Breeders' Cup 2016 notes for Turf, Mile, Filly & Mare Turf

$4 MILLION LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP TURF

Ashleyluvssugar – Multiple graded stakes winner Ashleyluvssugar went to the main track at 8 a.m. and galloped 1 1/2m under exercise rider Eddie Inda.

Trainer Peter Eurton is very happy with the way his pupil is coming into the Turf and shared his preference on a potential race scenario.

“A relaxed front end, slow pace and sprint for home type of race is probably my only chance against guys like this; but then remember the horse with speed (Ectot) that beat Flinsthire is inside (post three) and that’s the way he runs. Is not a problem though, but I would love to have somebody to track but it doesn’t always happen with ‘Ashley.’ ‘Ashley’ likes to go sometime, but I couldn’t be happier for having Gary Stevens on him.”

Ashleyluvssugar will break from post five in the stellar international field of 13.

Da Big Hoss – Skychai Racing’s Da Big Hoss enters one of the more competitive Breeders’ Cup Turf renewals and has settled in well at Santa Anita for trainer Mike Maker. The son of Lemon Drop Kid comes into the event riding a four-race winning streak, including two marathon races. Considered one of the best American stayers in recent memory, the Kentucky-bred is an undefeated 3-for-3 in races beyond the Turf’s distance and is 4-for-6 at the distance, itself. Sixth last year after closing from 32 lengths astern in 12th and last, he will be ridden for the seventh consecutive time by Florent Geroux, who is 5-for-7 on the 5yo horse.

Leaving Barn 56 at 5:30 a.m., the chestnut proceeded to gallop a mile on the main track before promptly returning. Maker was on hand for Da Big Hoss who will be stepping up in class after victories in the Elkhorn Stakes, Belmont Gold Cup, American St. Leger and Kentucky Turf Cup.

“His training is going super,” Maker said. “I can’t ask him to be doing any better. Physically he looks terrific. The only question is the step up in class. I’ll leg Florent up and say good luck.

“He’s had more seasoning this year than last year, but he’s pretty much the same horse,” Maker continued. “The (harder) ground should be fine for him, as he liked the going at Belmont when he won (the 2m Belmont Gold Cup over very firm turf). We spaced out the races this year and just tried to pick the spots we thought we would be most competitive. It’s worked out well.”

A $50,000 claim in June 2015 out of a Churchill Downs turf mile, Da Big Hoss has subsequently won seven stakes, including five graded events and in excess of $1.4 million since being acquired by Harvey Diamond’s Skychai Racing. He is the latest star in an impressive list of Maker claims who have gone on to greater successes. In 2008 he claimed Furthest Land on behalf of Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey and 13 months later won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita at odds of 21-1. Earlier this year he spent $62,500 on behalf of Michael Hui to buy Greengrassofyoming and a race later won a graded stakes with the horse.

Da Big Hoss breaks from post two in the Turf and has been assigned 20-1.

Ectot – Al Shaqab Racing and Gerard Normand’s Ectot galloped 1 1/4m Wednesday morning at Santa Anita in preparation for a scheduled start in Saturday’s Turf.

The 5yo son of Hurricane Run broke through with a five-length victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in his third U.S. start Oct. 1 at Belmont Park. The front-running triumph was achieved on a yielding turf course. The British-bred turf start, however, is a multiple-graded stakes winner on firm courses.

“I think he’s a good horse on any ground. He’s one that doesn’t mind a soft course, but one who doesn’t have to have a soft course to run well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Flintshire/Money Multiplier – After completing the cross-country trip from Belmont Park to Santa Anita Park on Tuesday, trainer Chad Brown’s runners went to the track Wednesday for their morning exercise of a 13/8m gallop.

Brown said that all four of his travelers – the group of later arrivals included Filly & Mare Turf runners Lady Eli and Sea Calisi – handled the shipping well and were fine. The quartet trained Sunday morning at Belmont Park. Flintshire covered 5f in 1:02.85 and Money Multiplier, owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, handled the same distance in 1:03.03.

$2 MILLION BREEDERS’ CUP MILE

Ironicus – Stuart Janney III’s Ironicus galloped a mile Wednesday morning after arriving at Santa Anita from New York on Tuesday. Trainer Shug McGaughey is scheduled to be on hand to oversee the 5 yo son of Distorted Humor’s training session Thursday morning.

Midnight Storm – Midnight Storm galloped 1m under exercise rider Norberto Olguin.

Miss Temple City/Ring Weekend – Sagamore Farm and Allen Rosenblum’s Miss Temple City galloped a 1 1/2m Wednesday morning after arriving at Santa Anita Tuesday.

The 4yo daughter of Temple City is coming off a triumph against males in the Shadwell Turf Mile – her second victory against miles this year at Keeneland, where she captured the Maker’s 46 Mile in the spring.

“I’m not surprised, and no one should be surprised,” trainer Graham Motion said. “The only thing is she had a disappointing summer, and I blame myself, as much as anything. It’s not her fault. She was compromised by awkward situations, awkward rides, whatever you call them. I knew how talented she is and I felt like I let her down a little.”

