Trackside: Steve Sherack’s Thursday Morning BC Report

A spectacular sunrise embellished with reddish and pinkish hues greeted the largest crowd of the week on a very comfortable morning at beautiful Santa Anita Park Thursday. With the Classic big three of California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit),Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Tonalist (Tapit) all up and at ‘em early, the popular Trackside Breakfast Marquee was already packed by 7 a.m. 

The 6′ 10″ frame of NBA power forward and Cigar Street (Street Sense) co-owner Rashard Lewis certainly stood out from among the group near Clockers’ Corner, while several Breeders’ Cup runners made their way through the paddock.Artemis Agrotera (Roman Ruler) and defending F/M Turf champ Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB})–with trainer Sir Michael Stoute trackside for the first time this week–took a tour of the Breeders’ Cup-ready walking ring shortly after 7:30 a.m. They were quickly joined by the European contingent of Aktabantay (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Commemorative (GB) (Zamindar), Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein), Mustajeeb (GB) (Nayef) and Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). 

Even during track renovation breaks, there’s still plenty to see as the turf course and training track both remain quite active. The gap is always a popular place to hang at this point, too. Bourbon Courage (Lion Heart), Don’t Tell Sophia(Congaree), the Kaleem Shah/Bob Baffert duo of Bayern (Offlee Wild) and Fed Biz (Giant’s Causeway), as well as the braided Footbridge (Street Cry {Ire}) and stunning Imperative (Bernardini) all patiently waited as the main track was being harrowed. 

Trainer Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier made their way through the grandstand as jockey Joseph O’Brien stood tall in the irons aboard The Great War (War Front). Sweet Reason (Street Sense) picked an awful time to be on her worst behavior with owner Jeff Treadway looking on from the apron. Despite the urging of her rider, she simply refused to leave her post, and when met by an outrider, immediately pinned back her ears. Sweet Reason didn’t put up much more of a fight at this point though, and was quickly on her way to complete a routine day of training. 

Goldikova (Ire)’s little brother Anodin (Ire) (Anabaa) led a three-horse brigade from France and really caught the eye as he came rolling down the stretch, much to the delight of conditioner Freddy Head. Arc runner-up Flintshire (GB)(Dansili {GB}) and Veda (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) followed suit. Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) was noticeably lathered up during her morning work as she prepares for her tilt against the boys in the Turf. 

Salutos Amigos (Salute the Sarge) exited the track with good energy, pretty impressive considering that he won last weekend’s GIII Bold Ruler H. on the other side of the country. Flying Tipat (Tapit), a full sister to 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Tapitsfly, made a nice impression during her gallop as did Mile live longshot Summer Front (War Front). 

Trainer Chad Brown’s large group of Breeders’ Cup entrants have really thrived in the California sun since shipping from New York, and his late quartet of Dayatthespa (City Zip), Lady Eli (Divine Park), Sivoliere (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Stephanie’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) closed out another absolutely perfect morning in Arcadia as training hours came to a close. 

(Click here for Thursday’s photo page).