DEL MAR
Sunday, Oct. 26
Weather: Cloudy
Temp.: 60
Track: Fast
Turf: Firm
DEL MAR, Calif. – Journalism may not have been the star of the show during training hours this past week at Del Mar – at least not since his nemesis Sovereignty arrived last Wednesday – but the Preakness and Haskell winner put on a pretty good show as dawn broke here Sunday, topping a Breeders’ Cup work tab that also included a very good showing from Distaff contender Dorth Vader.
With Jose Ortiz aboard and runaway maiden winner Legitimate as a partner, Journalism cruised through an opening three-eighths in 37.70 seconds before picking up the pace while kept well in reserve down the lane by his new rider, going five furlongs in 1:01.88, per Daily Racing Form. He then showed tons of energy continuing into and around the turn, galloping out three-quarters in 1:14.51 and not easing up until completing a full mile back where he started at the five-furlong marker in 1:41.91. A maintenance work, perhaps by design, but one that put a punctuation mark on a very impressive week of training since he shipped down from his Santa Anita base on Monday.
Dorth Vader was in maintenance mode as well for trainer George Weaver, but she also looked very sharp completing the final quarter of a 49.16 half-mile in 23.17 without need of prodding. She then maintained that momentum, continuing very strongly into the turn, easing up after five-eighths in 1:01.21. She’s a steadily improving mare who gives every indication that she has bounced out of that heartbreaking near-miss to champion Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign and is ready for another big effort here Saturday.
Trainer Doug O’Neill opted to take Civil Liberty to the gate for his final prep for the Juvenile, and the 2-year-old maiden zipped four furlongs in 24.00 and 47.01 going easily throughout before easing up five furlongs in 1:00.24. He was the second of O’Neill’s two Breeders’ Cup runners to breeze here Sunday along with La Kika, who looked good posting a 47.40 half-mile clocking going easily throughout over the main track for the Filly and Mare Turf.
Zeitlos, one of only two Breeders’ Cup entrants this year for trainer Steve Asmussen along with Obliteration, and the only one on the grounds currently, blew out an easy three furlongs in 36.20 for the Filly and Mare Sprint.
Only two horses trained over the firm turf course Sunday, the 9-year-old veteran Khadeem (Turf Sprint), who looked good just galloping a very easy mile around the seven-furlong oval, and Bacio (Juvenile Turf Sprint), who did not make the official tab after breezing a very slow half-mile in 58 seconds around the very wide dogs. The Wesley Ward-trained youngster was very rank leaving the pole and did his best running from the wire out into the clubhouse turn.
Sovereignty was dazzling again while coming out to train at his usual time shortly before 7 a.m. He was skipping over the track, ears up, in his now regular eye-catching fashion before accelerating through that final quarter-mile, as always, down the backstretch at the end of a 1 1/2-mile gallop. All eyes will be on the BC Classic favorite when he turns in his final Breeders’ Cup breeze on Monday.
A couple of others who caught the eye Sunday morning were Alice Verite (Distaff) and Lennilu (Juvenile Turf Sprint). Alice Verite absolutely dragged her rider around while completing three-eighths from the quarter pole into the turn in 38 and change despite being purposely angled out to the middle of the track entering the stretch.
Florida invader Lennilu is obviously loving the cooler conditions on the West Coast, zipping along at far better than a two-minute pace but appearing very relaxed doing so throughout an impressive-looking open gallop shortly before the main track closed for training at 9:30 a.m.
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