Breeders’ Cup Bulletin: Friday, Oct. 19

[Wandering Eyes]

W.S. Farish’s homebred Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), a strong second after stumbling at the start in the GI Champagne S. Oct. 6, returned to the worktab Friday, breezing four furlongs in :48.90 seconds on Belmont Park’s main track as he prepares for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. “I thought he worked excellent. It was kind of more than I hoped for,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He ran off easy and finished up well, galloped out great and seemed to come back good. It verified his first two races, plus it looks like the Champagne didn’t take too much out of him. I think we’re in pretty good shape. Johnny [Velazquez] was impressed with the way he went, so everything was positive.”

With owner Kaleem Shah on hand at Santa Anita, streaking GI Del Mar Debutante S. and GI Chandelier S. winner Bellafina (Quality Road) worked five furlongs Friday morning in a minute flat for her ultimate goal GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2. “I’m really happy,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “She’ll have one more breeze here before leaving for Kentucky.”

Also working Friday at Santa Anita for their Breeders’ Cup engagements were champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road) (Distaff) and Vale Dori (Arg) (Asiatic Boy {Arg}) (Distaff), seven furlongs in company in the identical time of 1:26.40 for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

“They went well,” said Baffert, who also sent unbeaten Dream Tree (Filly & Mare Sprint) five furlongs in a bullet :58.80 and likely Juvenile favorite and unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) six furlongs in 1:13 flat.

Merriebelle Stable’s Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize), winner of the Oct. 7 GI Juddmonte Spinster S., returned to the worktab at Keeneland Friday morning with a four-furlong work in :47.20 in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. “It was a maintenance work, and it was a little bit faster than I would have liked, but she got that target about 10 lengths in front that we weren’t expecting,” trainer Ignacio Correas said. “Other than that, I wanted to see what she did with Joe [Bravo] coming home. I think she did everything right. We’re happy.”

KRA Stud Farm’s runaway GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity winner Knicks Go (Paynter) completed his major training for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs by working five furlongs in :59.20 over a fast Keeneland track Friday morning. “He worked well and that was the last work for him before the Breeders’ Cup,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “It is the same thing I did with him before the Breeders’ Futurity, working two weeks before.”

For trainer Kenny McPeek, GI Darley Alcibiades winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Restless Rider (Distorted Humor) (Juvenile Fillies) and Princesa Carolina (Tapit) (Juvenile Fillies Turf), fifth in the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine, breezed in tandem at Keeneland Friday morning in advance of their Nov. 2 engagements in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs. Working after the morning renovation break, the duo stopped the clock in 1:01.40 for five furlongs. “Restless Rider just needed a nice maintenance breeze,” McPeek said. “Next week they will work again together here, but it was a nice maintenance work. I’m happy enough.”

Several expected Breeders’ Cup entrants currently based at Churchill worked Friday morning. One of the most anticipated runners was the versatile Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), who could go in the GI Classic, the GI Dirt Mile, or the GI Sprint. He worked six furlongs in company in 1:15.

“We’re just keeping our options open as we have been all year,” trainer and co-owner Chad Summers said. “It was a really strong breeze and he’s doing great here at Churchill. The work itself may have started a bit too slow but I think visually it was good.”

Other contenders logging breezes included Thunder Snow (Helmet {Aus}), who is pointing to the Classic and worked a mile in 1:42.20. Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) registered a half-mile in :47 in company. He could go in either the Dirt Mile or the Sprint. In addition, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro), a Distaff contender, worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.

View the full article