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Hot Rod Charlie Tunes Up for Breeders’ Cup

Trainer Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) began tightening the screws for the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a four-furlong move at Santa Anita Saturday morning. Out at 7:45 a.m., the popular dark bay, known for his gritty style, had Mike Smith in the irons. The Hall of Famer was filling in for regular rider Flavien Prat, who was riding at Keeneland Saturday.

“He went a half-mile in 48 and change and galloped out in 1:01 and three,” said O'Neill. “He looked good. It was his first piece of exercise since the Pennsylvania Derby win. If all goes well and he stays injury-free, he'll have three more works between now and Nov. 6.”

Hot Rod Charlie was wearing French blinkers for the work. O'Neill said it was likely he'd wear the same equipment in the Classic.

Owned by Boat Racing LLC, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie won his first Grade I event in the Sept. 29 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. He has also won the GII Louisiana Derby this year, but he's made headlines more for the races he didn't win, most notably the July 17 GI TVG.com Haskell S., where he finished first but was placed seventh for heavy interference. Hot Rod Charlie has also placed in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S., in addition to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year.

With a number of frontrunners committed to the Classic, Hot Rod Charlie's ability to sit just off the pace may be a powerful weapon.

“We've got options,” said O'Neill. “He's shown he can win on the front or from sitting behind, so I like where we're at. He's definitely a versatile colt. We'll probably have two more works at Santa Anita and head to Del Mar on the 25th where he'll have his last work.”

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Ward Duo Loom Large in Futurity

A spot in the starting gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will be on the line in Sunday's GIII Futurity S. at Belmont Park.

The Wesley Ward-trained duo of unbeaten Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) and Poppy Flower (Lea), both scratched out of Saturday's loaded GIII Matron S., are the top two choices on the morning-line while taking on the boys here.

Keeneland debut winner Chi Town Lady switched to turf following some time on the shelf to add Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 18. Poppy Flower, in the money in all five of her career starts, followed a second behind her aforementioned stablemate in the Bolton Landing with a third-place finish in the Ainsworth S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 12.

Midnight Worker (Outwork), a game debut winner at the Spa July 24 and third-place finisher in Monmouth's Sapling S. Sept. 5, switches to grass here. Scratched from last Sunday's GII Pilgrim S., Midnight Worker has breezed twice over the Belmont inner turf, including a sharp half-mile in :48.44 (4/20) Sept. 26.

“I worked him a couple of times on the grass and he seemed to breeze pretty well over it, so hopefully he can step up,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It seems like the Outworks are pretty versatile. He's had some winners on both dirt and turf which gives you some options.”

Live Oak homebred Biz Biz Buzz (Fed Biz) graduated smartly after getting bumped at the start in his debut sprinting over the Laurel lawn Sept. 10 while Slipstream (More Than Ready) got it right at third asking with a sharp, front-running score over the Belmont lawn Sept. 18.

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Newspaperofrecord’s Dam to Sell at The Tattersalls December Mares Sale

Group 3 winner Sunday Times (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}–Forever Times {GB}, by So Factual), the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), will be offered at the upcoming Tattersalls December Mares Sale from Nov. 29-Dec. 2. Carrying a full-sibling to the GI Just a Game heroine, Sunday Times will be consigned by Richard and Sally Aston's Goldford Stud on behalf of Allan Belshaw.

A winner of the G3 Sceptre S. and second in the G1 Cheveley Park S., Sunday Times will be joined by her fourth foal in the Goldford Stud consignment at Tattersalls, the winning Daily Times (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who is also in foal to Lope de Vega (Ire).

“Sunday Times is a truly outstanding broodmare with a great future,” said Richard Aston. “She was a very smart race filly, she has produced a champion 2-year-old, she has a current Classic pedigree which will appeal to breeders from all over the world and she is gorgeous. It is a rare combination and Mr. Belshaw will be racing Newspaperofrecord's yearling own sister and this year's Kingman (GB) filly foal which is why he has decided to sell both Sunday Times and Daily Times.”

A half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), stakes winner and multiple Group 1-placed Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and group winner Diamond Fields (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Sunday Times's first foal was the listed winner Classical Times (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), who was also third in the G3 Chipchase S., while Newspaperofrecord was her third. The latter, who sold for 200,000gns out of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, also won the GII Miss Grillo S., GIII Intercontinental S., and was third in the GI First Lady S. for owner Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown. The latest produce for Sunday Times is a yearling full-sister to Newspaperofrecord and a weanling filly foal by Kingman (GB).

After Newspaperofrecord's Breeders' Cup victory, Brown said, “Today she showed how good she really is and for her to win as easy as she did is remarkable.”

TDN columnist Bill Finley wrote that, “her performance might well be regarded as one of the best in the history of the series.”

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Golden Pal Heads Keeneland’s Woodford

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's speedy sophomore Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will face off with 8-year-old Group 1 winning Extravagant Kid in Saturday's 5 1/2-furlong GII Woodford S. at Keeneland. A close-up second in last season's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, Golden Pal subsequently reeled off three consecutive stakes wins, including the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over this turf course last November followed by a confident victory in Saratoga's Quick Call S. July 15. Trained by Wesley Ward, Golden Pal finished seventh in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe at York in England Aug. 20 in his latest start. The Florida bred exits post two and be ridden by John Velazquez.

DARRS Inc.'s Extravagant Kid, winner of the six-furlong G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, will be making his first Keeneland start since finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last November. Following his win in Dubai, the gelding finished third in the June 15 G1 King's Stand S. at the royal meeting before posting an uncharacteristically poor 14th in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket July 10.

Bob LaPenta and Harlow Stables' Firecrow (Maclean's Music) looks to mark his return to the winner's circle following a fourth last out in Parx's five-panel GIII Turf Monster S. Sept. 25. Prior to that effort, the gelding came home the narrow victor in Pimlico's Jim McKay Turf Sprint S. at five furlongs May 15. Tyler Gaffalione enters the fray to ride.

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