ELMONT, N.Y. - On a morning when Chad Brown worked 68 horses, there was one in-company breeze that stood out to the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer. And it had nothing to do with the final time of the breeze.
As Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie broke into their gallop before they would work a half-mile over Belmont Park’s inner turf course, Brown, watching from the box seats on the second floor, said, “This is it, last breeze for us. Time flies.”
Keeneland
Weather: Sunny
Temp.: 57
Track: Fast
Turf: Soft
LEXINGTON, Ky. - It was pretty much the Bill Mott and Steve Asmussen show over the main track at Keeneland on Sunday, with the two Hall of Fame trainers emptying their barns of Breeders’ Cup contenders, who worked under clear, cool skies while fighting a pretty strong crosswind.
Trainer Brad Cox said Sunday that the mare Beau Recall wouldn’t be entered Monday in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Beau Recall, most recently a fine second in the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, was part of the main body of the Mile when pre-entries were released last week, and her defection allows Casa Creed, who was the first pre-entered horse not selected into the race, to get into the Mile. Trainer Bill Mott said Sunday that Casa Creed would be entered.
Cox said Beau Recall is being pointed to the Matriarch Stakes rather than the BC Mile.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Improbable is a predictable colt in morning workouts. Chances are he is going to produce a quick time.
Improbable worked six furlongs in 1:11.40 on Sunday at Santa Anita in his final major exercise before the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Saturday. The winner of three consecutive Grade 1 races since early June, Improbable is scheduled to be flown to Kentucky early Tuesday.
Keeneland
Weather: Sunny
Temp. 33
Main track: Fast
Turf: Good
Lexington, Ky. - The skies were clear and cold, but the action on the racetrack was hot and heavy, with nearly 30 potential Breeders’ Cup starters getting in their final works on a crisp Saturday morning at Keeneland.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Jockey Flavien Prat, who led the standings at the Del Mar summer meeting and the Santa Anita autumn meeting that ended last weekend, will not ride at Del Mar on Saturday after working horses earlier in the day at Keeneland.
Del Mar officials notified Prat in recent days that would not be permitted to ride if he worked horses at Keeneland because he would not be able to undergo immediate coronavirus testing. Prat was named to ride in three of the nine races on Saturday’s program. Prat is not booked to ride Sunday.
With one week until the Breeders' Cup Classic, Tiz the Law turned in his final major piece of work at host track Keeneland on Saturday morning. Both he and expected Classic foe Higher Power were among the fastest workers on a busy morning at Keeneland that saw more than two dozen Breeders' Cup pre-entrants turn in their final works, with a similar number down the highway at Churchill Downs.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Authentic and Maximum Security, the last two horses to cross the wire first in the Kentucky Derby, on Saturday morning at Santa Anita turned in their final works for the Breeders’ Cup Classic one week hence at Keeneland. The race that could have championship implications for both.
ELMONT, N.Y. - After more than 2 1/2 inches of rain fell over a 24-hour period, followed by near-freezing temperatures, it didn’t seem likely the dirt tracks at Belmont Park would be suitable for serious training Saturday morning.
But the track maintenance crew had both dirt surfaces in pretty good condition and trainer Todd Pletcher felt confident enough to work his Grade 1 winners Valiance and Halladay over the training track in preparation for their Breeders’ Cup engagements next Saturday at Keeneland.
