Tag: breeders’ cup classic

Epicenter Highlights Busy Asmussen Worktab; Rich Strike Classic-Bound

Champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and probable champion Epicenter (Not This Time) topped a busy worktab for Steve Asmussen's potential Breeders' Cup starters Sunday morning at Keeneland as the racing world draws closer than two weeks away from the 39th World Championships in Lexington Nov. 4-5.

With exercise rider Wilson Fabian aboard, Echo Zulu drilled five furlongs in :59 2/5 in company with Marsalis (Curlin). The move was the fastest five-eighths of 30 Sunday over the fast main track. Echo Zulu, who returned off a layoff to win the GIII Dogwood S. last out, is being pointed to the $1-million GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Next was Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Society (Gun Runner). With jockey Florent Geroux aboard, Society worked 5 furlongs in :59 4/5 in company. A winner of five of six starts, including the GI Cotillion S. in her most recent outing, Society is being pointed to the $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Also working before 6 a.m. was Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere (Curlin), who breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00 4/5 with Joel Rosario aboard in company. Clairiere, like Society, is being pointed to the Distaff.

Following the first track renovation break that ended at 7:30, Winchell Thoroughbreds' GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Epicenter worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 with Rosario up in company.

“He's a nice horse and I am just glad to be on him,” Rosario, who has ridden Epicenter in his past seven races, said. “He's more mature and looks like he has grown and is stronger. He finished up good; training really good.”

This was the fourth local work for Epicenter, who has compiled four wins and three seconds in 2022 highlighted by a victory in the GI Runhappy Travers S. in his most recent start.

“This morning was more of the same,” owner Ron Winchell said. “He did what he needed to do.”

Winchell picked up two more possible Breeders' Cup hopefuls Saturday at Keeneland when homebreds Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) won the GII Lexus Raven Run S. and Gunite (Gun Runner) took the Perryville S. Wicked Halo could go to the Filly and Mare Sprint and Gunite to the $2-million GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

On the West Coast, likely prohibitive GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite Cave Rock (Arrogate) worked six furlongs in 1:11 1/5 (1/5) at Santa Anita in company for trainer Bob Baffert. The undefeated colt was last seen dominating the GI American Pharoah S.

In other Breeders' Cup news, the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) announced that the over-achieving chestnut will be pointed to the Classic over a potential start in the GI Clark H. Nov. 25 at Churchill.”Rich Strike is doing as good as he ever has, and [owner] Rick [Dawson] feels that he deserves the chance to take on the best in the world,” trainer Eric Reed said.

Reed planned to bring Rich Strike to Keeneland from his base at the Mercury Equine Center Sunday afternoon with the colt scheduled to gallop Monday morning before moving Monday afternoon to the barns on Rice Road that will serve as the home to all Breeders' Cup runners. Rich Strike is expected to work Tuesday morning.

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Flightline Works at Santa Anita, To Ship to Kentucky Sunday

The brilliant and unbeaten MGISW Flightline (Tapit), who figures to be the prohibitive favorite for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 5, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 Saturday morning at Santa Anita prior to a scheduled Sunday flight to Lexington. The work was his fifth consecutive on a Saturday morning dating back to Sept. 24. As per usual, Flightline was accompanied by a pony and ridden by his regular work partner, trainer John Sadler's assistant Juan Leyva, before sunrise. Leyva wears a light on his helmet to help Sadler's team keep sight of the work.

Set down at the five-furlong pole, Flightline clicked off splits of :12 flat, 23.80, 35.80, and 59.80, then galloped out seven furlongs in 1:24.20, a mile in 1:37.20, and nine furlongs in 1:51 flat.

“This was just like his last work at Del Mar (before the Sept. 3 GI Pacific Classic) when he went out a mile in 37 and change, which is what he did today,” said Sadler. “When I talked to Juan this morning, I essentially told him, we're not doing anything different. We're just going to breeze him like he's been breezing, which, sensational is the norm for him.”

Sadler continued, “He's always worked well. More people are watching now, but he's never worked anything other than really well. This was just what we wanted… We can do more or less and just hope he bounces out of it good.”

