workouts | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fire At Will Tunes Up in Advance of Fountain of Youth

Breeders' Cup winner Fire At Will (Declaration of War) tuned up for his 3-year-old debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park with a five-furlong move in 1:02.75. He is slated to start in the Feb. 27 GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S.

“Everything went smooth,” said trainer Michael Maker of the Three Diamonds Farm's runner's work. “He's ready to go.”

Fire At Will broke his maiden over a sealed but sloppy main track at Saratoga in the With Anticipation S. in September, then captured the GII Pilgrim S. over the Belmont lawn the next month. He was a three-length victor of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November in Keeneland, but connections are aiming toward a return to the dirt in the Fountain of Youth. It will be his first start on a fast main track.

“It's a tough task, whether he's a dirt horse or a turf horse, but he's earned the chance,” said Maker.

The Fountain of Youth is to be contested at 1 1/16 miles, a half-furlong further than Fire At Will's Breeders' Cup score but the same distance as his Pilgrim win.

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Rising Star Roman Centurian Works for San Felipe

'TDN Rising Star' Roman Centurian (Empire Maker), last seen finishing a neck second to Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the Jan. 30 GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita, worked Saturday at the Los Angeles-area track, getting five panels in 1:00.40 for trainer Simon Callaghan. The sophomore colt is scheduled to take on fellow 'Rising Star' and subsequent GIII Sham S. winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who bested him in their Nov. 22 debut at Del Mar.

A $550,000 Keeneland September yearling, Roman Centurian is being pointed to the GII San Felipe S., which is to be held Mar. 6 at Santa Anita. Regular rider Juan Hernandez rode the Don Alberto Stable and Qatar Racing Limited colorbearer in Saturday's work and will be aboard in the San Felipe.

“I was very happy,” Callaghan said. “It was a typical breeze for him. He moved good and finished up really well.”

Continued the trainer, “I think the San Felipe will reveal a lot, but again, Roman Centurian is a very good horse. I'm happy with him and looking forward to the race. It's five weeks from the Lewis to the San Felipe, so we're going to see some progression in our horse. There's lots of blue sky ahead of him.”

The San Felipe leads into the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3 and offers 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 to the third-place finisher, and five to the fourth.

The post Rising Star Roman Centurian Works for San Felipe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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By My Standards Joins Clark Probables Following Friday Work

Allied Racing Stable's multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards is probable to enter next Friday's $500,000 Grade 1 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare following a half-mile move in :49.40 Friday at Churchill Downs.

Also donning the Friday morning work tab was Rupp Racing's three-time Grade 3 winner Owendale who worked an easy half-mile in :49.20 for trainer Brad Cox.

On Friday morning, trainer Bret Calhoun reported via text that By My Standards, the recent eighth-place runner in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, would likely be his lone entrant to the 1 1/8-mile race.

The Clark is the centerpiece of a fantastic Thanksgiving week of racing beneath the Twin Spires. Inaugurated in 1875, the Clark will be the featured race on the Friday program at Churchill Downs. Entries will be taken Sunday. The likely entrants to the race include Bodexpress, By My Standards, Code of Honor, In Love (BRZ) and Plus Que Parfait. Coastal Defense and Mr. Freeze are possible to enter the race, according to trainer Dale Romans.

One day prior on Thanksgiving will be the 105th running of the $200,000 Falls City (GII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. Entries for Thursday's card will be drawn Saturday.

On Saturday, Nov. 28, the card will feature all 2-year-olds races for “Stars of Tomorrow II.” The headlining races will be the 94th running of the $200,000 G2 Kentucky Jockey Club and its counterpart for fillies, the $200,000 G2 Golden Rod.

The likely field for the Kentucky Jockey Club includes Arabian Prince (trainer Dallas Stewart), Inspector Frost (Brad Cox), King Fury (Kenny McPeek), Super Stock (Steve Asmussen) and Swill (Cox).

The likely field for the Golden Rod includes Coach (Cox), Lady Traveler (Dale Romans), Roc's Princess (Billy Gowan), Simply Ravishing (McPeek) and Travel Column (Cox).

Entries for Saturday's program will be drawn Wednesday.

Out of an abundance of caution, there will be no turf racing at Churchill Downs through the remainder of the meet because the course has not satisfactorily responded to this fall's climate. Grass racing will resume next spring when the conditions become more optimum. As a result, there will be no turf entries taken for races scheduled to be run on turf from Nov. 25-29. All scheduled turf races in the condition book during this time period will be transferred to the main track and entries taken for the same conditions will be dirt only. Additionally, the $100,000 G3 Cardinal and $100,000 G3 River City will be put on hiatus this year.

The post By My Standards Joins Clark Probables Following Friday Work appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Final Preakness Work for Derby Winner Authentic

Authentic (Into Mischief), winner of the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, worked for the final time prior to the Oct. 3 GI Preakness S. with a four-furlong move in :47.60 at Churchill Downs Monday morning. The Bob Baffert trainee recorded splits of :12.20, :24, and :36, then galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 and three-quarters in 1:13.40. Jockey Martin Garcia was aboard for the 7:30 a.m. move.

“He’s such an amazing horse,” Garcia said following the work. “He worked awesome. I’ve worked a lot of nice horses for trainer Bob Baffert in California and this horse is just as special. He’s doing amazing for the Preakness.”

Baffert was on hand to watch Authentic’s work. The Derby winner is scheduled to fly from Louisville to Baltimore on Tuesday.

Owned by the partnership of Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, and Starlight Racing, Authentic won the GI TVG.com Haskell S. in his start just prior to the Derby. He sports a record of 6-5-1-0 with his only career loss coming at the hands of Honor A. P. (Honor Code), who has since been retired, in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

Derby fifth-place finisher Max Player (Honor Code) also worked Monday at Churchill, getting four furlongs in :49.80 in preparation for the Preakness. Owned by George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds, GIII Withers S. winner Max Player was third in both the GI Belmont S. and the GI Runhappy Travers S. He is trained by Steve Asmussen.

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