ARCADIA, Calif. – The defection of Nyquist from the prospective field for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita reduced the pre-entrants remaining to 13, and three of the contenders turned in workouts on Saturday morning, two here at Santa Anita and one at Belmont Park.
Hoppertunity and Shaman Ghost, both of whom are hoping for a hot pace to help their late runs, turned in drills at Santa Anita, while another late runner, Keen Ice, went at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The depth of this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile field is such that Practical Joke, an undefeated multiple Grade 1 winner, is the co-third choice with two others at 6-1 on the morning line of Daily Racing Form’s Mike Watchmaker.
Chad Brown, the trainer of Practical Joke, is unfazed.
When he watches Practical Joke train, he sees a horse who is thriving entering next Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Ashleyluvssugar, the dominant turf marathoner in Southern California in recent months, may play a vital role in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.
In a race without a confirmed front-runner, Ashleyluvssugar could set the pace in the race at 1 1/2 miles.
“It wouldn’t be a problem as long as he’s running easily,” trainer Peter Eurton said.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Though Wavell Avenue was a 10-1 shot entering last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, trainer Chad Brown had a good feeling about her chances because of the way she was training heading into the race.
His feeling was correct, as Wavell Avenue got up in late stretch to win the race by 1 3/4 lengths over the New York-bred La Verdad, who had defeated her five weeks earlier in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Southern Miss will have a quiet week in advance of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Friday.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux said on Saturday that Miss Southern Miss will not have a workout in the days before the one-mile race but will jog and gallop on a daily basis. On Saturday, Miss Southern Miss was jogged on the infield training track.
Miss Southern Miss won the Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 10 to join the list of leading contenders in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.
ELMONT, N.Y. – At some point, Good Samaritan will get a chance to prove himself on dirt, but that time won’t be at this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
Good Samaritan, who is 2 for 2, with both victories coming on turf, will run in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita and not in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on dirt, said Elliott Walden, president, chief executive, and racing manager for WinStar Farm, which owns Good Samaritan along with the China Horse Club.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Barring an unexpected change of heart come entry day on Monday, Curalina will run in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita and not in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint, her connections indicated Saturday.
“The filly’s doing great, she’s proven herself multiple times at a mile and an eighth,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Saturday at Belmont. “I guess we’ll have to make a final decision here soon, but most of our conversations have leaned that way.”
The light 2016 campaign for I’m a Chatterbox was by necessity. After an eight-start 2015 campaign that went from January through October and included most of the top races for 3-year-old fillies, she needed a break.
“She was tired after her 3-year-old year,” trainer Larry Jones said. “We gave her a pretty good break over the winter, just trying to do what was right for the horse. I’m not saying it was all designed.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Runhappy was sent through his final workout leading into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile when breezing five furlongs under the cover of darkness Saturday morning at Santa Anita.
Runhappy, the winner of the BC Sprint and the Eclipse Award for top sprinter last year, was timed in 58.55 seconds in a work that came at about 5:20 a.m. Pacific, before many other horses were out for exercise over a fast surface.
“Yay,” trainer Laura Wohlers said afterward. “He looked good down the stretch. It was a nice, strong work.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Twice in recent months, Metaboss has turned into the stretch of a Grade 2 turf marathon at a California track with the rest of the field in front of him.
In the Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 20, Metaboss caught all of his rivals but one, losing by a nose to Ashleyluvssugar. In the John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita on Oct. 2, Metaboss rallied to finish fourth, a length behind Ashleyluvssugar.
