Keeneland Barn Notes — Saturday, Oct. 31

By Amy Owens —-

On Nov. 6-7, Keeneland will host the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
For more information about the event, visit breederscup.com.

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Content by Gary Yunt and Liane Crossley

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· TIZ THE LAW, HIGHER POWER WORK TOWARD BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

· BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF HOPEFULS HARVEST MOON, OLLIE’S CANDY BREEZE

· VEQUIST GETS TEST RUN OVER TRACK FOR BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES

· BREEDERS’ CUP PRE-ENTRANTS LOG FINAL MAIN TRACK WORKS

· LEINSTER, WARD QUARTET WORK OVER TURF COURSE

· FIRST EUROPEAN WAVE ARRIVES AT KEENELAND

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TIZ THE LAW, HIGHER POWER WORK TOWARD BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law, who looms as one of the favorites for next Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), completed his major preparation for the 1¼-mile test by working 5 furlongs in :59.20 and galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:12.20 under Heather Smullen over a fast track.

“I saw just what I wanted. He went perfectly,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “We wanted him to go in :59 and he went in :59.20 so it was just right.”

Tiz the Law arrived at Keeneland Oct. 18, and this morning’s work was his second over the track. He worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.20 on Oct. 23.

“I thought he needs to get a good feel of this track (because) he has never run over it,” Tagg said of the early arrival. “He has to run against older horses; it is going to be a tough race.

“I have a super-duper crew and everything has gone right (with Tiz the Law). We pay attention to the horses. We carry 30 horses at the most and try to get the best out of what we got and every now and then we get a good one.”

The only Classic pre-entrant to have been at Keeneland longer than Tiz the Law is Hronis Racing’s Higher Power.

Early Saturday morning, Higher Power recorded his fifth work since arriving here the first of the month from Southern California.

With Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler, aboard, Higher Power worked 5 furlongs in :58.80 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:11.60.

“I liked the way he came back from it,” Leyva said. “He was blowing a little bit but not out of this world. His level of fitness has really progressed here.”

BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF HOPEFULS HARVEST MOON,
OLLIE’S CANDY BREEZE

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor’s Harvest Moon and Paul and Karen Eggert’s Ollie’s Candy, two pre-entrants for next Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), put in their final works for the 1 1/8-mile main track test.

With jockey Flavien Prat aboard, Harvest Moon worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 in company shortly after the track opened for training at 6 a.m.

“Flavien was very, very happy (with the work). I got her in a minute and four-fifths,” said trainer Simon Callaghan, who arrived in Lexington Wednesday night from his Southern California base, a few days after Harvest Moon arrived. “She has settled in nicely and it looks like she handled the track well.”

Currently housed in the Calumet Farm training barn, Harvest Moon will make the short trip of less than a half-mile south on Rice Road to the Breeders’ Cup barns on Tuesday.

Ollie’s Candy, second here Oct. 4 in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1), worked 6 furlongs in 1:11 in company under Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler.

“I talked with John last night and he said she needed a good work,” Levya said of Ollie’s Candy, who had worked a bullet 5 furlongs in :59 Oct. 24. “It was a little quick, but she did it well.”

VEQUIST GETS TEST RUN OVER TRACK
FOR BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable’s Vequist, who figures to be one of the major players in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), worked a half-mile in :47.20 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:00.40 under Jorge Vargas for trainer Butch Reid.

Winner of the Spinaway (G1) by 9½ lengths and then second in the Frizette (G1) in her most recent start, Vequist arrived at Keeneland from Parx on Monday.

“I think a work over the track is very important and that is why we came when we did,” Reid said. “She had three or four good gallops and the work was fine. She did work at Saratoga (before the Spinaway) but didn’t before the Frizette because Belmont is just up the road from Philadelphia.”

Reid, whose only previous Breeders’ Cup starter was Afleet Again, who won the 2011 Marathon (G2) at Churchill Downs, never has had a Keeneland starter.

In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Vequist will be making her first start going around two turns in the 1 1/16-mile race.

“The two turns … the first time doing something, there is always a little concern,” Reid said. “But she’s got a great head and relaxes, and I think we worry about it more than she does.”

Reid said Joel Rosario would have the mount in the Breeders’ Cup.

BREEDERS’ CUP PRE-ENTRANTS LOG FINAL MAIN TRACK WORKS

Other Saturday morning workers for the Breeders’ Cup on the fast main track were:

Hronis Racing’s Chaos Theory (Turf Sprint) worked a half-mile in :47 and galloped out five-eighths in :59.20 for trainer John Sadler. …

Kristen Boice and Marylou Holden’s Indian Summer winner Bodenheimer (Juvenile Turf Sprint) worked a half-mile in :47.80. “It was a very nice work and he did it easily,” trainer Valorie Lund said. …

Calumet Farm’s True Timber (Dirt Mile) and Bon Raison (Sprint) worked half-miles in :50 and :49.80, respectively, for trainer Jack Sisterson. Bon Raison is first on the preference list for the Sprint and would need one defection from the pre-entrants to make the 14-horse field. True Timber would need four defections from the Dirt Mile.

