Breeders’ Cup Update: Monday, Oct. 22, 2018

By Darren Rogers —-

BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC CONTENDER YOSHIDA WORKS
FIVE FURLONGS IN 1:00.80 AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Monday, Oct. 22, 2018) – On a blustery Monday morning beneath the historic Twin Spires, Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade I) hopeful Yoshida (JPN) worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 in preparation for the 1 ¼-mile race on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

Yoshida, the two-length winner of the Woodward Stakes (GI) on Sept. 1 at Saratoga, began his work at the five-furlong pole in company with 2017 Kentucky Downs maiden special weight winner Morocco through eighth-mile splits of :13.20, :25.60, :37 and :49 prior to galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 and seven furlongs in 1:28, according to Churchill Downs’ clocker John Nichols. Morocco completed his breeze after a half-mile in :50.

“He’s just doing great,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “We’ve been really happy with him since we got to Churchill last Thursday. Even though he’s a Grade I winner on the grass (in the May 5 Old Forester Turf Classic), we thought the Classic is the best route.”

Yoshida has won five starts in his 11-race career with purse earnings of $1,289,770 for owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, SF Racing and Head of Plains Partners.

“We’re just very fortunate to be in the spot we are,” WinStar Farm’s President and Racing Manager Elliott Walden said. “It was a great work this morning. We were all so thrilled on Derby Day to get his first Grade I win in the Old Forester and then return over the summer to win the Woodward on the dirt was very special as well.”

Mott has won the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice before with Cigar (1995) and WinStar Farm’s Drosselmeyer (2011).

“I think going into this year’s Classic Yoshida has a better chance than Drosselmeyer did,” Walden said.

In the barn adjacent to Mott on the Churchill Downs backstretch is fellow Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Mind Your Biscuits, who was pre-entered to run in the Classic as his first option but could also pre-enter in either the Dirt Mile or the Sprint as a second option, according to trainer Chad Summers.

Pre-entries for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races were due at noon (all times Eastern) Monday. The pre-entry announcement will take place on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

The stream of the pre-entry announcement, which will be hosted by Caton Bredar and Churchill Downs’ Joe Kristufek will be available on the Breeders’ Cup website, Official Mobile App and Facebook page.

The Official Breeders’ Cup mobile app can be downloaded via the links below:

• iTunes App Store:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/breeders-cup-mobile/id1297424320?ls=1&mt=8
• Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yinzcam.venues.breederscup

Locally, the event will take place in The Parlay’s Media Briefing Room at Churchill Downs and media are welcome to attend. Breeders’ Cup Limited President and CEO Craig Fravel and Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery will be on hand to answer media questions following the Pre-Entry announcement.

Other Breeders’ Cup hopefuls on the Churchill Downs work tab Monday included Longines Distaff (GI) contender Midnight Bisou, who worked five furlongs in 1:00 outside of two-time winning 3-year-old colt Principe Guilherme, and Sprint candidate Switzerland, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60.

Training hours at Churchill Downs will remain 5:30-10 a.m. daily until Saturday when the track will open at 5:15 a.m. There will be turf training available Tuesday from 9:45-10 a.m. and daily beginning Sunday, Oct. 28. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/2PeXuHY.

ARRIVALS/BARN LIST – All Breeders’ Cup contenders must be on the grounds 72 hours prior to their race. Many of the contenders will begin arriving between 7-10 days from the event, according to Churchill Downs director of the stable area Steve Hargrave. Stay tuned for updates regarding arrivals following the pre-entry announcement on Wednesday.

Below are the current Breeders’ Cup contenders that are currently stabled at Churchill Downs:

Trainer Horse Race Barn Last Work

Tom Amoss Lone Sailor Classic/Dirt Mile 29 Oct. 17; 4F :49.60
Tom Amoss Serengeti Empress Juvenile Fillies 29 Oct. 18; 5F 1:00
Steve Asmussen Chanteline Turf Sprint 38 Oct. 3; 5F 1:02.20
Steve Asmussen Mia Mischief Filly and Mare Sprint 38 Oct. 20; 5F 1:00.80
Steve Asmussen Midnight Bisou Distaff 38 Oct. 22; 5F 1:00
Steve Asmussen Switzerland Sprint 38 Oct. 22; 5F 1:00.60
Steve Asmussen Tight Ten Juvenile 38 Oct. 21; 5F :59.60
Juan Avila Trophy Chaser Juvenile 34 Oct. 21; 5F 1:01.40
Bret Calhoun Finley’sluckycharm Filly and Mare Sprint 23 Oct. 18; 5F 1:00.20
Mark Casse Wonder Gadot Distaff 36 Oct. 19; 5F 1:00
Brad Cox Arklow Turf 22 Oct. 12; 4F :49.80
Brad Cox Golden Mischief Filly and Mare Sprint 22 Oct. 20; 4F :50.60
Brad Cox Monomoy Girl Distaff 22 Oct. 20; 5F 1:00.20
Brad Cox Will Call Turf Sprint 22 Oct. 20; 4F :49.80
Keith Desormeaux Reflect Juvenile Fillies 25 Oct. 20, 4F :48.40
Tim Glyshaw Bucchero Turf Sprint 3 Oct. 20; 4F :48.60
D. Wayne Lukas Bravazo Classic 44 Oct. 17; 5F 1:00
D. Wayne Lukas Warrior’s Club Sprint 44 Oct. 16; 4F :48.60
Ron Moquett Whitmore Sprint/Dirt Mile 10 Oct. 19; 4F :47
Bill Mott Channel Maker Turf 19 Oct. 21; 4F :49.20
Bill Mott Yoshida (JPN) Classic 19 Oct. 22; 5F 1:00.80
Dale Romans Promises Fulfilled Sprint/Dirt Mile 4 Oct. 20; 4F :48.60
Dale Romans Seven Trumpets Dirt Mile 4 Oct. 20; 5F 1:00.20
Dallas Stewart Seeking the Soul Classic 37 Oct. 19; 5F 1:01
Chad Summers Mind Your Biscuits Classic/Dirt Mile/Sprint 18 Oct. 19; 6F 1:15
Saeed bin Suroor Thunder Snow Classic 17 Oct. 19; one mile 1:42.20
Jonathan Thomas Catholic Boy Classic 41 Oct. 14; 4F 1:01.20
Ian Wilkes Quarteto de Cordas (BRZ) Turf 26 N/A

DOWN THE STRETCH – Imperial Hint, one of the likely favorites for the TwinSpires Sprint (GI), left Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., around 6:30 a.m. Monday and is expected to arrive in Louisville around 6 p.m., according to trainer Luis Carvajal Jr.