Breeders’ Cup Breeze Report for Oct. 31: Cox Contingent on Track at Churchill

[Wandering Eyes]

Three of trainer Brad Cox's Breeders' Cup hopefuls turned in their final works ahead of championship weekend Sunday at Churchill Downs, a day later than originally planned due to rain in the Louisville area Saturday. Aiming for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Essential Quality (Tapit) went five furlongs in a bullet :59.40 (1/22) and Knicks Go (Paynter) covered the same distance in 1:01.20 (9/22). GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff contender Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) went her five furlongs in 1:00.80 (2/22).

“It was a great morning and all three horses put in great works,” Cox said. “It was exactly what we were looking for heading into the Breeders' Cup next week. All three of these horses were scheduled to work [Saturday], but we got a lot of rain in the area, so we moved them all to [Sunday]. Overall, it worked out really well. I thought it was a good track. It was still a little wet, but it was drying out as the morning was going on.”

Essential Quality, with jockey Florent Geroux in the saddle, breezed outside of 3-year-old allowance winner Colonel Bowman (Curlin). Last year's champion juvenile started one length back of his workmate and finished five lengths in front through splits of :23.40 and :47. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.

“Essential really loved the track this morning and it was probably the Tapit coming out of him a little bit,” Cox said. “There was a set of horses slowing down in front of them and I told Florent on the radio to gallop out by them. It was a really, really good move. A lot of people scratch their heads the way he trains in the morning compared to running in a race. That's just who he is, but I think he's really developing at the right time.”

Essential Quality, whose lone career loss was a fourth-place finish in the GI Kentucky Derby, won the GI Belmont S. and GII Jim Dandy S. and makes his first start since winning the Aug. 28 GI Runhappy Travers S. in Saturday's Classic.

Likely Classic favorite Knicks Go, with regular exercise rider Hugo Garcia up, clipped through fractions of :24.40, 36.40 and :48.60 with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:13.80 and seven furlongs in 1:27.60.

“He's just a really cool horse,” Cox said. “He's very kind when he's in his stall, but he's very aggressive, in a good way, outside of the barn. He knows his job and puts a lot into his training and works. I don't see anything from his previous races than he can't get the extra eighth-mile distance in the Classic. In the Whitney, against a field of really good horses, I thought he showed he could get an extra quarter-mile. He seems to clear off around the turn from his competition and is able to go fast and kick on.”

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, comes into the Classic off wins in the July 2 GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H., Aug. 7 GI Whitney S. and Oct. 2 GIII Lukas Classic S.

Shedaresthedevil worked with Geroux aboard through early fractions of :24 and :48.20.

“She always gets into a good rhythm in her training and races,” Cox said. “We saw that again today. Florent worked her and she was just cruising around there. She always seems to be under the radar, even going back to when she won the Kentucky Oaks. I thought I ran her a little too quickly back in the GI Spinster S. last year. She's gotten the job done in three out of four starts this year. She doesn't run bigger figures than some of the older mares, but she is a racehorse through and through. When she gets in a battle, she shows all heart and determination to get the job done.”

Shedaresthedevil defeated likely Distaff favorite Letruska (Super Saver) when winning the GII Azeri S. in March. She comes into the Breeders' Cup off wins in the Aug. 1 GI Clement L Hirsch S. and  Sept. 18 GIII Locust Grove S.

Cox has six Breeders' Cup contenders training at Churchill Downs. Along with the trio who worked Sunday, he'll also target the GI Juvenile Fillies with Juju's Map (Liam's Map), the GI Juvenile Turf with Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) and the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf with Turnerloose (Nyquist).

All of the Churchill Downs-based Breeders' Cup hopefuls are scheduled to van to Indianapolis Monday at noon for a 4 p.m. flight to California.

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