Breeders' Cup Classic contenders complete preparations
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Flavian Prat
Set: 9:30 am EDT
Morning activity: An easy morning gallop around the one-mile oval.
Planned activity: Competes in Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Closer look: Corser catches lightning in a bottle with Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Arabian Knight
When Arabian Knight’s breeder sold his Uncle Mo colt for $2.3 million at auction last year, he couldn’t believe his luck.
“I felt like I caught lightning in a bottle,” Mark Corser said. It was just the third horse he ever sent through the sale ring.
Corser, a native of Great Britain, operates a small breeding farm in Lexington, Ky., which he bought somewhat spontaneously during a visit there in 2019. To accommodate his new enterprise, Mark uprooted his family and his business, a food-processing company, from California and re-settled in the Bluegrass state.
“The food-processing business is my weekday job, and the farm is my weekend one. Obviously, I have very capable people actually running the farm operation for me,” he said.
Arabian Knight was nicknamed “Little Mo” by Corser’s daughter Lilly after being foaled at the farm. It was her habit to nickname all the new horses at the farm. The horse soon became like a member of the family.
“He was one of three weanlings we had at the farm and being with him and the two others provided quality time for us,” Corser said.
Arabian Knight spent his first 16 months with them before going through the auction ring, where he was consigned by Top Line Sales. Corser previously acquired Arabian Knight’s dam, Borealis Night, for $285,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November breeding-stock sale already in foal to Uncle Mo. The colt was formally named by his buyer, Amr Zedan, who sent him to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert after taking him home from the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.
After the success at the auction, Corser bred Borealis Night to Quality Road, resulting in a half-brother to Arabian Knight. In foal, again, this time to Curlin the following year, the dam sadly passed away because of a paddock accident. But her legacy lives on in Arabian Knight, the morning-line favorite for the Breeder’s Cup Classic (G1).
Corser will be at Santa Anita Park this weekend to see the colt compete in the weekend’s richest race. He comes off a Sept. 2 victory in the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar and looks to collect his second top-level victory in his fifth career start, this one on the world stage.
“I’ve seen him run twice, the first time in my backyard, winning his debut at Keeneland, then (when he was third) in this summer’s Haskell Stakes (G1),” Corser said.
He’s hoping lightning will strike again.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Set: 9 a.m. EDT
Morning activity: Galloped approximately 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Hector Ramos.
Planned activity: Will gallop one mile Saturday morning.
The quote: What is the ideal scenario for Bright Future in the Classic? “An honest pace that he can sit just off of. He’s going to be in the second tier. Save some ground.” – Todd Pletcher
Trainer: Chad Summers
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Set: N/A
Morning activity: Walked 45 minutes in the shedrow.
Planned activity: Gallop a mile at 8 a.m. EDT.
The Quote: “There’s no bones about their running styles and no bones about our running style. We’re not going to recreate the wheel here. We just hope they go fast up front. If we look up and see a 49 half, we’re not going to win. If we see a 46 4/5 or 47, we’ll be cooking.” – Chad Summers
Derma Sotogake
Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi
Set: 9:30 a.m. EDT
Morning activity: Went to the chute with Ushba Tesoro and then had another easy canter around the Santa Anita dirt track and walked through the parade ring en route back to the quarantine barn.
Planned activity: Race.
The quote: “They both trained as well as they have all week today.” – Kate Hunter, Breeders’ Cup Japan representative
Dreamlike
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Set: 9:30 a.m. EDT.
Morning activity: Galloped approximately 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Dominic Merritt.
Planned activity: Will gallop a mile.
The quote: What is the ideal scenario for Dreamlike in the Classic? “A really hot pace up front and a clean trip. Save a little ground hopefully in one turn at least.” – Todd Pletcher.
Missed the Cut
Trainer: John Sadler
Jockey: Luis Saez
Set: 8:30 a.m. EDT.
Morning activity: Galloped 1 1/4 miles.
Planned activity: Will not go to the track Saturday morning.
The quote: “Hopefully, there is a lot of speed. He likes to have a pace to run at. We feel good about his preparation, training and conditioning, but he is going to have to step up.” — John Sadler
Proxy
Trainer: Mike Stidham
Set: 8:45 a.m. EDT
Morning activity: Proxy jogged an easy lap of the Santa Anita dirt and was promptly returned to the barn.
Planned activity: Classic
The quote: “Everything is wonderful. He is ready.” – Mike Stidham
Saudi Crown
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Set: 6 a.m.
Morning activity: Galloped 1 1/2 miles with Kelvin Perez on board.
The quote: “All’s good with everybody.” – Brad Cox.
Senor Buscador
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Jockey: Geovanni Franco
Set: 9:15 a.m. EDT.
Morning activity: Galloped 1 5/8 miles under Dennis Means
Planned activity: Will jog in the morning.
The quote: “I would love to see a 45 (second opening half-mile). There is a long run to the first turn, so that should give them enough time to sort things out.” – Todd Fincher
Ushba Tesoro
Trainer: Takagi Noboru
Set: 9:30 a.m. EDT
Morning activity: Went to the chute with Derma Sotogake and then had another easy canter around the Santa Anita dirt track and walked through the parade ring en route back to the quarantine barn.
Planned activity: Classic
The quote: “They both trained as well as they have all week today.” – Kate Hunter, Breeders’ Cup Japan representative
White Abarrio
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Set: 9:30 a.m. EDT
Morning activity: Jogged one lap of the track under exercise rider Emily Ellingwood.
Planned activity: Will go to track for exercise Saturday morning.
The quote: “I look at the race like everyone else in the world. We all see that there are a couple of horse that have speed and they want to go. Our horse has got pace and speed. As long as he breaks good I have a feeling that Irad is going to have him wherever he wants him because of the quickness of our horse and he’s got natural speed. As long as our horse breaks with the field, we should get a good trip.” – Richard Dutrow Jr.
Zandon
Trainer: Chad Brown
Set: 9:30 a.m. EDT.
Morning activity: Jogged then cantered a lap of the Santa Anita dirt.
Planned activity: Race.
The quote: “All good.” – Chad Brown