Sweet Azteca Among Breeders’ Cup Workers at Santa Anita Sunday

[Wandering Eyes]

Less than two weeks before the Breeders' Cup, a quartet of hopefuls–highlighted by GISW Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca)–turned in six-furlongs works Sunday at Santa Anita.

With jockey Juan Hernandez aboard, Sweet Azteca was clocked officially in a swift 1:10.80. Trainer Richard Baltas timed the drill in 1:11.20.

Also working six furlongs on the main track Sunday, all for trainer Bob Baffert, wereTDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard Nysos (Nyquist) (1:11.60), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach) (1:11.80) and last year's juvenile champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) (1:12.60).

Nysos and Citizen Bull are each targeting the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile while Nevada Beach, winner of the GI Goodwood last time out, is slated to run in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

As for Sweet Azteca, will contest the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs on Nov. 1. Sunday's drill was her second since being forced to miss work in late September due to illness.

“I wanted a good work from her,” Baltas said. “She did a little blow at the end, but that's fine, she needed it. She missed a work. Now we're two weeks out and I think this puts us where we need to be.”

Sweet Azteca won the GII Great Lady M around two turns at Los Alamitos in July and the GIII Rancho Bernando going seven furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 24. She returned to the work tab 28 days later on Sept. 21 but then had a 20-day gap before working again on Oct. 11.

“She wasn't real sick, her blood work was good. She was just sick enough not to work,” Baltas said.

Sweet Azteca is campaigned by breeder Pamela Zeibarth. Last year, when trained by Michael McCarthy, Sweet Azteca won the GI Beholder Mile, Great Lady M and Rancho Bernardo, but bypassed the Filly & Mare Sprint after finishing a dull fourth in the GIII Chillingworth at Santa Anita four weeks ahead of the race.

Also on the tab was champion Straight No Chaser (Speightster), who will try and defend his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Trained by Dan Blacker, Straight No Chaser drilled five furlongs in 1:00.60. The 6-year-old most recently returned from a 5 ½-month layoff and finished third as the odds-on favorite in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 28.

Also working for Baffert was Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), who is pointed to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The filly was clocked going five furlongs in :59.40. It was the second-fastest of 71 works at the distance. Bottle of Rouge most recently won the GI Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs in her stakes debut on Sept. 6.

Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), who will make a third try at winning the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, worked a bullet on the training track for trainer Phil D'Amato. Motorious was timed going five furlongs in :59.20, the fastest of 15 works at the distance. A 7-year-old gelding, Motorious in two starts this year won the GIII Daytona sprinting on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in June and the GIII Green Flash via disqualification at Del Mar on Aug. 30.

 

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