Breeders' Cup | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cox-Trained ‘Future Stars’ Log Final Workouts Ahead Of Breeders’ Cup

With one week remaining until “Future Stars Friday” at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, trainer Brad Cox's 2-year-old trio of Abarta (Juvenile Turf), Aunt Pearl (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Essential Quality (Juvenile) logged their final works on Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Godolphin's undefeated $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (Grade I) winner Essential Quality was the first of the Cox workers at 9 a.m. (all times Eastern). With Florent Geroux aboard, Essential Quality worked five furlongs in 1:01 outside of Flurry Racing's multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Misunderstood. The duo clipped through early fractions of :12.2 and :24.1, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

Moments later, Donegal Racing and Newton Anner Stud Farm's $200,000 Bourbon (GII) runner-up Abarta worked a half-mile in :47.60 outside of Juddmonte Farm's stakes winner Set Piece (GB). Abarta breezed through splits of :11.60, :23.80 and :35 with a five-furlong gallop out of 1:00.40.

Geroux returned to the track about 10 minutes later aboard Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group's $150,000 Jessamine Stakes (GII) winner Aunt Pearl (IRE) and worked a half-mile in :48.60 outside unraced 2-year-old filly Palm Cottage. Aunt Pearl started two lengths behind her workmate and worked through fractions of :24.80 and :36.80.

“We have some really nice 2-year-olds in our barn this year,” Cox said. “A lot of them have already shown early promise. Essential Quality is growing up well. He's continuing to learn and I'm very pleased with how he's progressing. He has a ton of raw talent which he's shown in both of his starts. We added blinkers to him over the summer to help him focus a little bit more and they've really helped. We have experience around two turns and we have experience at Keeneland, which is always helpful. It's 1 1/16 miles, so it's a short stretch. You need to be in position when you turn for home.

“Abarta had a really nice late kick in the Bourbon to run second. He didn't have the best of trips but really showed some adversity that afternoon. I think it's good he has already run well over that course.

“Aunt Pearl acted like she could really run at the start. She and Essential Quality were two of them that really jumped out to us early in their training and showed they have some ability. The good ones kind of do that – they'll let you know there is a lot of talent there. Given the pedigree we were optimistic she'd be able to carry her speed around two turns. We thought about taking her to Saratoga over the summer but when Churchill's condition book came out I thought it might be better to keep her at home. It's turned out really well so far.”

Also on the Friday work tab was trainer Dale Romans trio of juvenile contenders: Girl Daddy (four furlongs, :48.20), Sittin On Go (four furlongs, :47.40) and Smiley Sobotka (four furlongs, :47.60). Trainer Mark Casse also worked Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GI) contender Spanish Loveaffair four furlongs in :48.60.

More than two inches of rain fell in the Louisville area on Thursday and it caused several trainers to alter their training for their Breeders' Cup contenders. There are 27 Breeders' Cup contenders scheduled to work Saturday at Churchill Downs (with race): Arklow (Turf), Art Collector (Dirt Mile); Beau Recall (Mile), Bell's the One (Filly & Mare Sprint), By My Standards (Classic), Casa Creed (Mile), Crazy Beautiful (Juvenile Fillies), Factor This (Mile), Global Campaign (Classic), Got Stormy (Turf Sprint), Harvey's Lil Goil (Filly & Mare Turf), Hog Creek Hustle (Sprint), Knicks Go (Dirt Mile), Lady Kate (Distaff), Manny Wah (Sprint), Monomoy Girl (Distaff), Mr Freeeze (Dirt Mile), Mr Money (Dirt Mile), Owendale (Dirt Mile), Sally's Curlin (Filly & Mare Sprint), Sconsin (Filly & Mare Sprint), Silver Dust (Dirt Mile), Simply Ravishing (Juvenile Fillies), Swiss Skydiver (Distaff/Classic), Title Ready (Classic), Tom's d'Etat (Classic), War of Will (Dirt Mile).

In total, there are 43 Breeders' Cup contenders based at Churchill Downs and Trackside Louisville. That is the most of any location pre-entered into this year's event. Next is Keeneland with 39 contenders followed by 38 international runners, 25 from Belmont Park and 21 based at Santa Anita.

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Hollie Doyle To Get First Breeders’ Cup Mount With Mighty Gurkha In Juvenile Turf Sprint

Hollie Doyle will cap a season of personal landmarks and record-breaking feats with her first ride at the Breeders' Cup.

Doyle is set to partner G3 winner Mighty Gurkha, trained by Archie Watson, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

It will be her first ride in a race in the United States and her first ride outside Europe.

