Breeders' Cup Classic notes: Gunnevera will be in 'no rush'

A 4-year-old son of Dialed In, Gunnevera galloped once around the Churchill Downs track on Tuesday morning under exercise rider Victor O’Farrel in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Breeders' Cup Classic.

“He had a slow gallop. Tomorrow he will pick it up,” trainer Antonio Sano said.

The second alternate in the pre-entries, Gunnevera drew into the field when City of Light and Bravazo were entered in the Dirt Mile.

“Never in my life did I think my horse wouldn’t be in the field. When the Breeders’ Cup called me that he was in, I was so happy,” Sano said. “The mile and a quarter will be good for my horse.”

Gunnevera raced once over the Churchill track, finishing seventh of 20 horses in last year’s Kentucky Derby.

“It rained that day. The track was very sloppy. My horse likes a sloppy track, but I think the speed (horses) didn’t show speed,” said Sano, noting the pace scenario didn’t benefit the deep-closing Gunnevera. “I thought he ran very good.” 

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Gunnevera for the first time in the Classic.

“There is speed in the race," Sano said. "I told the jockey there’s no need to rush my horse. His best chance to win the race is to close."

St. Lewis soaks in the experience

Owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis and the 5-year-old Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Discreet Lover both got their first taste of the Churchill Downs training routine Tuesday. The son of Repent galloped 1 ½ miles and jogged 1 ½ miles, a routine that will continue through Friday.

“It really hit me this morning when I came in at 5:45,” St. Lewis said. “It was dark, but all the lights were on and horses were on the track. Where I am stabled at Parx Racing, we have to wait for daylight to train.”

St. Lewis said Discreet Lover, who comes into the Classic off his 45-1 upset in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 29 at Belmont Park, is “fantastic” in his training.

With an abundance of speed horses in the field, St. Lewis expects Discreet Lover to make his customary late rally.

“I think the race will set up the same as the Jockey Club Gold Cup,” he said. “I love the post (13) we drew. We just have to break and get position and make one run.”

A trainer since 1988, Uriah and his wife Amanda own all of the 28 horses stabled at his Parx Racing base. Their son Uriah Jr. serves as an assistant. 

Yoshida comes out of work well

WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club, SF Racing LLC and Head of Plains Partners's Yoshida continued his preparation for the Classic by jogging a lap on Tuesday morning for two-time Classic-winning conditioner Bill Mott. The son of Japanese champion Heart’s Cry and grandson of Classic winner Sunday Silence breezed the day prior.

“He came out well,” Mott said. “He was back on the track jogging this morning.”

In 11 career starts, the bay 4-year-old colt owns five wins and three seconds. His four 2018 starts include a rousing victory in the Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day, an excellent fifth (beaten 1 ¼ lengths) in Royal Ascot’s prestigious Queen Anne Stakes and a two-length win in his dirt debut last out in the Woodward on Sept 1.

Despite the light season, Mott decided to skip the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 29 and train up to the Classic.

“We just didn’t want to overdo it,” he said. “We wanted to save a little gas for this race. It would have been shoving two tough races very close together.” 

Catholic Boy gets a walk day

The 3-year-old son of More Than Ready walked the shed row Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs.

“He had breakfast, went for a walk, and then we gave him a second breakfast,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “Today was a walk day. It’s normal for us two days after a breeze. We breeze, jog and walk."

Thomas is confident in Catholic Boy’s ability to handle the Churchill Downs surface, over which he breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Sunday and jogged Monday. A common belief that turf horses perform better on Churchill’s dirt surface than other dirt tracks certainly doesn’t diminish his trainer’s confidence in his chances in Saturday’s Classic.

“Personally, I haven’t had an ah-ha moment here where it’s like, ‘Oh, this makes sense why these horses handle it.’ I’m more leaning on horses that have been successful in the past," Thomas said. "Obviously, Animal Kingdom would come to mind. I felt like Dullahan and Paddy O’Prado both ran super in placing in major races.

"That certainly is the reputation this track has had, but I haven’t witnessed anything to make me understand why that’s the case.”

Catholic Boy is a Grade 1 stakes winner on both turf and dirt, having captured the Belmont Derby on turf and Travers Stakes over Saratoga’s main track back to back.

“He’s obviously very adept on the turf. After the Travers, I’m kind of reluctant to call him a turf horse anymore,” Thomas said.