Conquest Stables' Conquest Big E (Tapit) prepped for Saturday's GII Holy Bull S. with an easy half-mile breeze Sunday at Palm Meadows. Working in company with graded stakes winner Kaigun (Northern Afleet), the Mark Casse trainee went four furlongs in :49.00.
“Our bigger works tend to come a couple weeks out; today was just kind of a stretch your legs day and make sure everything's working properly and we're happy,” said Casse. “He's been training as good as a horse can train.”
Conquest Big E, a $700,000 Keeneland September yearling, has fired two bullets at Palm Meadows, going four furlongs in :48.00 Dec. 31, the fastest of 76 horses, and five furlongs in 1:00.60 Jan. 18, topping 49 horses.
“He worked extremely well [Jan. 18],” Casse said. “Kaigun is our old pro. They went head-and-head and Kaigun is actually a very good work horse on the dirt. I would say it probably took Kaigun a little more effort to keep up, and Big E was just galloping. It was the same thing today.”
A maiden winner at Keeneland last October, Conquest Big E was eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before scoring by two lengths in a one-mile optional claimer over a sloppy Churchill track last time out Nov. 28 (video).
“My feeling has always been he trains like a really good horse and I think he's run well, but so far in his career I think he's an underachiever,” Casse said of Conquest Big E, who is named for Conquest Stables' owner Ernie Semersky. “I do see things in him that make me think he is a really good horse, but he has to prove it. This will be a big test.”
Also expected for next week's Holy Bull are: unbeaten multiple graded stakes winner Mohaymen (Tapit), GI Champagne S. winner Greenpointcrusader (Bernardini), Florida Stallion In Reality S. winner Fellowship (Awesome of Course), and Cherry Wine (Paddy o'Prado). Cherry Wine, who was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after an impressive allowance victory Jan. 9 (video), worked five furlongs in 1:00.88 at Gulfstream Park Sunday.
Last year's Holy Bull winner Upstart (Flatter) returned to the work tab at Palm Meadows Sunday. In his first work since last September, the 4-year-old went three furlongs in :38.60.
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