BC workers take over Keeneland’s Friday worktab

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Edited Press Release

With just two weeks until the October 30-31 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, a number of horses gearing up for those championship events put in works over that Lexington, Kentucky, track on Friday.

A pair of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hopefuls logged moves over the fast main track, with Ralis getting a bullet five furlongs in :59.60 and Sticksstatelydude clocking a half-mile in :47.80.

Hopeful S. winner Ralis was registering in his first local move on Friday and took to the track after the morning renovation with Drayden Van Dyke aboard. The Doug O’Neill-trained son of Square Eddie posted fractions of :12 and :35.20 , with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:13.60.

The five-eighths time shared the mark as the best of 14 at the distance.

“Drayden said he had to angle out a bit off the rail because a couple of horses were working in front of him,” assistant trainer Jack Sisterson said. “He got over the ground well and I chatted with Doug and he was happy about the work.”

Based in Southern California, Ralis ventured to Saratoga to romp by 5 3/4 lengths in the September 7 Hopeful, but on his return to New York for the October 3 Champagne S. he caught his first muddy track and finished sixth behind Greenpointcrusader.

“He caught the slop and he was caught in between some horses after breaking with the leaders,” Sisterson explained. “He’s a horse that likes to sit in the pocket and in the Hopeful, he had a target to run at.”

Ralis is scheduled to work again next Friday.

Trainer Greg Burchell was eager to see how Sticksstatelydude would work Friday morning in his first drill since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Futurity S. on October 3, and stated after the First Dude colt’s work that they would pre-enter to the Juvenile.

“That’s our plan right now,” Burchell said after Sticksstatelydude produced fractions of :11.80 and :23.80 with a five-furlong gallop out under Lark Carroll in 1:01.80.

“It is just maintenance now,” Burchell said. “The Breeders’ Futurity got him tight. The way he trains, he’s a free galloper and goes around there in 2:05, 2:06. Conditioning will be no excuse.”

TwinSpires.com Breeders’ Cup Sprint hopeful Limousine Liberal worked five furlongs in :59.60 after the renovation break with exercise rider Silvino Campo aboard for trainer Ben Colebrook.

“He came home well and I think we will go in the Sprint if we can get in,” Colebrook said after Limousine Liberal’s bullet move that included fractions of :36.40 and a six-furlong gallop out in 1:12.60. “He will probably work again next Saturday.”

Second in the Gallant Bob S. and King’s Bishop S. in his past two, the three-year-old son of Successful Appeal will likely face the winner of that latter race, Runhappy, yet again in the Sprint.

“I’d rather not run against Runhappy, but we’ve been about as close to him as anybody else,” Colebrook noted.

Trainer Todd Pletcher oversaw works of several sets of his horses that included Breeders’ Cup contenders on Friday at Keeneland.

In company with Sweet Ella about 6:10 a.m. (EDT), undefeated Grade 1 winner Rachel’s Valentina worked a half-mile in :49.20. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies hopeful produced fractions of :25.40 and :49.20, with a gallop-out time of 1:02.80.

“She breezed very well, very typical of the way she goes,” Pletcher said about the daughter of champion Bernardini and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. “The further she went, the stronger she got. Galloped out really well. Very happy with her. Looked good.”

After the renovation break, Grade 1 winner Curalina, who is headed to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, worked a half-mile with Race Day in :47.80. Clockers caught the pair in fractions of :12.20, :24.60 and :47.80, with a gallop-out time of 1:00.60.

Grade 2 winner Azar and Grade 3-placed Thrilled – headed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf, respectively – worked a half-mile together in :48.60 with fractions of 11.80, :23.80 and :48.60, and a gallop-out time of 1:01.40.

These and a number of Pletcher’s other Breeders’ Cup contenders at Keeneland are now having their second and third works over the track.

“The horses seem to be settling in well and have been working well over the track,” he said. “Hopefully that’s an advantage come race day.”

Pletcher said Spinster S. winner Got Lucky would have one breeze prior to the Distaff.

Multiple Grade 2 heroine Frivolous, another Distaff candidate, worked a half-mile in :47.80 with trainer Vicki Oliver aboard in preparation for that October 30 event. Fourth in the Spinster in her most recent start, the Empire Maker mare posted fractions of :11.80 and :24.40, with a five-furlong gallop out in 1:01.20.

Oliver described the work as “fantastic” and said Frivolous would work again next Friday.

Grade 3-placed Bailoutbobby, a candidate for the $200,000 Marathon to be run at 1 3/4 miles on October 30 on the Breeders’ Cup Friday undercard, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 for trainer Doug O’Neill.

The Mizzen Mast gelding was clocked in fractions of :12.60, :24.20 and :36.80, with a six-furlong gallop out in in 1:13.80.

While Keeneland saw the brunt of the Breeders’ Cup worker action Friday, Churchill Downs also recorded a few moves geared toward the championship events courtesy of trainers Mark Casse and Kenny McPeek.

Tepin, seven-length winner of the First Lady S. and headed for a showdown with the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on October 31, covered a half-mile in :50 on the fast track with Julien Leparoux aboard.

Leparoux was also in the saddle on Bourbon S. winner Airoforce, who logged four furlongs in :48 in company with Bourbon third-place finisher Siding Spring. Both colts are pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on October 30.

Also working for Casse was Keeneland opening-day maiden winner Conquest Big E, who clocked five furlongs in 1:00 under Shaun Bridgmohan in company with Conquest Windycity, who was caught in 1:00.80. Second to Breeders’ Futurity S. winner Brody’s Cause in his debut, Conquest Big E is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31.

McPeek worked a couple of his Breeders’ Cup-bound two-year-olds under the Twin Spires on Friday.

Pocahontas S. winner and Alcibiades S. runner-up Dothraki Queen worked five furlongs in company in 1:01, while Breeders’ Futurity S. third-placer Rated R Superstar logged a bullet five-eighths in company in :59.60 with Calvin Borel up.

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All photos courtesy of Keeneland/Coady Photography

Ralis