Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) tuned up for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff with a four-furlong drill in :48.20 (22/69) Sunday at Santa Anita.
The 4-year-old comes into the Distaff with a string of four straight stakes victories, including a 5 1/4-length score in the Oct. 1 GII Zenyatta S., but will have to step up her game to win Saturday, according to trainer Bob Baffert.
“She'll be running against a different type of filly on Saturday,” Baffert said. “She's a big, fast filly and she has a great mind. But this will be a class test. Her last race was great, but this is a step up. To win this race, you need to have a really good horse and have real good luck. Winning these races is not easy.”
Also working for Baffert Sunday, GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) went four furlongs in :47.40 (11/69) in preparation for the GI Dirt Mile.
“He looked good out there,” Baffert said. “I had him galloping out five furlongs in :59 and change. That last race seemed to wake him back up.”
National Treasure is coming off a fourth-place effort in the Sept. 30 GI Awesome Again S.
2023 Preakness winner, National Treasure, looks to be in excellent form for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. pic.twitter.com/adz5vXMdge
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 29, 2023
Baffert's GI F/M Sprint contender Eda (Munnings) went four furlongs from the gate in :47.40 (11/69) Sunday morning, while GI Juvenile contender Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) went five furlongs in 1:00.20 (5/61).
Also working for the F/M Sprint, trainer Steve Asmussen sent Society (Gun Runner) out to drill three furlongs in :37.40 (11/15) Sunday.
Godolphin's Mile contender Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) went out for a routine canter Sunday, but ended up working four furlongs in an unofficially timed :49 2/5.
“Unfortunately that wasn't the plan,” said trainer Charlie Appleby's assistant Chris Connett. “All we wanted to do with him was go out for a steady canter, but he didn't have his hood on and unfortunately he took off with his rider. It was not quite what we hoped for or what was planned. We will now have to adjust his schedule accordingly with a quiet day tomorrow and he will definitely have the hood on him next time he's out on Tuesday morning.”
GI Breeders' Cup Sprint contender Dr. Schivel (Violence), coming off a win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 (19/61) Sunday for trainer Mark Glatt.
Mott Runners Tune Up
Trainer Bill Mott sent out four Breeders' Cup hopefuls to work at Santa Anita Sunday.
George Krikorian's War Like Goddess (English Channel), prepping for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, worked four furlongs in :49.80 (57/69).
“It was beautiful,” Mott said of the work. “Poetry in motion. She works on the dirt and she works in :49 or :50; that's all we want. You could see the rider was just letting her do it. She gets a lot out of working on the dirt, conditioning wise. She is fit enough.”
Also Sunday, Mott sent Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) and Elite Power (Curlin) out to work four furlongs in company. Casa Creed, headed for the GI Mile, went in :46.40 (3/69), while Elite Power was credited with bullet :46.20 (1/69).
Of Casa Creed, Mott said, “We think he is a pretty good horse. In these turf races, it's all about the trip and the pace and position. You have to have the golden trip and you've got to get lucky. Everyone in there is a nice horse; probably half the horses in it could win it.”
Of Elite Power's attempt to defend his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint next Saturday, Mott said, “I don't have any lack of confidence in him. Look, it's a horse race and he has to go over there and do it and have a good trip. I have no reason to believe he is not as good as he was last year.”
Elite Power had an eight-race win streak snapped when second behind Gunite (Gun Runner) in the Aug. 26 GI Forego S. last time out.
The Mott-trained Cody's Wish (Curlin), aiming for the GI Dirt Mile, went four furlongs in :47.20 (10/69) with assistant trainer Neil Poznansky in the saddle.
Cody's Wish puts in a quick gallop today, hoping to repeat his winning performance from last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the same race this Saturday at @santaanitapark. pic.twitter.com/N3bLbbHHNl
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 29, 2023
“He looked smooth as glass,” Mott said. “I was happy that he didn't go faster. Neil had him just right. Cody's Wish did it on the bridle. Passing the eighth pole, [Poznansky] released his hold and took his hand off the bridle a little bit and he finished up good and galloped out good.”
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