“I got all his eighths in 12 and change and he finished great,” Sisterson said of Bon Raison. He added of True Timber: “That was his best work. I got his last eight in :11 and 2. If he doesn’t get in, we have the ($150,000) Lafayette (Presented by Keeneland Select on Nov. 7) to fall back on.” …

Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith’s Keepmeinmind (:48) and Dreamer’s Disease (:48.40 out five-eighths in 1:00.80) worked separate half-miles for trainer Robertino Diodoro in preparation for the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

“David Cohen worked both of them and he will ride Dreamer’s Disease and Jose Ortiz will be on Keepmeinmind,” Diodoro said. …

Trainer Brendan Walsh sent out a trio of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls for half-mile works: DARRS Inc.’s Extravagant Kid (Turf Sprint), G. Chris Coleman and Brad King’s Into Mystic (Turf Sprint) and The Cool Silk Partnership’s Midnight Sands (Dirt Mile). Extravagant Kid (:48.20) worked with Plus Que Parfait; Into Mystic (:48.20) worked with Midnight Sands (:47.20).

“The rider was pretty much motionless the whole way (on Extravagant Kid),” Walsh said. “That was the kind of work you like to see going into a race. He did it well within himself. He gives me all the signs that he is coming into the race the way we like. This year for whatever reason he seems to be working better.”

Of Into Mystic, who needs one defection among the Turf Sprint pre-entries to get in the gate, Walsh said: “She did her usual thing: went off a little slower and picked up good and finished good and galloped out good. We are very pleased.” …

Working half-miles for trainer Chad Brown were Peter Brant’s Raging Bull (FR) (:48.20) and Klaravich Stables’ Front Run the Fed (:48.20) for the Mile and Turf Sprint, respectively. …

On the work tab for trainer Doug O’Neill were WCR II’s Wildman Jack (Turf Sprint) and Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and Strauss Bros. Racing’s Hot Rod Charlie (Juvenile), who worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.20. …

Japanese runners Jasper Prince (Dirt Mile), owned by Kazuo Kato, and Naoya Fujii’s Pingxiang Sprint) worked 3 furlongs in :37 and :36.40, respectively, for trainer Hideyuki Mori. …

Grupo 7c Racing Stable’s Jesus’ Team (Dirt Mile), third in the Preakness (G1) in his most recent start, worked a half-mile in :48.40 to the satisfaction of trainer Jose D’Angelo. It was the second Keeneland work for Jesus’ Team, who arrived Oct. 9 and worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 last Saturday. …

Michael and Jules Iavarone et al’s Lady Prancealot (IRE) (Filly and Mare Turf) worked a half-mile in :49.20 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:02.20 under Julien Leparoux for trainer Richard Baltas.

“She works on dirt all the time at home in California and I imagine the turf was a little soft this morning,” said Aimee Dollase, assistant to Baltas. …

Kaleem Shah’s undefeated Madone (Juvenile Fillies Turf) worked 5 furlongs in company with American Tattoo (ARG) in 1:01.40 for trainer Simon Callaghan. “She works on dirt at home and we wanted to keep her in her routine,” Callaghan said.

LEINSTER, WARD QUARTET WORK OVER TURF COURSE

Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables and Jean Wilkinson’s Leinster, winner of Keeneland’s Shakertown (G2) and Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select in his past two starts, worked a half-mile in :49.40 over a turf course labeled good for trainer Rusty Arnold. Crystal Conning was aboard Leinster.

“It’s deep out there and he doesn’t like it,” Arnold said after the work, which is in preparation for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). “It’s not going to be deep next Saturday.”

Also working on the grass were four runners for trainer Wesley Ward.

Working 5 furlongs in company toward possible Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) starts were Breeze Easy’s After Five (1:05) and Ranlo Investments’ Golden Pal (1:05.20). Juvenile Turf (G1) pre-entrant Outadore (1:07.60), owned by Breeze Easy, and Stonestreet Stables’ Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) pre-entrant Campanelle (IRE) (1:08) worked together.

FIRST EUROPEAN WAVE ARRIVES AT KEENELAND

Twenty-three European horses arrived at the Keeneland quarantine barn just before 11 p.m. Friday.

The grooms reported that all the horses traveled well and have settled into their new surroundings.

The shipment, which included English and Irish classic winners Kameko (Mile) and Siskin (Mile), will stay in quarantine until clearance on Sunday evening and will be on the training track on Monday morning.

The German-trained Donjah (GER) (Turf) flew into Chicago and will arrive at Keeneland on Monday morning.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien is planning to ship 10 horses from his Ballydoyle base in Ireland who are due to arrive Monday night. Leading his team is seven-time Grade 1 winner Magical (IRE) (Turf).

The first European trainer at Keeneland was Nigel Tinkler, who has his debut Breeders’ Cup runner with Ubettabelieveit (IRE) (Juvenile Turf Sprint).

“I’m delighted to be here and have my first Breeders Cup runner,” Tinkler said. “It is a meeting I have always followed and loved watching back home, so to have a runner is brilliant. Ubettabelieveit seems to have taken the traveling well. He’ll have an easy couple of days in quarantine then will get him out on the training track on Monday.”

The majority of the European owners and trainers are due to arrive Monday and will be at the quarantine barn Tuesday morning.

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