“Arrangements are being made for Hollie to go out to Keeneland,” said Bruce Raymond, who manages Mighty Gurkha for owner Mohammed Rashid. “She knows the horse better than anyone and she has done nothing wrong on him.”

Mighty Gurkha won the Sirenia Stakes in September having previously finished fifth of six when hot favorite for a G3 at Deauville.

“There was a bit of a cock-up in France when the blind didn't come off quickly enough,” Raymond said. “He used to be a bit dodgy in the gate but he won't be at Keeneland where he will have two stall handlers holding him and the gates are a bit larger.

“We know he is quick but whether he is quick by American standards we don't know. We can only be hopeful.”

Doyle, who claimed her first Royal Ascot win this season, rode her first G1 winner on Glen Shiel in the British Champions Sprint before breaking her own record for the most wins in a year by a female jockey in Britain. She has ridden 126 winners.

Former jockey Raymond said: “Hollie is a good jockey and probably the equal of Tom [Marquand], her boyfriend. She doesn't go anything wrong, she is in a good position all the time, she always gets them out of the gates smartly and I don't know why.

“She deserves everything. I don't think of her now as a lady jockey, I just think of her as a good jockey.”

This story was originally published on Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission. Find more content like this at HorseRacingPlanet.com.

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Undefeated Dayoutoftheoffice Puts In ‘Best Work’ Yet For BC Juvenile Fillies

A muddy main track at Keeneland following daylong rain Thursday proved no problem for Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) pre-entrant Dayoutoftheoffice, who worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 with Alfredo Clemente aboard for trainer Tim Hamm.

Working on her own after the morning track maintenance break, the undefeated Dayoutoftheoffice produced splits of :12.80, :25.40, :37, 1:00.40 with a 6-furlong gallop out in 1:12.80 and seven-eighths in 1:27.

“I think it was her best work. She finished up really strong and galloped out great,” said Hamm, who co-owns Dayoutoftheoffice with breeder Siena Farm in the name of his Blazing Meadows Farm. “I weighed working today and went out and looked at the track twice and saw it was opened up. Plus, the timing was a lot better today.”

Dayoutoftheoffice brings a 3-for-3 record into the Breeders' Cup coming into the race off a 2-length victory in the Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park on Oct. 10. Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for that victory as well as a 6-length romp in the Schuylerville (G3) at Saratoga, has the mount in the Breeders' Cup. The race will represent the first two-turn start for Dayoutoftheoffice.

“I have been waiting for two turns all year,” Hamm said. “We would have run in (Darley) Alcibiades (G1 on Oct. 2 here) had the timing been a little bit different. We are looking forward to two turns.”

By Into Mischief, Dayoutoftheoffice will represent the first Breeders' Cup starter for Hamm, who was stabled at Keeneland on a regular basis until 2013 and has had occasional runners since.

“It is close by for us and I always like coming to Keeneland,” Hamm, who is from Ohio, said. “Having the Breeders' Cup here is perfect for us.”

Hamm has a win in the 2009 Appalachian (G3) on his Keeneland resume with Afternoon Stroll, who scored a nose victory at odds of 50-1.

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Undefeated In 2020, Filly Tarnawa To Take On The Boys In Breeders’ Cup Turf

A winner of all three of her starts in 2020, 4-year-old Tarnawa is expected to join the field for next Saturday's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland. According to racingpost.com, the Shamardal filly is generally rated the 3-1 co-second favorite behind Magical (5-2) for the 1 1/2-mile contest.

She could provide trainer Dermot Weld with his first Breeders' Cup victory in the Turf. Tarnawa is cross-entered in the Filly & Mare Turf, but Weld expects to run the dual Group 1 winner against males instead. Christophe Soumillon will have the mount.

“I think it's pretty certain she'll go for the Breeders' Cup Turf,” Weld told racingpost.com. “It's a tight, turning track with a short straight and the draw is very important in the Filly & Mare Turf, so if you're unlucky enough to get a bad draw it doesn't help your chances. You've got a better chance of overcoming that in the Breeders' Cup Turf.”

This season, Tarnawa has put together wins in the G3 Give Thanks Stakes on Aug. 8, the G1 Prix Vermeille on Sept. 13, and the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Oct. 4. A homebred for the Aga Khan, Tarnawa's career record stands at seven wins from 13 starts.

Other horses pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf include: Arklow, Channel Maker, Donjah, Lord North, Magical, Mean Mary, Mehdaayih, Mogul, Red King, Tarnawa, and United.