There were a plethora of horses from coast to coast that got in their final breezes towards next weekend's Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar Nov. 3 and 4. Here is a summary by region:
KENTUCKY:
World Approval (Northern Afleet), last-out winner of the GI Woodbine Mile and expected to be one of the favorites for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, was one of five Breeders' Cup horses from the Mark Casse barn to log works at Churchill Downs. The gray, a half-brother to 2006 Mile hero Miesque's Approval (Miesque's Son) covered a half-mile in :47.80 in fractions of :12.80 and :24.80 before galloping out five panels in 1:00 flat and three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.80.
“World Approval has been a completely different horse since we turned him back in distance,” commented assistant trainer Norman Casse. “He ran extremely well in the Woodbine Mile and we're very confident entering the [Breeders' Cup] Mile.”
Team Casse won the 2015 Mile with Tepin (Bernstein).
Across Interstate 64 in Lexington, a half-dozen Breeders' Cup-bound runners breezed over the Keeneland main track.
'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall (More Than Ready), a latest winner of the GIII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. and pointing for the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf next Friday, went four furlongs in :47.80 (video). The eFive Racing Thoroughbreds colorbearer has remained in the Bluegrass by design.
“Because there was such a short turnaround between that race and the Breeders' Cup, I didn't want to put that many ships [trips] into her,” trainer Chad Brown said. “So we left her at Keeneland. She's been doing super.”
NEW YORK:
Three-year-olds have not infrequently tasted success in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, including Runhappy (Super Saver) and Drefong (Gio Ponti) in the last two renewals. Shadwell Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Takaful (Bernardini) will look to add to that particular streak and towards that goal, the homebred colt fired a best-of-46 four furlongs in :46.66 over the Belmont training track Friday morning (video). He galloped out five-eighths of a mile in :59 4/5.
“He's only three, but he's doing very well, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “We're going to be facing some top sprinters and the draw will be important. Hopefully, we draw in towards the middle or outside where we can stalk out a good trip. He went off very quickly 22 and change and 46 and three, and out in 59 and four. He's a fast horse so it was a good work.”
Takaful, who ships to California Tuesday, exits a defeat of his elders in the GI Vosburgh S. Sept. 30.
Trainer Tom Albertrani knows the task at hand for GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. winner Sadler's Joy (Kitten's Joy) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf will not be an easy one, given the presence of defending champion Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and dual Group 1 winner Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). But the conditioner heads into the race bullish on the chances of the 4-year-old, who worked a half-mile in a leisurely :50.02 over Belmont's main track Friday morning (video).
“Those are the two I think you have to focus on from the horses overseas, but if he [Sadler's Joy] runs like he has in the past and gets the right trip, I think we'll be right there,” Albertrani said. “It was a good, even work. He broke off from the five-eighths pole in 13 and 2 and it was steady the rest of the way. It's what we were looking for today and he galloped out good, and we're all set to go.”
Sadler's Joy was most recently fourth to Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. Sept. 30.
FLORIDA:
Gunnevera (Dialed In), runner-up to West Coast (Flatter) in the GI Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 26, went five furlongs over the Gulfstream Park West main track in 1:02 Friday morning (video), his final breeze ahead of a rematch with that rival and a stellar supporting cast in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4. Jockey Edgard Zayas was in the irons for the move.
“The horse went very good this morning,” said trainer Antonio Sano, who caught Gunnevera going the last quarter-mile in :23 1/5. “He started out slow but finished strong. We are very happy and excited about him. Everything is very good.”
Though Gunnevera had posted four consecutive bullets coming into Friday's work, Zayas believes it may have been his best.
“He worked great, really good,” Zayas commented. “We were very happy with his work. It was slower than last week but it was way easier, and he galloped out nice and strong. At the beginning I just let him go on his own. At the quarter pole I just touched him a little bit and he picked it up and the last furlong I gave him a little tap on the shoulder and he kept going. He worked way better than last week in my opinion because this time I didn't do much on him. He was push-button today.”
CALIFORNIA:
Not only have sophomores more than held their own in the Sprint, but–for what it's worth–they have fared extremely well when the races have been held in the Golden State. In addition to Drefong (Gio Ponti)'s score last year, Trinniberg (Teuflesberg) upset the 2012 running in Arcadia at 13-1 and Cajun Beat (Grand Slam) caused a 22-1 upset at Santa Anita in 2003. 'TDN Rising Star' American Pastime (Tapizar) is another of the 3-year-old set who carries that progressive sort of form into this year's Sprint. Like Trinniberg, he exits a runner-up effort in the GIII Gallant Bob S. at Parx Racing and he tuned up for the sprint with a slower-early, faster-late half-mile that was clocked in :45.80 (video). The move was clocked in splits of :12.20 and :23.60 with a five-furlong gallop-out in :58.40.
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