A triple Grade I winner owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing LLC, Flightline is undefeated in five starts and has won each by large margins–a combined 62 3/4 lengths–in a manner which suggests he has much more to give. The 126 Beyer Speed Figure he earned in the Pacific Classic is the best number given a horse since 2004 and his negative 8 1/2 Thoro-Graph number is the fastest ever assigned to a horse.

“He ships tomorrow [Sunday], early, at two in the morning and flies out of Ontario,” said Sadler. “Rene Quinteros will accompany him on the van to Ontario and Cesar Aguilar will meet him in Louisville. He'll then van over to Keeneland tomorrow afternoon.

“He'll have one breeze at Keeneland, one week from today, pending weather. It would be a lesser work, five (furlongs) in a minute is usually what he does… Just kinda cruise around there. His groom, Adolfo Correa, and the other guys will fly back tonight and get there ahead of the horse.”

Flightline is scheduled to stand at Lane's End Farm upon retirement, but connections have not committed to retiring him after the Breeders' Cup. Sadler has alluded to a possible start in the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream as a next target.

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Grade I Winner Happy Saver to Stand at Airdrie

Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver–Happy Week, by Distorted Humor) will retire to Airdrie Stud in Midway, Kentucky following this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Airdrie Stud announced Friday. He will stand for an initial fee of $12,500 LFSN.

Undefeated in his first five starts, Happy Saver's signature victory came in the historic GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he won the race as a 3-year-old in his fourth career start. Most recently, Happy Saver has finished second in each of the last four Grade I races he has contested. Those efforts include runner-up finishes to Flightline (Tapit) in the GI Metropolitan H. and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Whitney S., races in which he finished in front of GISWs Olympiad (Speightstown), Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and Aloha West (Hard Spun), among others.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher throughout his career, Happy Saver will take a lifetime record of five wins and six graded stakes placings from his 12 lifetime races and earnings of nearly $1.2 million into an expected start in the $6,000,000 GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 5.

A regally bred son of the multiple Eclipse Award-winning sire Super Saver, Happy Saver's female family stands as one of the breed's most important. Out of the sprinting black-type Distorted Humor mare Happy Week, Happy Saver's third dam is Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise, dam of the champion racehorse and leading sire A.P. Indy, as well as Classic winner Summer Squall.

(Watch Happy Saver's Keeneland work Friday morning)

“Happy Saver has been a priority for our farm since the day we watched him break his maiden in his debut at Belmont,” said Airdrie's Bret Jones. “He won by five lengths that day and ran the same 1:21 and two-fifths as the seven-furlong Grade I Woody Stephens run on the same card at the same distance. It was a `wow' performance and he has validated that early impression by becoming one of the best racehorses in America. He's a direct descendent of Weekend Surprise and when you combine his female family with that of Super Saver's, it's as rich a genetic bank as any horse that will ever retire to stud. He exemplifies the Wertheimer family's best-in-class breeding program and we are so grateful that they have allowed us to partner with them on a stallion that has the speed, class and charisma to be a really special sire.”

“Winning the Jockey Club as an undefeated 3-year-old takes a very special horse, and that's exactly what we've always believed Happy Saver to be,” added Pletcher. “He's a tremendous talent and runs with as much heart as any horse we lead over. He has all the characteristics I think any breeder would look for in a young stallion.”

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Flightline Remains ‘Right on Point’

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) continued his march towards the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday morning with another strong breeze at Santa Anita, where he worked five furlongs but was credited with six panels in 1:12.40 (1/2).

“He's right on point,” said trainer John Sadler following the 6:35 a.m. drill. “I had him in a 1:00 2/5. He went the first eighth in :12 1/5, the half in :48, five eighths in a 1:00 2/5 and he went out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 and seven eighths in 1:25 4/5.”

The $1-million FTSAUG yearling was last seen airing in the GI TVG Pacific Classic S. Sept. 3 by nearly 20 lengths.

“This was perfect, it was a good work, nothing serious,” Sadler added. “The next two (on Oct. 15 and 22), we'll get a little more serious, but he was impressive today… He's right on schedule.”

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