Breeders’ Cup Bulletin: Saturday, Oct. 20

[Wandering Eyes]

GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff contender Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) breezed a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.20 (3/44) at Churchill Downs with regular rider Florent Geroux in the irons. Working in company with Dazzling Gem (Misremembered) (1:01.40), the leading sophomore filly clicked off splits of :12.80, :24.60, :36.40 and :48.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40. “It was a fantastic breeze,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We got a little bit of rain overnight so the track was a little slow but she worked fantastic over it. She started a few lengths behind the work mate and finished up strong in front of him and galloped out well. We’ll probably come back next week to work a half-mile prior to the Distaff.” Cox also worked GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint contender Golden Mischief (Into Mischief), who went a half-mile in :50.60 (56/70), and GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint possible Will Call (Country Day), who covered the same distance in :49.80 (38/70).

With owner Robert Baron in from New York for the work, GI H. Allen Jerkens S. victor Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford) took to the track following Churchill’s second renovation break at 9 a.m. and covered a half-mile in :48 flat (4/70). The sophomore, who bested his elders last time in the GII Phoenix S., went in splits of :11.60 and :35.60 with a five-panel gallop out in 1:00.60. “It was a great work after his last start,” conditioner Dale Romans said. “We’re going to pre-enter both the [GI Breeders’ Cup] Sprint and [the GI Breeders’ Cup] Dirt Mile, but I’d lean to run him in the Sprint. We still have a shot to be sprint champion with this horse and, even if we won the Dirt Mile, we may not be champion.” Promises Fulfilled was not originally nominated to the Breeders’ Cup, but Baron will pay the supplemental fee to make the colt eligible. Stablemate and Dirt Mile contender Seven Trumpets (Morning Line) was next up, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.20 (3/44).

GII Woodford S. victor Bucchero (Kantharos) continued his preparations for the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Saturday morning, working a half-mile in :48.60 (12/70) at Churchill under jockey Fernando De La Cruz. “I was very pleased with how he worked this morning,” said trainer Tim Glyshaw, who will be celebrating his 50th birthday on Breeders’ Cup Saturday Nov. 3.. “It’ll be exciting running him out of his own backyard on Breeders’ Cup Day. We may gallop him over the turf once or twice when it opens Breeders’ Cup week but he trains well over the dirt so it doesn’t really have too much of an impact one way or another.”

‘TDN Rising Star’ Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) was also on the Churchill worktab, prepping for a possible tilt in the GI BC F/M Sprint with a five-furlong move in 1:00.80 (6/44).

Limousine Liberal (Successful Appeal) breezed five panels in 1:00.40 (7/30), covering the final quarter in :22.40, at Keeneland Saturday morning under exercise rider Freddy Torres. “It got a little messed up at the start [with two other horses in front of him], but he finished good,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “It’s fine.” This will be the gelding’s third trip the World Championships, having finished 11th in the 2015 GI BC Sprint and fourth in the 2016 renewal of that event. He will be pre-entered in both the Sprint and the Dirt Mile.

The Ken McPeek-trained duo of GI Breeders’ Futurity S. runner-up Signalman (General Quarters) (GI BC Juvenile) and GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. third-place finisher Salvator Mundi (Artie Schiller) (GI BC Juvenile Turf) worked in company at Keeneland Saturday following the renovation break. The juvenile colts covered five furlongs in 1:00.20 (2/30) and galloped out in 1:13.40 (video). “This was another maintenance breeze,” said McPeek, who added he would ship his crew to Churchill Oct. 29 or 30. “At this point, [my Breeders’ Cup horses] will have their final works here. They’ll either work Friday or Saturday next week, depending on the weather.”

GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf contender Mom’s On Strike (First Dude) worked a half-mile in :49.60 (43/60) under trainer Joe Sharp at Keeneland Saturday (video).

On the West Coast, likely GI Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) put in his penultimate work for the World Championships, covering five panels in :59.80 (8/40) at Santa Anita under assistant trainer Juan Levya (video). “He went very well,” trainer John Sadler. “I had him in a minute flat, but we’re splitting hairs there. He had another nice gallop out. I had him out [seven furlongs] in [1:00.26].” He added, “[Bob] Baffert clocked him, too. He was standing right next to me and he said, ‘I don’t like it,’ so I felt good. Accelerate will have one more work here, either Friday or Saturday next week, and he ships Sunday [Oct. 28].”

GI BC F/M Sprint runner Skye Diamonds (First Dude) was also on the Santa Anita worktab, going a half-mile in :48.20 (3/8) on the training track Saturday (video). “She came out of her victory in the [GIII] LA Woman S. very, very well,” said trainer Bill Spawr. “She’ll work again next Saturday, then ship Tuesday to Kentucky.”

Rounding out the Santa Anita Breeders’ Cup workers were City of Light (Quality Road) (Classic/Dirt Mile), a best-of-40 five furlongs in :59 flat (video) in company with The Lieutenant (Street Sense) (:59.60); Liam the Charmer (Smart Strike) (Turf) and Paved (Quality Road), five panels in company 1:01.40 (21/40) (video); Vibrance (Violence) (Juvenile Fillies), five panels in 1:00.40 (11/40); and Gunmetal Gray (Exchange Rate), a best-of-11 six furlongs in 1:13.40 (video).

A pair of Grade I-winning colts prepped for the BC Juvenile Saturday with GI Champagne S. victor Complexity (Maclean’s Music) working at Belmont and GI Hopeful S. upsetter Mind Control (Stay Thirst) breezing at his Monmouth Park base. Undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Complexity covered a half-mile in :49.32 (16/49) over the Elmont main track for trainer Chad Brown (video). Conditioned by Greg Sacco, Mind Control went six furlongs in 1:13.80 (2/3) over the Oceanport oval.

Also on the Belmont worktab were BC Distaff-bound Wow Cat (Chi) (Lookin at Lucky), who worked a half-mile in company with Pacific Wind (Curlin) in :49.32 (16/49) (video); and world-record setting turf sprinter Disco Partner (Disco Rico) (BC Turf Sprint), who went four furlongs in :51.55 on the dirt (49/49) (video).

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