Melatonin Works Towards BC Classic

Melatonin (Kodiak Kowboy), who earlier this season completed the GI Santa Anita H./GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita (ex Hollywood Gold Cup) double, drilled five furlongs in 1:02 Wednesday morning at Santa Anita as he continues to train towards a meeting with California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 5. The gelding went in fractions of :23.80, :37 and :50.

“He did it nice and easy. We're pointing to the Breeders' Cup Classic. He seems to like the track. It's in very good condition,” commented trainer David Hofmans, who sent out longshot Alphabet Soup (Cozzene) to a stunning upset of Cigar (Palace Music) in the 1996 Classic at Woodbine.

The 5-year-old was programmed for a bit of a freshening following his run in the Gold Cup June 25 and took it easy over the summer at Del Mar, so much so, in fact, that a prep race in the GI Awesome Again S. Oct. 1–a race expected to attract the 2014 Horse of the Year–became impossible.

“We backed off training over the main track at Del Mar, and although we jogged him and galloped him on the training track, I lost enough time where I couldn't make the Awesome Again,” Hofmans explained. “He likes time between his races but this is a lot of time and the Awesome Again is a tough spot.”