Edited Keeneland Staff Release — With owner William Simon looking on and trainer John Ortiz in the saddle, Brightwork on Saturday began her major preparations for an expected run in the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) run at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.
Working with 4 G Racing’s Crown Imperial, a candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) also on Nov. 3, Brightwork finished in front of her stablemate while completing 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 and galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:14. Crown Imperial received a time of 1:02.20 for 5 furlongs.
“She did it very easy,” Ortiz said of Brightwork, who sustained her first defeat in the Oct. 6 Darley Alcibiades (G1) run at 1 1/16 miles after opening her career with four victories. “She’s a filly that likes to take direction and she understood that today I wanted to give her confidence to go two turns.”
Ortiz plans to breeze Brightwork here next Saturday, Oct. 28 with a scheduled Oct. 30 departure date to Southern California. She and Crown Imperial would mark the first starters for Ortiz at Santa Anita.
“Never saddled one on my own,” Ortiz said. “I was out there before as an assistant to Kellyn Gorder.”
The deadline to pre-enter for the Breeders’ Cup is Monday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. ET. Pre-entries will be announced Oct. 25 at noon ET.
WOODFORD PRESENTED BY FANDUEL WINNER ARZAK MAKES TRIP WORTHWHILE FOR TROMBETTA
Sonata Stable’s Arzak, winner of the Woodford (G2) Presented by FanDuel on Oct. 7, turned in a half-mile breeze in :51.20 over a Keeneland turf course rated as good Saturday morning to the delight of trainer Mike Trombetta. (Click here for a video of the work.)
“With all the rain yesterday, I was surprised we got on the grass,” said Trombetta, who arrived at Keeneland Friday from his main base in Maryland. “It looked like he got over it good. There was a little cut in the ground from the rain.”
Luis Saez was aboard for the work, one of two Trombetta has planned here before Arzak heads to California on Oct. 30 for an expected start in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 4. Trombetta said Saez, who rode Arzak to victory at Saratoga the one time he was aboard the 5-year-old, would have the Breeders’ Cup mount.
The deadline to pre-enter for the Breeders’ Cup is Monday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. ET. Pre-entries will be announced Oct. 25 at noon ET.
BREEDERS’ CUP WORK TAB
Trainer Cherie DeVaux worked her three Breeders’ Cup hopefuls on the main track Saturday morning.
First was John Gunther’s Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1) candidate Stage Raider, who worked 5 furlongs in 1:01. Following the morning’s track renovation session, Lael Stable’s She Feels Pretty worked a half-mile in :48.40 for the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and Victory Racing Partners’ More Than Looks worked a half-mile in :48.60 for the FanDuel Mile (G1) on turf.
Other Breeders’ Cup possible candidates working on the dirt were Juddmonte Spinster (G1) runner-up Le Da Vida (CHI) (half-mile in :47.60, best of 79 at the distance) for trainer Ignacio Correas IV in preparation for the Distaff (G1) and Hidden Class (half-mile in :49.40) for Joe Sharp for a possible run in the Juvenile Fillies Turf or Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).
Working on the grass with designs on the Breeders’ Cup were Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) runner-up Master of The Seas (IRE) (half-mile in :52.20; click here for a video of the work) and First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare runner-up In Italian (GB) (half-mile in :51.80; click here for a video of the work).
The deadline to pre-enter for the Breeders’ Cup is Monday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. ET. Pre-entries will be announced Oct. 25 at noon ET.
HAGYARD FAYETTE DRAWS EVENLY MATCHED FIELD
A Group 1 winner in Chile, a Grade 2 winner at Santa Anita and five Grade 3 winners are included in a field of 14 that includes two also-eligibles entered today for the 66th running of the Hagyard Fayette (G2) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The Hagyard Fayette, which serves as the closing-day feature of the 17-day Fall Meet, will go as the ninth race on the 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time.
Michael and Julia Iavarone and Fernando Vine Ode’s O’Connor (CHI) has the 2022 Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) at the top of his 10-win resume. Now trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., O’Connor is winless in five 2023 starts but graded stakes-placed in three of those races. He most recently was fifth in the Woodward (G2). Tyler Gaffalione has the mount from post 9.
Also coming in from New York is Twin Creeks Racing Stable’s Law Professor.
Trained by Rob Atras, Law Professor is a four-time stakes winner with his biggest victory coming in the Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) in 2021 and most recently was third in the Woodward. Florent Geroux has the mount from post 8.
