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Golden Pal Headlines Keeneland’s Friday Work Tab

Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Westerberg's Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), undefeated in four prior starts at Keeneland, worked five furlongs in 1:03.80 as he completed his preparations toward defending his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“Sometimes when you come up to a big event like the Breeders' Cup, you can get a little nervous and try to overdo things,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “But we are just sticking with the plan.”

Also working Friday for Ward was Stonestreet Stables's 'TDN Rising Star' Love Reigns (U S Navy Flag), who breezed five furlongs in 1:08 in anticipation of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Joining that pair on the work tab Friday morning was the D.J. Stable's owned and Marke Casse-trained duo of GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf pre-entrant Webslinger (Constitution). Each worked a half-mile, with Wonder Wheel going in :48.40 on the dirt and Webslinger covering the same distance on the grass in :50.40.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) and Lost Ark (Violence), both pre-entered in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile S., to work in company–the pair went a half-mile in :48.80. Shortly after, Pletcher's two GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies entries, Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) and Atomically (Girvin), also went a half together in :49.80.

Manny Wah (Will Take Charge), trainer Wayne Catalano's GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint pre-entry, covered the same half-mile distance in :47.40.

Last seen taking down the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs Sept. 17, Curly Jack (Good Magic) had his first timed workout over the Keeneland track Friday, going a half-mile in :49.80.

“This is his last work going into the race,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “I know the big question on everyone's mind is the time between races and how he will respond to that. I am very comfortable with that. Today's work was designed to be an easy half-mile with a good gallop out. We got just that.”

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Beckett ‘Happy’ With Kinross For BC Mile, As ‘Saffron’ Ruled Out Of BC With Poor Blood Work

Sharp miler Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has pleased trainer Ralph Beckett in his preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland, the trainer revealed on Friday.

Marc Chan's 5-year-old gelding is riding a four-race winning streak, and after victories in the G2 City Of York S. and the G2 Park S. in August and September, found France to his liking with a two-length victory in the G1 Prix de la Foret. He added an exclamation point to his season with a 2 1/4-length tally in the G1 British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot on Oct. 15 and appears in prime condition to add to his laurels at Keeneland next month.

“He's been training well,” said Beckett, who won the 2008 Breeders' Cup Marathon with Muhannak (Ire) (Chester House). “We are treading quite a fine line as he has been so busy. I'm happy with him, he is moving well and looks well.”

Added Beckett, “I don't think he will better that performance on Champions Day. That is as good as it gets–to drop back to six furlongs and win as he did, it takes a bit of doing. He will have to equal that performance in America if he is to win.

“The [GI] Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint would have been too sharp for him. He is very adaptable. He has won around Goodwood and York, it comes all alike to him in that sense, so I have no concerns around him handling the track at Keeneland.

“He is very effective on soft ground. I don't think he is capable of winning over six furlongs on fast ground, but he won the City of York S. over seven on fast ground. The ground won't matter to him.”

'Saffron' To Stay Home

Dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who will be offered during the Sceptre Sessions of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale at the end of November, will not take her chance in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf after returning poor blood work, according to trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Racing in the red and white colours of Ben and Lucy Sangster, their son Ollie and James Wigan, the 4-year-old claimed the G1 Sun Chariot S. in 2021, and after running a good fourth in the G1 Dubai Turf in March, scored a resounding success in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot. A 2 1/2-length tour-de-force in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August followed, and she was second in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown last month. She ran eighth in defence of her Sun Chariot crown on Oct. 1, and returned a dirty scope off of that effort.

Chapple-Hyam said, “I drew blood on Wednesday to look at her profile and it wasn't good, so we started her on a course of antibiotics and we looked at the profile again on Thursday.

“Even though it had improved, it is not in the right zone to be putting her on an aircraft and potentially giving a bug to everyone else and perhaps getting travel sickness.

“We couldn't take the risk for the welfare of her and all the others on the aircraft, so we decided not to go.”

Chapple-Hyam has entered the chestnut in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile on Dec. 11, and, depending on who purchases Saffron Beach at Tattersalls, an international campaign has not been ruled out.

“She has an entry in the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale and if the lucky purchaser would like to run her in the Hong Kong Mile, if she is fit and well, she has been invited to that race and I have accepted,” Chapple-Hyam added. “It is disappointing not to run in the Breeders' Cup, but that is horse racing. We take the good and the bad.

“We have been very lucky to win two Group 1s with her and, who knows, the new owner may want to run her in Hong Kong.”

