Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Turf Sprint: Drysdale Has Oleksandra Fit Off The Layoff

Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, currently overseeing a stable of six horses at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., said last-out Grade 1 Jaipur winner Oleksandra looked sharp in her six-furlong breeze Sunday in 1:14.04 on Big Sandy in preparation for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“She's doing very well,” said Drysdale. “She doesn't need speed because she's very fast. She worked in company behind another horse and started a half dozen lengths back and finished well.”

The ultra-consistent Animal Kingdom mare, Team Valor homebred, sports a record of 15-7-3-3 with purse earnings of $537,353. She rallied from last to beat the boys in the six-furlong Jaipur on June 20.

Oleksandra has worked six times on the Belmont main since October 2, including a trio of half-furlong breezes in close succession, ahead of a strong five-furlong effort in 1:01.58 last week.

“That was because of the layoff to get her fit,” said Drysdale regarding the busy work pattern. “We gave her some small easy works and then we've only done two serious works – this one and the last one.”

Oleksandra won the Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County in October 2019 in her only start at Keeneland.

“She's won down there and if it comes up a bit soft she doesn't mind,” said Drysdale.

A six-time Breeders' Cup winner, Drysdale won the 1992 Belmont Stakes with A.P. Indy and added a Kentucky Derby win to his ledger in 2000 with Fusaichi Pegasus.

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Clement, Hoping For First Breeders’ Cup Win, Works Pair For Future Stars Friday Races

Trainer Christophe Clement sent out a pair of Breeders' Cup probables to the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., early Sunday, with Plum Ali [Juveniles Fillies Turf] breezing three-eighths in 36.11 and Momos [Juvenile Turf Sprint] clocked in 35.20 over a Big Sandy track labeled fast.

Clement said he was pleased with both efforts before the pair ship to Lexington, Ky., for the Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday at Keeneland. Plum Ali galloped out in 48.37 while Momos went in 49.22, according to DRF.

“They had an easy work on dirt and looked great,” Clement said. “I'm very happy with the two of them. They came back in good shape. Now, it's just about keeping them happy as they ship off to Kentucky tomorrow, and we'll go from there.”

The duo will look to give Clement his first career Breeders' Cup win after a slew of close calls, with the conditioner saddling six runners-up, six third-place finishes and eight fourth-place efforts in 38 previous starts entering this year's World Championships from November 6-7.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali will put her 3-for-3 record on the line in the $1 million contest going one mile. The First Samurai filly made a successful debut on July 23 at Saratoga, posting a come-from-behind two-length victory going 1 1/16 miles. Cut back to the Juvenile Fillies Turf distance in her stakes debut, she again tracked the early speed before showing great closing speed, powering home a 2 ¾-length victor in the Mint Juvenile Fillies on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.

Stepping up to graded stakes company, Plum Ali improved her Beyer Speed Figure for a third consecutive race, netting an 82 for her 2 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo on October 4 over firm Belmont turf.

Momos, owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and Secure Investments, also posted a debut win at the Spa, winning by 6 ½ furlongs over the main track on July 18. The son of Distorted Humor stayed on the same surface for a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 7 before making his turf debut last out with a third-place effort – one length behind winner Second of July – in the Grade 3 Futurity going six furlongs on October 11 at Belmont.

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‘No Excuses,’ Baffert Said After Improbable Finishes Preparations For His Classic Trio

Trainer Bob Baffert put the finishing touches on his $6-million, Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic “triple threat” on Sunday morning at Santa Anita when Improbable worked a strong six furlongs in 1:11.40 on a fast track under exercise rider Juan Ochoa.

On Saturday, Baffert's two other contenders for the 1 1/4-mile Classic worked five furlongs at the Arcadia, Calif., track in preparation for their Nov. 7 engagement at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. G1 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic worked the distance in :59.60 and Maximum Security, the 2019 3-year-old male champion, covered five furlongs in 1:00.60 in company.

“No excuses for any of them,” Baffert said. “They're all training as good as they can possibly be doing.”

Baffert's horses will ship to Kentucky on Tuesday.

Improbable, the likely favorite in the Classic, is a 4-year-old City Zip colt coming into the world championships on a three-race Grade 1 win streak, most recently beating Maximum Security by 4 1/2 lengths in the Sept. 26 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. Before that he won the Whitney at Saratoga by two lengths over By My Standards, with even-money favorite Tom's d'Etat third after a stumbling start. He'll face both horses again in the Classic. By My Standards came out of the Whitney to win the G2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs for trainer Bret Calhoun on Sept. 4. Tom's d'Etat, whose four-race win streak was snapped in the Whitney, has not raced since the Aug. 1 contest, trainer Al Stall electing to bring the 7-year-old by Smart Strike into the Breeders' Cup as a fresh horse.

Improbable has been plagued with problems in the starting gate throughout his career, though Baffert said he is maturing and the horse has spent a lot of time schooling in the gate during training hours.

While Improbable's best races are from off the pace, Authentic, a 3-year-old by Into Mischief, and Maximum Security, a 4-year-old by New Year's Day, are free-running types who have scored most of their wins on the lead.

Where would Baffert like to see the three horses positioned in the early stages of the Classic?

“That's like a hitter asking Walker Beuhler what pitches he's going to throw him,” Baffert said, referring to the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and Lexington, Ky., native who owns a small share of Authentic. “I can't do that.”

Baffert said his three riders – Irad Ortiz Jr. on Improbable, Luis Saez on Maximum Security and John Velazquez on Authentic – know their horses and what's best for them. “A lot's going to depend on the draw,” he added.

Entries close Monday and the draw for post positions for all 14 Breeders' Cup races will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on TVG, breederscup.com or on the Breeders' Cup mobile app.

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Frank’s Rockette Pleases Mott With ‘Smooth’ Move, Leaning Toward Facing Males Males In Sprint

Trainer Bill Mott has four of his six Breeders' Cup pre-entrants at Keeneland, and he put that quartet through works on a breezy Sunday morning over a fast surface on the Lexington, Ky., track.

First at 6:30 a.m. was Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Frank's Rockette going the half in :49 under Neil Poznansky. Next working together were Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus and Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker with Tacitus going 5 furlongs in 1:00 and Channel Maker a half in :47.40. Finally, There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms and David Staudacher's Horologist worked in a half in :47.40 under Poznansky.

Frank's Rockette is pre-entered in both the Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at 7 furlongs and the Sprint (G1) against males going 6 furlongs.

“She went nice and easy,” Mott said of the work. “She went smooth and was really relaxed. I was very happy. She was very typical of when she works by herself.

“I will speak with the connections later today, but I am leaning toward the Sprint. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The Sprint will be a tough race, but we know she is good at 6 furlongs. The Sprint probably will have a full field, probably 14 horses, whereas the Filly and Mare Sprint will probably have no more than 10. That does come into the equation. The seven-eighths of a mile in the Filly and Mare Sprint comes into the equation as well.”

Tacitus (Classic) worked with Felipe Castro aboard while Poznansky was aboard Channel Maker (Turf).

“Tactitus and Channel Maker went very good,” Mott said. “Tacitus was tracking Channel Maker. We went just a half-mile with Channel Maker. He was nice and sharp and doing it the right way. Tacitus tracked him a couple of lengths back and joined him in the stretch. We had Tacitus go out another furlong afterward and then gallop out.”

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