Del Mar
Tuesday, Oct. 29
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 59
Track: Fast
DEL MAR, Calif. - With nearly 180 horses entered in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, and all of them currently on the grounds, needless to say Tuesday morning was a very busy one at Del Mar from the time the track opened at 5:30 a.m. until it closed four hours later.
The Japanese contingent, a record 19 strong this year, was particularly active during the course of the morning, a dozen of them turning in official works, including Classic contenders Derma Sotogake and Forever Young.
Tuesday also marked the first local sighting of one of, if not the, marquee horses in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, Thorpedo Anna, who was among the first horses on the track, per usual, this morning. The odds-on favorite for the Distaff spent quite a while out and about, getting used to the new surroundings. She jogged more than two miles the wrong way on the outside fence accompanied by a stable pony before paying a visit to the paddock as well.
Derma Sotogake, who has gone off his best form since finishing second in the 2023 Classic, turned in a serious and very impressive drill just four days removed from his race, going five furlongs from the half in 59.78, his final three-eighths in a lively 34.45, before galloping out six panels in 1:12.41 and easing up seven furlongs in 1:27.09. Derma Sotogake will race with blinkers for the first time in the Classic but notably did not work in blinkers this morning.
Forever Young was equally impressive a couple of hours later while going in company with fellow Breeders’ Cup entrant Ecoro Azel (Juvenile), who served as a target for his older and vastly more accomplished mate.
Forever Young broke off at the six-furlong pole four to five lengths behind Ecoro Azel, loped to the three-eighths marker in 43.65, then poured it on to the wire, slipping up the rail and coming home in 35.71 before continuing to accelerate into the turn. He finally eased up after a full mile in 1:46.29.
The official final time of 1:04 is accurate but somewhat misleading in light of the way this work was orchestrated. Forever Young appears to be maintaining his stellar form coming into the Classic.
The third Japanese representative in the Classic, Ushba Tesoro, appears to have come out of yesterday’s incident, when he wheeled and lost his rider briefly, none the worse for wear. The big, good-looking veteran, who was one of the workout stars of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, went earlier than usual, in the dark this morning, and made another very favorable impression. He could be flying under the radar in this year’s edition of the Classic.
Among the other noteworthy workers this morning was T O Saint Denis, who failed to work his way off the poor-performance list over the weekend but did so today after completing five furlongs from the half in 50.44, 1:03.45, coming home under extreme pressure during his final quarter to the wire in 23.38 before continuing out with decent energy while kept off the rail into the turn. T O Saint Denis was on the poor-performance list for being defeated 60 lengths in his most recent start in Japan.
Ten Happy Rose, who runs in the Mile, looked very sharp for a turf horse breezing on dirt, completing five furlongs from the half in 1:03.09 but with a final three-eighths split into the club turn in 35.87 despite not switching off his left lead at any point down the lane.
Other Japanese workers on Tuesday included Shin Believe, a very average five furlongs in 1:06.60 while also hanging on that left lead to the wire; Otomena Shacho, four furlongs in 52.10 but with a decent finish; the undefeated, Distaff hopeful Awesome Result, four furlongs in 52.50 but home in 24.17 under late urging after barely getting out of an open gallop in her opening quarter-mile; Ecoro Sieg, an easy four panels from the half in 50.41; and the team of American Bikini and Don Frankie, the former making up about four lengths on her older mate at the end of a maintenance-like breeze for both.
Soul of an Angel, as expected, blew out an easy three furlongs from the quarter pole for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. immediately after the renovation break, in 39.06, out a half in 53.13, while cruising along throughout.
Tuesday also marked the first sighting of the Aidan O’Brien brigade, a show all in itself every year at the Breeders’ Cup. This season a dozen strong jogged a mile the wrong way before reversing and cantering a mile in precise, conga-line fashion shortly after the renovation break.
The star of the group and likely Classic favorite City of Troy got a little warm in the coat on a crisp Southern California morning along with stablemate Diego Velazquez.
Seize the Grey had far and away his best day since arriving locally when allowed to really stretch his legs. He galloped at far faster than a two-minute clip from the five-eighths pole through the wire and looked good doing so, as usual, well before dawn for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.