St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Ring Weekend, who is slated to join Miss Temple City in the starting gate for the Mile, also galloped 1 ½m Wednesday morning.

“I’ll tell you he’s as good as he’s been all year,” Motion said.

Ring Weekend captured the Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March 2015 before being forced to the sidelines with a foot infection.

“He had a terrible infection in his left front foot. It took him almost the whole year to get over it. We took him to New Bolton and had to cut a lot of the foot out,” Motion said. “It was one of the most difficult things I’ve seen. It was so painful for him, and he’s a tough horse. We got him over it and got him started at the beginning of the year.”

The 5yo gelding finished second, beaten a neck in his return in the Dixie at Pimlico in May. He captured the Bernard Baruch at Saratoga after finishing off the board in the Fourstardave and before finishing seventh in the Shadwell Turf Mile.

“He possibly regressed a little bit in the Shadwell. It might have left him too much to do that day. They went kind of slow,” Motion said. “He’s in great form. I’m really happy with him. He likes this turf course.”

Photo Call – Teresa Viola Racing Stables’ Photo Call galloped 1 1/4m Wednesday morning at Santa Anita.

“I thought she had a good gallop, nice and settled, which is important for her, because she can get aggressive at times,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Although Photo Call was viewed as an outsider for her 29-1 upset victory over defending Mile champion Tepin in the First Lady at Keeneland last time out, Pletcher pointed out that the 5yo daughter of Galileo had previously run well in top-tier races.

“She was a Grade 1 winner prior (to the First Lady), so she’d shown she has big performances in her,” Pletcher said. “What we were trying to figure out is what was her ideal distance and how she needs to be ridden.”

Photo Call cut back to a mile for her victory under Kent Desormeaux.

“She kept taking leads in mile-and-a-quarter, mile-and-three-eighths and mile-and-a-half races, then she kind of pulled a little bit and wasn’t finishing the way she needed to,” Pletcher said. “We decided to back her up to a mile with the idea that it would let her settle in behind horses. That was Plan A. To Kent’s credit, he identified early on that she wasn’t going to settle behind horses, so he just kind of dropped his hands and let her do her thing. It was a pretty impressive performance.”

Tepin – Robert Masterson’s Mark Casse-trained Tepin left Barn 59 at 5:30 a.m. to gallop a mile in company with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner Keep Quiet. The Royal Ascot winner is the morning-line favorite to defend her Breeders’ Cup Mile title Saturday under Julien Leparoux.

Tourist – WinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber’s Tourist galloped a mile under assistant trainer Rodolphe Brisset for conditioner Bill Mott in preparation of his third consecutive attempt at the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

$2 MILLION BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY & MARE TURF

Al’s Gal – One horse that continues to impress trainer Mike Maker is Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Al’s Gal, who runs in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Claimed for $35,000 in February 2015, the daughter of English Channel has won and placed in Grade 1 company this year and enters off two consecutive stakes victories. The 5yo mare has finished first or second in seven of nine in 2016, earned $565,805 and will be running on 20 days’ rest since taking the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine.

“Al’s Gal is great,” Maker said. “She’s a little iron horse and has really held her weight well from Woodbine to hear and actually looks a little heavier. She’s tough and really doesn’t surprise me anymore.”

Al’s Gal, to be ridden by Jose Ortiz, breaks from post five and is 15-1.

Catch a Glimpse –Gary Barber, Michael James Ambler and Windways Farm’s 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Catch a Glimpse continued preparing for her first foray against older fillies and mares in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Wednesday morning. Leaving Barn 59 at 8:30, the Mark Casse-trained front-running daughter of City Zip galloped an easy mile around the Santa Anita main track.

Lady Eli/Sea Calisi – Trainer Chad Brown’s Filly & Mare Turf runners traveled from New York Tuesday and went to the track Wednesday morning. Brown said that the fillies handled the ship well and that both galloped about 1 3/8m.

Lady Eli’s return from a bout with the life-threatening hoof ailment laminitis is one of the stories of the 33rd Breeders’ Cup. She missed more than a year, from July 2015 to August 2016, and finished second in her return, the Ballston Spa. She ran her record to 7-1-0 in the Flower Bowl on Oct. 8 and returns to the scene of her 2014 Juvenile Fillies Turf victory. Brown said she is in splendid condition. On Sunday at Belmont Park, the 4yo owned by Sheep Pond Partners, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.03 over the inner turf course.

“She’s really doing terrific,” he said. “Her last work was outstanding. She couldn’t possibly have worked any better. I’m very excited about the way she’s coming into the race.”

Martin Schwartz’s 4yo Sea Calisi picked up her Grade 1 victory in the Beverly D. in August and was third in the Flower Bowl.

“Sea Calisi is coming into the race equally as well,” Brown said. “The Flower Bowl, I thought she probably needed the race. She was off an eight-week layoff and came up a little short there. I think she will move forward off that effort.”

