INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mike Smith had Zenyatta’s saddle and reins in his hands, walking down the shedrow of trainer John Shirreffs’s stable at Hollywood Park when he stopped and watched the 6-year-old walk by on Saturday morning. He had just climbed off of the unbeaten winner of 19 races after a six-furlong workout in 1:11.80.
“Look at her – 1:11 and four,” Smith said. “I thought it was brilliant, better than last year before the Classic.”
ETOBICOKE, Ont. - New Normal (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Grand Adventure (Turf Sprint), both trained by Mark Frostad, breezed five furlongs on Woodbine's main track in separate moves on Saturday morning and are scheduled to leave for Churchill Downs on Monday.
Exercise rider Billy O'Connor was aboard New Normal, who was timed in 1:02.20. Grand Adventure went in 1:01.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.20 under his regular rider Patrick Husbands.
"Both did it very well, and both are on course at this point," said Frostad.
ELMONT, N.Y. - In his third start off a layoff last year, Girolamo ran perhaps the best race of his career when he won the Grade 2 Jerome at Belmont Park, running a mile in 1:33.81. This year, Girolamo’s third start off a layoff will be the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint next Saturday at Churchill Downs where he will need a new career-best effort to win.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Although the bulk of the Breeders' Cup workers were scheduled for after the renovation break, five potential Cup starters breezed under the lights early Saturday morning at Churchill Downs led by Classic hopeful First Dude, who went five furlongs in 1:01.18 seconds under exercise rider Tammy Fox.
Other Breeders' Cup workers included Life At Ten, four furlongs in 48.21 second; R Heat Lightning, four furlongs in 48.20; Seeking the Title, a half-mile in 50.22 with jockey Calvin Borel up; and A U Minor, four furlongs in 48.49.
Trainer Lloyd Walker, who trained horses in Northern California from the 1950s until his retirement in 2004, died Thursday night at his home in Elk Grove, Calif. Walker would have been 94 on Sunday.
Trainer Lloyd Walker, who trained horses in Northern California from the 1950s until his retirement in 2004, died Thursday night at his home in Elk Grove, Calif. Walker would have been 94 on Sunday.
Walker trained almost exclusively on the Northern California in the final years of his career and was best known in his later years for his training of Appaloosas.
This will be a tense weekend for the connections of Lt. Hopeful, who is currently ranked second on the also-eligible list for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Lt. Hopeful is currently at Hollywood Park and owner Syd Belzberg and trainer Janet Armstrong were nervously awaiting word on Friday from Breeders' Cup officials whether Lt. Hopeful can gain a place in the 14-horse field.
"I haven't asked today," Armstrong said.
Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes winner Rogue Romance, pre-entered in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Turf, will run in the Juvenile, said Martin O'Dowd, an adviser to owner Catesby Clay.
Although the Juvenile was listed as his first preference at the time pre-entries were made Monday, his connections still had been giving thought to running in the Juvenile Turf, given that Rogue Romance was proven on grass, where all three of his starts, and two of his wins, have come.
Trainer Steve Margolis knows something about winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint. He turned that trick with his first and only Breeders' Cup starter when he sent out Cajun Beat to upset the 2003 Sprint at Santa Anita.
Margolis will try to duplicate that feat when he comes back with another outsider in this year's Sprint -- Richard, Bert, and Elaine Klein's homebred Cash Refund, who turned in his final major tune-up for race by drilling five furlongs in 1:00.32 seconds in company with stablemate Home Run Bertie on Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
She's a good-sized dark bay filly with a long stride and a big kick who is based in California and trained by John Shirreffs. Wins a lot. Maybe you've heard of her?
No, no, not that horse. This is Harmonious. And while Harmonious has failed to achieve Zenyatta-like perfection, she has come pretty darn close six starts into her career.