The Grade 3 winners in the field are Lothenbach Stables’ Happy American, Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm’s King Fury, Albaugh Family Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Giant Game, Alexandres, LLC’s Il Miracolo and Gary and Mary West’s Best Actor.
The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weight from the rail out, is: Film Star (Jose Ortiz, 121 pounds), Happy American (James Graham, 121), King Fury (Corey Lanerie, 121), Giant Game (Joel Rosario, 121), Twilight Blue (Brian Hernandez Jr., 121), Speed Bias (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121), Il Miracolo (Luis Saez, 118), Law Professor (Florent Geroux, 121), O’Connor (CHI) (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Trademark (Martin Garcia, 121), Dash Attack (John Velazquez, 121), Best Actor (Flavien Prat, 121). Also-Eligible: Gasoline (Saez, 121), Time for Trouble (Joe Talamo, 121).
MO STASH, GIGANTE TOP BRYAN STATION FIELD OF 10
BBN Racing’s Mo Stash, winner of this spring’s Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) here, and Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing’s Secretariat (G2) winner Gigante, headline a field of 10 3-year-olds entered today for the 19th running of the $300,000 Bryan Station (G3) to be run at a mile over the grass on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The Bryan Station will be the eighth race on closing day of the Keeneland Fall Meet with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time.
Trained by Vicki Oliver, Mo Stash has made three starts at Keeneland beginning with a runner-up finish in the Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select last fall that was followed four weeks later by a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). Mo Stash will depart post position 5 in the Bryan Station and be ridden by Luis Saez.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, who won the 2007 Bryan Station with Inca King, Gigante cuts back to a mile after he finished sixth in the New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3) going 1 1/8 miles in his most recent start on Sept. 9 at Colonial Downs. A winner of three of four starts at the mile distance, Gigante will be ridden by Joel Rosario and exit post position 2.
The field for the Bryan Station, with riders and weight from the rail out, is: Talk of the Nation (Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds), Gigante (Rosario, 122), Dude N Colorado (GB) (Flavien Prat, 118), Smokey Mandate (James Graham, 118), Mo Stash (Saez, 120), Runaway Storm (Colby Hernandez, 118), Worthington (Rey Gutierrez, 118), Santorini (Alex Achard, 118), More Than Looks (John Velazquez, 120), Appraise (IRE) (Tyler Gaffalione, 118).
UNDEFEATED IOWA SPEEDSTER GLENGARRY HEADLINES
BOWMAN MILL FIELD OF NINE
Aaron Kennedy, Toby Joseph and trainer Doug Anderson’s undefeated Glengarry heads a field of nine 2-year-olds entered today for the fourth running of the $200,000 Bowman Mill to be run Saturday, Oct. 28 over 6 furlongs on the main track.
The Bowman Mill will be the sixth race on closing day of the Fall Meet with a 3:40 p.m. ET post time.
An Iowa-bred, Glengarry has won his two starts by a combined 18½ lengths with the latter victory coming in the restricted Iowa Cradle Stakes by 12¾ lengths at Prairie Meadows on Sept. 30. Luis Saez has the mount on Glengarry and will leave the gate from post position 4.
Taking on males will be Michael Tabor’s filly Royal Slipper for trainer Wesley Ward.
A winner here on debut Oct. 6 by 4¾ lengths, Royal Slipper will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post position 3. Ward won the 2021 Bowman Mill with Nakatomi.
The field for the Bowman Mill, with riders and weight from the rail out, is: Normandy Hero (Alex Achard, 118 pounds), Valentine Candy (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Royal Slipper (Rosario, 115), Glengarry (Saez, 120), Patriot Spirit (Flavien Prat, 118), Market Street (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Cowes (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Maycocks Bay (John Velazquez, 118), Sweet Soddy J (Gavin Ashton, 120).
GALLOPING OUT
Jockey Keith Asmussen posted his first Keeneland victory Friday by guiding Ball Gown to a 7-length victory in the second race, a 6½-furlong claiming race for fillies and mares. Making the victory even better for Keith is the fact that Ball Gown is owned and trained by his dad, Racing Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. …
Greg Begley notched his first Keeneland training victory Friday when Waseda Stables’ Ghostly Night won the opening race, a 6½-furlong claiming race for fillies and mares, by 1½ lengths.