Zipessa – Flying under the radar in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf is Empyrean Stables’ graded stakes-winning Zipessa. Trained by Mike Stidham, the lightly raced daughter of City Zip has had a solid 2016 season, winning or placing in five of six starts, while never finishing worse than fourth. Highlights include a two-length victory in the Penny Memorial at Parx over 1 1/16m three back, a third in the Beverly D. at Arlington two back and a good second last out in the Rodeo Drive at the Filly & Mare Turf’s course and distance. She left Barn 36 around 7:30 a.m. to gallop an easy 1 1/2m.

“She just galloped easily, just the same as yesterday,” Stidham said. “She’s doing well, she shipped well and though we might have to have rocket fuel to beat them, we are confident she will run well.

“Obviously it’s to our advantage to have run well already on the course,” he continued. “The fact is she ran a big race over that grass and handled the distance. That was a concern going into the Rodeo Drive and we were happy with how she ran afterward. Now it’s just a matter of the kind of trip and how good she is against this group. We’ll break and see how it’s setting up, but she does have speed and we’d love to be in the controlling spot early if Catch a Glimpse isn’t there already.”

In nine career starts, the $67,000 bargain purchase has four victories and $352,250 in earnings for Patrick Gallagher of Empyrean Stables.

OVERSEAS HORSES

All of the European Breeders’ Cup challengers, with the exception of Aidan O’Brien’s team of 12 from Ballydoyle, who are still waiting to clear quarantine, stretched their legs out on the Santa Anita track Wednesday morning.

The sole Japanese raider Nuovo Record was first out. She went out on to the main track to loosen up before heading over to the Turf track where she was joined by the Sir Michale Stoute pair of Ulysses (Turf) and Queen’s Trust (Filly & Mare Turf). Nuovo Record worked over four furlongs, while the Stoute pair jogged half a circuit of the track before slightly moving up a gear and putting in a steady canter down the home stretch.

Kevin Bradshaw, who was once again on board Ulysses, reported the son of Galileo to be nice and relaxed. “He gave me a nice feel like he always does,” Bradshaw said. “We do most of the training back home, but we may step it up a bit tomorrow, we will just have to see how he feels.”

Also out on the turf track was Home Of The Brave (Turf Sprint) with his race rider James Doyle in the saddle. They stepped up the pace from Tuesday and put in a much faster canter around half a lap of the track. Trainer Hugo Palmer was on hand to see Home of the Brave canter before schooling him in the paddock and putting him through the starting gates.

Doyle was happy with Home of The Brave and said, “For a horse that can be a bit buzzy, he seems really relaxed. Most horses adapt to the track OK – with possibly one exception – Dundonnell, whom I rode in the Juvenile Turf four years ago – he was an absolute nightmare!”

Breeders’ Cup Mile contenders Limato and Dutch Connection also stretched their legs on the Turf and both did steady canters before returning to the barn via the paddock. Harry Bentley, who will be on board Limato in the big event Saturday, is expected to be on Henry Candy's charge for a breeze on the turf Thursday morning.

The remaining Europeans all exercised on to the main track. The David O’Meara pair, the Arlington Million winner Mondialiste (Breeders’ Cup Turf) and stable companion Suedois (Turf Sprint) both did a steady hack canter around a circuit of the track.

Fergal Davis, who rode Mondialiste, and who is supervising the training until O’Meara arrives later today, was very happy with the conditions of the two horses. “I don’t think the trip will be a bother to Mondialiste. He got the trip in Arlington very well, and he won’t mind what pace they go here. I think Suedois has a good chance too on Saturday. His form has been really solid all year.”

The O’Brien brothers were once again both out on the main track with race rider Donnacha on board Juvenile Fillies Turf hope Intricately, while his elder brother and trainer Joseph accompanied him on a pony. They walked a circuit of the track before returning to the barn. Afterward Joseph said, “The filly was a lot calmer today and I was very happy with her today. It was all a bit new for her yesterday, but she was settled today.”

Both French raiders Karar (Turf Sprint) and Cavale Doree (Juvenile Fillies Turf) also stretched their legs and both did a steady canter around three-quarters of the main track. Cavale Doree’s trainer Christophe Ferland was happy with his filly.

“Her run last time in the group 1 was OK,” Ferland said. “She was 5th, but could have finished closer. She will have Flavien Prat on board this time, and I know him well. I rate him as one of the best turf riders in America, and he knows how to ride a European filly. She has drawn nine, and she will need some cover, but I have every confidence in my jockey.”

The German raider Spectre was once again on her toes and once handler Valentine Bulthoof had managed to settle her down she did a much stronger piece of work than Tuesday, and went a three-quarter pace for half a lap. Her trainer Markus Munch was at Santa Anita for the first time to see his filly.

“She’s a long shot, but she always is,” Munch said. “She’s in good form. I suppose she might prefer a little bit of give in the ground, but she’ll manage OK I hope.”

The Simon Crisford-trained Rodaini was the last European out on the track and the son of Exchange Rate, who will be lining up in Friday’s Juvenile Turf, jogged for half a circuit of the track before cantering down the home stretch. Les Reynolds, who is supervising the colt’s training ahead of Crisford’s arrival at Santa Anita tonight, said, “He’s settled in well, and has a very good mind for a 2- year-old, he could go well.”

Source: Santa Anita Park