DEL MAR
Oct. 31
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 52
Track: Fast
DEL MAR, Calif. - Thursday was the coolest morning yet on the Breeders’ Cup watch at Del Mar with the temperature holding in the low 50s throughout training hours. And everybody was putting the finishing touches, in one form or another, to preparations for this year’s Championship races.
The following are just a few of the highlights of this morning’s session, in chronological order, from the time the track opened for training, per usual, at 5:30 a.m.
Thorpedo Anna: One can set their watch by the prohibitive favorite for the Distaff, who came out at her usual time, 5:45 a.m., to gallop another strong 1 1/2 miles under the cover of darkness while not nearly as keyed up or at the pace of Wednesday’s session.
Tapit Trice: The first of the Classic contenders to train, he looked good while on his toes and wanting to do more in the cool weather.
Didia: Continues to make a very favorable impression locally after doing all her major work for her role as one of the key players in this year’s Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland.
Rattle N Roll: Did exactly that for a second consecutive morning. He was absolutely full of run while picking up the pace noticeably around the second turn and through the stretch. Still needs a scratch to draw into the Classic.
Full Count Felicia: Ran off with her rider yesterday and was in run-off mode once again today through the wire and around the turn before finally coming to hand midway down the backstretch. She seems to go that way as well in the afternoon considering the manner in which she sped away to a long lead en route to an easy victory in the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine.
Ushba Tesoro: Posted an official half-mile breeze yesterday, and was back down on the fence turning in an unofficial one this morning. He went a quarter-mile wire out in 25.80 before the rider gathered him in once turning down the backstretch. Powerful colt is looking good on a regular basis and could be primed for a big effort in the Classic.
Starlust: Like Full Count Felicia, definitely in run-off mode through the stretch and around the clubhouse turn in the crisp conditions here today.
Soprano: Another who made time blowing out a quarter in 26.42 seconds, easing up three-eighths in 39.90 to put finishing touches on her training session this morning. Another headed for a very competitive Filly and Mare Turf on Saturday.
Citizen Bull: One of a bevy of top contenders in a very talented Juvenile field. He comes into the race off series of strong works at Santa Anita, and gave every indication he’s flourishing coming out of those drills by turning in a very robust gallop immediately after the renovation break.
Forever Young: Has trained forwardly for the Classic right along and put in a routine 1 1/2-mile gallop today, but caught the eye considering his rider was sporting a Shohei Ohtani jersey in celebration of the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series victory the previous evening.
Magnum Force: He didn’t get an official work but was another who dropped to the rail and zipped three-eighths in 36.89 in a surprising move just a little over 24 hours prior to his appearance Friday in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Carl Spackler: Turf specialist was especially sharp over the main track this morning, completing his routine gallop at a strong two-minute clip.
Team O’Brien: Another good show from the 10 remaining Breeders’ Cup contenders from trainer Aiden O’Brien’s barn. The group really let it rip this morning, open-galloping at far in excess of a two-minute clip led by Luxembourg (Turf) and City of Troy (Classic), the pair setting a torrid pace for their mates to follow. They completed the one-mile “gallop” in a strong 1:54.80. Eight of the 10 kept the line pretty much intact with only Content and the 2-year-old Lake Victoria falling behind. Lake Victoria perhaps dropped back by design with her race just a little more than 24 hours away in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Emily Upjohn: She brought the morning’s activity to a close but did so with a flourish, stepping on the turf to breeze a very sharp five furlongs around the dogs in 38.32, 1:02. Was a bit awkward on her lead change upon settling into the stretch but finished strong to the wire under just some light prodding. An impressive drill just two days before she takes on the boys in the Turf.
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