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Plenty of Graded Action on Final Saturday Ahead of Breeders’ Cup

In the weeks leading up to the Breeders' Cup, most of the news is focused on when the stars are shipping and breezing. But, with one week left to go before World Championship Saturday, there is plenty of racing action with seven graded events from coast-to-coast.

Sophomore colts take center stage at Keeneland in the newly upgraded GIII Bryant Station S. GI Belmont Derby hero Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) looks to make amends after an unplaced effort in the course-and-distance GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 8. His best efforts have come at longer distances, but he may just outclass most of these as he takes a step down from top-level company.

A two-time graded winner sprinting on dirt, Wit (Practical Joke) will be Classic Causeway's biggest competition. He debuted on grass in Saratoga, finishing second to Ready to Purrform (Kitten's Joy) in the Aug. 5 GII Hall of Fame S. and winning the Aug. 28 Better Talk Now S., both at a mile.

Also on tap in Lexington Saturday is the GII Hagyard Fayette S., which is led by 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin). The GIII Pimlico Special S. winner missed by a nose in the GII Suburban S. in July and was third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. last out Sept. 3. Another son of Curlin, King Fury, enters off a pair of thirds at Churchill Downs in the Aug. 13 Fort Larned S. and the Oct. 1 GII Lukas Classic S.

The Belmont at the Big A meet also plays host to a pair of graded events, starting with the GII Kelso H. Baby Yoda (Prospective) looks to secure his first black-type win in this event off a 10 3/4-length thrashing of optional claimer foes over track-and-trip Oct. 7.

Talented sophomore Morello (Classic Empire) won his first three starts at this oval, including the GIII Gotham S. in March. He failed to fire in his next two efforts, but returned to winning ways in a Laurel optional claimer Oct. 8.

His stablemate Jaxon Traveler (Munnings) appears to be the one to beat in the GIII Bold Ruler S. a few races later. Winner of the GIII Maryland Sprint S. in May, he enters off a well-beaten second in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. Sept. 10 on dirt. He is joined by hard-knocking GIII Runhappy S. winner Drafted (Field Commission) and GII Vosburgh S. runner-up Eastern Bay (E Dubai).

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Santa Anita offers a trio of graded races, including the GIII Autumn Miss S. for 3-year-old turf fillies. MGSW Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) looks to get back on track after finishing fifth in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9 and third in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 20. Pammy's Ready (More Than Ready) enters off a close second in the local Unzip Me S. Oct. 1 and her stablemate Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) prepped with an optional claimer win at Del Mar Aug. 21.

Sophomore colts also get a chance at graded glory in the GII Twilight Derby. War at Sea (War Front) won three in a row before his streak was halted when third in the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 3. Graham Motion ships in with Hawthorne Derby winner Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker). Also, GIII La Jolla H. winner Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) looks to rebound off a fifth in the GII Del Mar Derby.

Last, but not least, GISW Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is the heavy morning-line favorite in the GII Goldikova S. GII John C. Mabee S. winner Avenue de France (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) will take a crack at the chalk yet again.

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Dolce Zel Can Give Brown First Valley View

Hard though it may be to believe, a 3-year-old filly trained by Chad Brown has never won the GIII Rubicon Valley View S. at Keeneland, but Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) appears to be equipped to be the one to get the conditioner on the board Friday afternoon.

Winner of the GIII Florida Oaks in her U.S. debut in March, the bay was runner-up to future GISW Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) in this track's course-and-distance GII Appalachian S. Apr. 9 and got a bit of a freshening following a third in Churchill's GIII Edgewood S. May 6. Back to winning ways in the GII Lake George S. at Saratoga July 22, Dolce Zel and five others were undressed by front-running stablemate Haughty (Empire Maker) in the GII Lake Placid S. Aug. 20 and settled for second. Irad Ortiz, Jr., the only rider she's known in this country, is back in the irons.

California Angel (California Chrome) caused a 17-1 upset in the GII Jessamine S. at this venue 54 weeks ago and is winless in six subsequent tries, though she has not run poorly. Runner-up in the Mar. 12 LaCombe Memorial S. at the Fair Grounds, the chestnut returned from a six-month vacation to be third in the Sept. 5 Dueling Grounds Oaks, whose runner-up Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}) returned to win the GII Sands Point S. at Aqueduct. She backs up on 13 days' rest, having been beaten just two lengths into fourth behind Dolce Zel's stablemate Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) in the GI QE II Cup.

Bubble Rock (More Than Ready) was among the best turf sprinters of her generation last season, with a victory in the GIII Matron S. The Shortleaf homebred proved she could handle a route of ground when taking out the one-mile Cincinnati Trophy over the Turfway all-weather in March and she was surely in need of the run when a weakening sixth in the 6 1/2-furlong Music City S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 13.

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