“That’ll tell the story,” Morey said Monday morning. “Russell Baze will be up and we’ll see how he goes. If everything goes well and he comes out of it OK, we’ve got a 4 a.m. ship on Wednesday.”
“Oh, this is a big step up,” Morey said. “We understand that. But the owners want to give it a try and I’m not in the business of spoiling their dreams. This horse brings his game every time. You’ve got to like him for that. And if he runs to the race he put in at Del Mar (Del Mar Mile Aug. 24 in which he was second by three-quarters of a length to Whatsthescript), you’ll hear from him. I’m not saying we’re going to win it, but we’ll be heard from.”
Russell Baze has ridden Bold Chieftain in 16 of his 22 outings. He’ll be back on board if the horse runs Saturday.
Daytona (Tr: Dan Hendricks) – The locally based 4yo galloped one mile over Santa Anita’s main track on Monday and will have his final workout on Tuesday for the Mile.
“He’s doing real good,” said trainer Dan Hendricks. “He’s fresh and ready to go. He’s had seven weeks and that seems to be the right spacing for him.”
Jockey Francisco Alvarado will ride Daytona for the first time on Saturday.
Goldikova (Tr: Freddie Head) – Trainer Freddie Head’s standout filly arrived at Santa Anita Park Sunday afternoon after a flight from France. Regular jockey Olivier Peslier will ride the 3yo daughter of Anabaa in Mile as she faces males for the second time.
Goldikova enters the race with a three-race winning streak, and in her most recent start, won the Prix de Moulin at Longchamp on Sept. 7, defeating, among others, Darjina and Henrythenavigator.
Kip Deville (Tr: Rick Dutrow Jr.) – Defending Mile champ Kip Deville breezed 5f over Aqueduct’s firm turf course Monday morning. The move, a solo work for Kip Deville, was timed in 1:05 2/5.
“It was a basic five, gallop out six (furlongs) move,” said trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. “He went good.”
Kip Deville, a 5yo Oklahoma-bred, will be attempting to join Miesque (1987, 1988), Lure (1992-1993) and Da Hoss (1996, 1998) as a two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile champion.
Kip Deville, to be ridden by jockey Cornelio Velasquez, is scheduled to fly to California from New York Tuesday morning.
“He’s leaving Aqueduct at 5:45 (a.m.),” Dutrow said. “He’s ready to go.”
Lord Admiral (Tr: Charles O'Brien) – The 7yo son of El Prado was shipped from Keeneland last week to trainer Paddy Gallagher’s barn at Santa Anita. Gallagher said Monday that he will work the horse for trainer Charles O’Brien Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
Lord Admiral, who will be making his 47th career start this week, was also pre-entered in the Dirt Mile. Gallagher said that he expects O’Brien to select a rider after he decides in which race the Lord Admiral will run.
Precious Kitten (Tr: Robert Frankel) – “She’s my sleeper,” trainer Robert Frankel said Monday morning. “I run seven (in Breeders’ Cup races) and I like my three fillies (Precious Kitten, Ventura, Ginger Punch) the most. And Precious Kitten could be the one.
“She got sent to the lead last time (First Lady at Keeneland Oct. 3) and he (rider Rafael Bejarano) should have taken a hold. We’ve got to keep her off the lead; she runs her best races from off it. She’s been getting great numbers. And she’s fast; very fast. She can run with those colts, no problem. Like I said, she’s my sleeper.”
Precious Kitten, a 5yo mare by Catienus, has been first or second in 17 of her 23 starts and has earned more than $1.7 million. Bejarano, who has won six graded stakes on her, will be aboard again on Saturday.
Raven's Pass (Tr: John Gosden; ex. rider: ) – see Classic
Shakis (Tr: Kiaran McLaughlin) – The 8yo son of Machiavellian walked the shedrow at Keeneland Monday morning and will be on a flight to California Tuesday. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who has only one runner in the Cup, will not arrive at Santa Anita from New York until Friday.
“He worked 47 4/5 (4f) a couple days ago in Lexington and he’s doing very well,” said McLaughlin, who will have the services of Alan Garcia for the Mile. “He just walked the shedrow today. We’ll train out there Thursday and Friday.”
This will be the 35th career start for Shakis, his most recent start a fast-closing second in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland behind front-running Thorn Song. Shakis has logged seven victories and finished in the money 17 times for Shadwell Stable.
Thorn Song (Tr: Dale Romans) – Shadwell Mile winner by Thorn Song arrived on Sunday from his Kentucky base and was bedded down in Barn 38. He walked the shedrow and will gallop up to the race the rest of the week.
Trainer Dale Romans, who arrived from California on Monday morning, said he would not work the 5yo Unbridled’s Song horse prior to the Mile.
Jockey Robby Albarado, aboard for the Shadwell win, has the mount.
U S Ranger (Tr: Aidan O'Brien) – The 4yo son of Danzig was on the Coolmore flight from England and Ireland was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles Monday afternoon.
Jockey John Murtagh is the regular rider of the Kentucky-bred co-owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and breeder Joseph Allen and will ride the colt in the Mile.
Ventura (Tr: Robert Frankel) – see Filly & Mare Sprint
War Monger (Tr: Bill Mott) – Hoping to end a five-race losing streak on Saturday, Peter Vegso’s 4yo War Chant colt walked the shedrow at Keeneland on Monday morning. He worked 5f in 1:01 4/5, breezing on Sunday.
“War Monger went solo, but he worked well and he came back fine,” said trainer Bill Mott. “He looks like he’s doing pretty good.”
Mott said that Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will again ride War Monger, who will ship Tuesday to Santa Anita.
Whatsthescript (tr: John Sadler; ex. rider: David Pineda) – Tommy Town Thoroughbreds’ Whatsthescript jogged 1m on the main track at Santa Anita under exercise rider David Pineda on Monday morning.
Winner of the Del Mar Mile in his most recent start on Aug. 24, Whatsthescript has been housed at trainer John Sadler’s Santa Anita barn since the end of the Del Mar meet in early September.
Garrett Gomez, who rode Whatsthescript for the first time in the Del Mar victory, has the riding assignment on Saturday.