DEL MAR
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Weather: Clear
Temp.: 57°
Track: Fast
DEL MAR - The Aidan O’Brien show, always a highlight when the potent stable takes to the track for the first time at the Breeders’ Cup no matter the venue, became Aidan and Sons this year at Del Mar.
The group consisted of 13 O’Brien horses led by Aidan’s army of eight Breeders’ Cup contenders along with five others trained by his sons Joseph and Donnacha.
The O’Brien horses left the seven-furlong chute and, as is customary the first day out of quarantine, jogged clockwise once around the mile oval, then reversed direction before proceeding to canter another mile.
Parading single file over the main track, in perfect unison as always, the leader of the pack, The Lion In Winter (Mile), was getting noticeably warm in the coat on what was a relatively cool morning.
The Europeans were out in full force on Tuesday, the O’Brien contingent preceded by a quartet from the barn of trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and a fivesome for colleague Charlie Appleby, with the incomparable Rebel’s Romance looking like a million bucks at the head of the line.
Tuesday’s Breeders’ Cup work tab was limited , as expected, but did include a couple of notable three-furlong blowouts after the renovation break. The first came from Juvenile Fillies Turf-bound Switch in Love, who completed the distance in 36.93 seconds, shading 23 for her final quarter, before easing up after a half-mile in 49.85.
She was followed by another turf specialist, the Grade 1-winning Be Your Best (Filly and Mare Turf), who was full of run and under a very strong hold breezing three-eighths in 36.79, galloping out her half in 49.39.
Banishing, who now has Chad Summers listed as his trainer of record, blew out from the quarter pole in 25 and change while leaning out some to and through the wire. He could prove to be a sleeper on the turnback to six furlongs in the Sprint.
Puro Magic and Invincible Papa, both of whom are entered in the Turf Sprint, were allowed to stretch it out at the end of their routine gallops going from the three-eighths pole to the wire in 39.35 and 39.95, respectively. Puro Magic broke about four lengths behind Invincible Papa and finished one back with neither extended for their best at any point.
On the Classic front, it was another early morning for the Todd Pletcher trio of Fierceness, Mindframe, and Antiquarian who again came out shortly after the track opened at 5:30 a.m. Each of them made a very favorable impression while picking up the pace some on their second day of training since arriving here Sunday.
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Reigning Classic champion Sierra Leone also looked eager to do more, especially coming off the final turn and heading down the stretch while posting a very positive-looking gallop of his own a couple of hours later.
Those expecting to see Forever Young breeze this morning, myself included, will apparently have to wait another day, although the lone Japanese contender in this year’s Classic was not slacking off by any means. He first jogged, then galloped a mile and one-quarter with stablemate American Stage (Sprint), following close behind as usual.
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