Breeders’ Cup Bulletin: Friday Wrap Up

[Wandering Eyes]

JUVENILE Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}), who likely sewed up a divisional championship with an emphatic GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile score Friday, was no worse for wear Saturday, according to Bob Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes. “He came out of the race in good shape and looked good [Saturday] morning,” said Barnes. “He just walked this morning and will walk again on Sunday. We ship on Monday.” Winning the Juvenile for a fourth time, Baffert indicated the three-time Grade I winner will be given some time off with a 2019 campaign in mind. “We’re going to freshen him up a little bit and get ready for the spring,” Baffert said. “He had a pretty rough [trip], but still won.” Baffert previously won the Juvenile with Vindication (2002), Midshipman (2008) and New Year’s Day (2013). “You can’t compare horses, but of all the Juvenile winners [race performance], he’s the best one,” he said.

KRA Stud Farm’s Knicks Go (Paynter), runner up to Game Winner in the Juvenile, also exited the race in fine form, according to his trainer Ben Colebrook. “He ran his eyeballs out yesterday and he is fine this morning,” Colebrook said. “We are going to dodge Game Winner for a while. I don’t think [Bob] Baffert will be sending anybody to Tampa.” Colebrook winters his barn at Tampa Bay Downs and is eyeing that track’s series of 3-year-old stakes for Knicks Go in early 2019.

Trainer Chad Brown, who annexed a pair of Breeders’ Cup wins this year, followed up on the head-scratching performances of Juvenile runners Complexity (Maclean’s Music) and Standard Deviation (Curlin), who finished 10th and 13th (last), respectively. Winner of the GI Champagne S. Oct. 6, Complexity set the pace before fading in the final quarter mile. Standard Deviation, a first out winner before finishing third in the Oct. 6 GI Breeders’ Futurity, never got involved.
“I’m disappointed, obviously, that neither fired,” said Brown. “So far both are okay, physically. It’s back to the drawing board with them and neither will run again this year. We’ll take them to Florida.”

JUVENILE FILLIES Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) came out of her front-running win in Friday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in good order. “She’s great, doing really good,” Servis said. “She’s bright-eyed; she ate up good.” In regards to her performance Friday, Servis added, “It was awful impressive. She’s got such a fast cruising speed. I didn’t expect her to be in front, because (trainer Tom] Amoss said he was going to send his horse [Serengeti Empress] no matter what. I told [jockey] Joel (Rosario], ‘Just sit off of Amoss. She’ll rate. She’ll do whatever you want her to do.’ When he came back, he said, ‘Two jumps out of the gate and I knew there’s wasn’t any sitting back. She took me there.’ Once she got in front, she just pricked her ears and relaxed.” Jaywalk ran 1 1/16m in 1:43.62, faster than Game Winner’s winning time of 1:43.67 in the Juvenile two races later. Servis won with his only Kentucky Derby starter, Smarty Jones in 2004, and his only Kentucky Oaks starter, Cathryn Sophia in 2016. Jaywalk is scheduled to fly to West Palm Beach, Florida Sunday. “She’ll stay at Palm Meadows [Training Center] for a week or so and then I think I’m going to send her to Ocala for 30 days and let her be a horse for a little bit.” Servis said. With next year’s Kentucky Oaks the first major goal, Servis said Jaywalk could take a similar path to Cathryn Sophia, who won the GII Forward Gal and GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park before finishing third in the GI Ashland S. at Keeneland.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who is campaigned under Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables banner, appears to be in good shape following her emphatic victory in Friday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The undefeated bay filly will be pointed toward a 2019 campaign. “She’s good so far,” Brown said. “It was great to win for Seth,” he added. “There’s no nicer guy. It was a big deal.”

JUVENILE TURF SPRINT Bulletin (City Zip) is expected to be given some time off before returning for a 3-year-old campaign. Campaigned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing, the chestnut kicked off his career with a win in Gulfstream’s Hollywood Beach S. Sept. 29. According to trainer Todd Pletcher, Bulletin’s future will be discussed with WinStar Farm President and Racing Manager Elliott Walden. “I would imagine he would get a little vacation at WinStar Farm,” Pletcher said Saturday morning. “We haven’t firmed anything up just yet. At some point switching him to dirt might be under consideration, but not any time in the near future.”

 

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