grade 1 winning 3-year-old filly, completed preparations for next Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff by working five furlongs in 1:01.24 over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Saturday morning.
October 25
Del Mar
Weather: Foggy
Temperature: 54
Track: Fast
DEL MAR, Calif. – Keeping a close eye on the Breeders’ Cup contenders stabled at Del Mar became a difficult task on Friday with dense fog blanketing the area throughout training hours. The fog obscured the view of nearly the entire racetrack save for about a quarter-mile portion, from the eighth pole to and through the wire into the clubhouse turn.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The fog that enveloped Del Mar on Friday morning was an apropos setting on the morning Senor Buscador was to have his final workout in preparation for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2.
Despite a sensational start to his 6-year-old season, Senor Buscador’s status as a win candidate in the Classic is hazy at best.
DEL MAR, Calif. – For the last month, trainer Doug Cowans has been looking for any reason not to send Next to Southern California for the Breeders’ Cup. Unable to find anything, Next on Monday will be bound for California, where on Nov. 2 he will run in the $7 million Classic at Del Mar.
In the off-chance that he finds something amiss between now and Monday, Cowans on Thursday listed Next’s participation in the Classic at “99.5 percent.”
