ELMONT, N.Y. – Bolt d’Oro is the established horse to beat in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar next Saturday, but Firenze Fire confirmed that he will be one of the serious challengers in the 1 1/16-mile race with a serious workout Saturday morning at Belmont Park.
Firenze Fire, the Grade 1 Champagne winner, worked a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.12 and galloped out extremely well over the training track Saturday in his final drill for the Juvenile.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Calling it “one of the best breeze days I’ve had going into a Breeders’ Cup,” trainer Chad Brown worked 12 of his 13 expected Breeders’ Cup starters Saturday morning at Belmont Park.
Lady Eli, who could be making her final career start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, topped the list with a sensational five-furlong workout in 1:00.79 over the turf course. Lady Eli, with exercise rider Walter Melasquez aboard, worked in company with Roca Rojo, and the pair went their first quarter in 24.75 seconds and got their final three-eighths in 36.04.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Stellar Wind and Abel Tasman – a champion preparing for the final start of her career, and the other a potential champion preparing for her final start of the season – posted final workouts for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Saturday at Santa Anita.
The 5-year-old Stellar Wind and the 3-year-old Abel Tasman worked moments apart at 7:50 a.m.; both worked in company.
Del Mar
Weather: Overcast/foggy
Temp: 55
Track: Fast
DEL MAR, Calif. – Finally, some real action at Del Mar, the home of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup. There were a half-dozen Breeders’ Cup workouts on Friday morning at Del Mar, including a sizzler from Sprint contender American Pastime and an easier, maintenance-type move turned in by Classic outsider Pavel.
DEL MAR, Calif. – There never seems to be a dull moment these days for trainer Jorge Navarro.
On Friday, Navarro sent out his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile contender Sharp Azteca for a routine gallop over the main track at Del Mar that turned out to be not so routine after all. Not after the multiple Grade 2 winner and potential Dirt Mile favorite lost one of the two saddle towels he was wearing along with his saddle pad approaching the wire.
Hazit disappointed in a turf work on Oct. 19, and bounced back with a better dirt work on Friday morning at Belmont Park. He will now be strongly considered for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4.
:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2017: Pre-entries, odds, comments, and more
Hazit, fifth in the Grade 1 Champagne after a debut win at Saratoga, was pre-entered for both the Juvenile Turf and Juvenile. Hazit is 12-deep on the preference list for the Juvenile Turf and is unlikely to get into that field.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Takaful, the Grade 1 Vosburgh winner, worked a sharp half-mile in 46.66 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for a start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4. It was the fastest by 1.36 seconds of 46 works recorded over a fast training track.
Bal a Bali, who was among the pre-entrants for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, has been retired, trainer Richard Mandella said Friday.
Bal a Bali was one of 14 pre-entrants who had secured a starting spot in the Mile, and his defection opens the door for the England-based Home of the Brave to run. Home of the Brave was excluded from the Mile last year and instead finished 11th in the BC Turf Sprint.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The workout on Thursday by Imperative here at Del Mar is being investigated by the state racing board, as it appears it came prior to when it should have been allowed owing to Imperative being placed on the veterinarian’s list for shock-wave therapy.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Nelson is entered to race Sunday at Saint-Cloud in the Group 1 Criterium Saint-Cloud, which would preclude a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Nelson was pre-entered in the BC Juvenile Turf and had an automatic slot in the race because he won a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race in Ireland. If Nelson indeed is taken out of the Juvenile Turf it would allow another horse into a race capped at 14 runners that attracted 27 pre-entrants.
