Juan Leyva | Horse Racing Free Tips

Higher Power Breezes Seven Furlongs In Breeze For Classic; Jackie’s Warrior Preps For Juvenile

Hronis Racing's Higher Power, third in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) last year at Santa Anita, worked seven furlongs in company in 1:25.40 over a fast track Sunday morning at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., which will host the 2020 World Championships Nov. 6-7.

“This was his big work before the Breeders' Cup (Classic),” said Juan Levya, who was aboard Higher Power. “I am very satisfied with it. He galloped out strong … I had him in 1:39 for the mile.”

Leyva, who has been overseeing trainer John Sadler's string of horses at Keeneland, also worked Hronis Racing's Chaos Theory five furlongs over a turf course rated as good in 1:02.80. Fourth in the Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select, Chaos Theory is under consideration for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

Other grass workers under Breeders' Cup consideration Sunday morning were Red King (Turf) going five furlongs in 1:05 for trainer Phil D'Amato and the Wesley Ward-trained duo of Outadore (:53) and Campanelle (IRE) (:53.40) in company for a half-mile for a 2-year-old turf race.

Pre-entries for the 37th World Championships close Monday at noon ET.

Highlighting other dirt works was the first local breeze from probable TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) favorite Jackie's Warrior, who worked five furlongs in company with Calibrate in 1:00.20.

Owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison and trained by Steve Asmussen, Jackie's Warrior is undefeated in four starts with Grade 1 victories coming in the Hopeful at Saratoga and Champagne at Belmont.

Jackie's Warrior following his Sunday morning workout at Keeneland

Also working for Asmussen were Breeders Cup Sprint hopefuls Yaupon, who worked five furlongs in company with Little Menace in :59.60 (best of 41 works at the distance), and Echo Town, who worked a half-mile in :47.60 with Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) possible runner Cowan.

Trainer Chad Brown opted to work FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) hopefuls Raging Bull (FR) and Flavius together a half-mile on the main track in :49.40. Also going on the dirt for Brown was Front Run the Fed (Turf Sprint-G1), who covered a half-mile in :49.

Sleepy Eyes Todd, under consideration for the Dirt Mile (G1), worked a half-mile in :48.40 under Robby Albarado. The Miguel Silva trainee galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 and 6 furlongs in 1:14.40.

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Keeneland: Ollie’s Candy Works A Bullet Five Furlongs For Distaff

Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy, runner-up in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) in her most recent start, began serious preparations for a repeat run in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) by working a bullet five furlongs in :59 over a muddy track Saturday morning at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., where the World Championships will be held Nov. 6-7.

As the first worker over a freshly harrowed track at 7:30 a.m., Ollie Candy's posted fractions of :23, :47.40, :59 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:12.60. Juan Levya, assistant to trainer John Sadler, was aboard.

“She got over the track really well and galloped out well,” Leyva said of Ollie's Candy, who finished fourth in the Distaff last year.

Ollie's Candy is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect to Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale as part of the premier Book 1, which opens the auction on Nov. 9. She is Hip 83.

In other Breeders' Cup action on Saturday:

Leyva said two other Sadler Breeders' Cup hopefuls – Higher Power (Classic-G1) and Chaos Theory (Turf Sprint-G1) – are scheduled to work Sunday. A fourth Sadler runner, Flagstaff, is expected to ship in for the World Championships here Nov. 6-7 for a run in the $1 million Sprint (G1).

After the second morning renovation break, Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Bellafina (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1) worked five furlongs on her own in 1:00.60 with Nick Bush aboard.

Second in the Filly & Mare Sprint to champion Covfefe last year, Bellafina posted fractions of :11.40, :23, :35.40, 1:00.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14.20.

Trainer Simon Callaghan is expected to have two other Breeders' Cup runners in Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon (Distaff) and Kaleem Shah's Madone (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1). Both are expected to arrive at Keeneland on Monday.

Also working toward a possible Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) start was Calumet Farm's True Timber, who covered five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Jack Sisterson.

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Classic: Next Two Works Will Determine Higher Power’s Status

Hronis Racing's Higher Power, third in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), continued his acclimation project at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday morning by working six furlongs in 1:12.80 in company over a fast main track.

Working with Mongolian Hero, Higher Power posted splits of :13, :24.60, :36.80, :48.20 and 1:01.20, galloping out seven furlongs in 1:26.60 under Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler.

“He seems happy,” Leyva said. “He's got two works left and that will tell us if he is up to running in the Classic.”

Sunday's work was the third this month at Keeneland for Higher Power, who shipped in from Southern California to have plenty of time to settle in at Keeneland before his expected Breeders' Cup engagement Nov. 7.

A 5-year-old by Medaglia d'Oro, Higher Power hasn't won since his upset victory in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2019.

Sadler has two other Breeders' Cup hopefuls on the grounds: Hronis Racing's Chaos Theory for the Turf Sprint (G1) and Paul and Karen Eggert's Ollie's Candy for the Distaff (G1).

On Sunday morning, Chaos Theory worked a bullet half-mile in :47.80 over firm turf with a final quarter-mile in :22.40. It was his first work since finishing fourth in the Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG on Oct. 3.

Ollie's Candy, runner-up in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) on Oct. 4, is scheduled to work in the next couple of days, according to Leyva.

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Higher Power Getting ‘Acclimated’ To Keeneland, May Audition For Classic In Fayette

Hronis Racing's Higher Power, third in last year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita, could get an audition Saturday for this year's Classic to be run at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“He may go in the (Hagyard) Fayette (G2) if he trains well or he could straight into the Classic,” said Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler. “The main goal in coming here early was to get him acclimated. The last time he shipped was to Gulfstream Park (for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational-G1), and he didn't acclimate well at all.”

Entries for the Hagyard Fayette will taken Wednesday.

“It seems like he enjoys it here,” Leyva said of Higher Power, who worked 5 furlongs in 1:00 on Sunday.

Higher Power is a graduate of Keeneland's 2019 April Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Leyva also said another Sadler runner, Karen and Paul Eggert's Ollie's Candy, runner-up in Sunday's Juddmonte Spinster (G1), remains on track for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) here Nov. 7. Ollie's Candy is to be offered during the prestigious Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Nov. 9.

“She had a rough trip Sunday,” Leyva said. “She was bottled up on the inside, where she doesn't like to be, and ate a lot of dirt. She made her move, but it was a little too late.”

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