Breeders’ Cup notes: Monday updates on Classic horses
This was the reported activity Monday for the horses pre-entered in Saturday's $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
Arthur’s Ride
Trainer: Bill Mott.
Jockey: Junior Alvarado.
Morning activity: Walked the shedrow the day after working four furlongs in 49.0 seconds Sunday under assistant trainer Neil Poznansky.
Planned activity: Will gallop Tuesday in second set, about 6 a.m. PDT.
Owner Karl Glassman: “Would this be as special if he was not named for my (late) dad? Probably not as special, but still pretty special. This is the Breeders’ Cup Classic! We are going to enjoy every minute of it. Watching Bill Mott train is like watching an artist.’’
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien.
Jockey: Ryan Moore.
Set: Quarantine.
Morning activity: Walked the shedrow in the quarantine area.
Planned activity: Expected to clear quarantine and be on track with the rest of the O’Brien lot on Tuesday morning at 8:15 a.m. PDT.
Derma Sotogake
Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi.
Jockey: Christophe Lemaire.
Set: 6:30 a.m. PDT.
Morning activity: He did an easy exercise on the main track and gate schooled.
Fierceness
Trainer: Todd Pletcher.
Jockey: John Velazquez.
Morning activity: First day at Del Mar after shipping from New York on Sunday and went out for a morning galloped at approximately 8 a.m. PDT. Like all of Pletcher’s six horses, he jogged in the chute for the regulatory vets and galloped a mile.
Planned activity: TBD. Pletcher said he expects the colt will go out at approximately the same time to gallop.
Pletcher: “He handled the ship really well. Settled in good yesterday afternoon, rested overnight, seems unfazed by all of it. Like he normally does when he gallops, he kind of had his ears pricked looking around, taking it all in, but seemed very relaxed and happy.”
Forever Young
Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi
Jockey: Ryusei Sakai
Set: 8 a.m. PDT.
Morning activity: He did an easy exercise on the main track.
Planned activity: His trainer and jockey arrived Sunday.
Yahagi: “He is doing well after shipping. I am happy so far.”
Highland Falls
Trainer: Brad Cox.
Jockey: Luis Saez.
Morning activity: Arrived on flight from Kentucky.
Planned activity: Will train at Del Mar.
Cox: “He’s breezed well coming into the race. We’re excited to get him back at a mile and a quarter. That’s good for him. We’ll just see how the race shapes up after we get our post position (today).”
Mixto
Trainer: Doug O’Neill.
Jockey: Kyle Frey.
Set: Walked.
Morning activity: Walked morning after working five furlongs in 1:00.4 on his own under Frey.
Planned activity: Return to track Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. PDT.
O'Neill: “He came out of the work and is all good this morning. The (post position) draw this afternoon makes no difference. He had the outside 8 hole for the Pacific Classic and just cruised out of there. As long as we are in the gate, we’ve got a chance.”
Newgate
Trainer: Bob Baffert.
Jockey: Frankie Dettori.
Morning activity: Arrived at Del Mar Monday morning after shipping from Santa Anita.
Planned activity: Will gallop at Del Mar Tuesday morning, time TBD.
Baffert: “All my horses are down there. No hiccups... (Newgate) had a big effort (third in the Grade 1 California Crown) and he has come out of it well and I think he has moved forward since that. He will need to. I am happy the way he is coming into the race.”
Next
Trainer: Doug Cowans.
Jockey: Luan Machado.
Morning activity: Arrived at Del Mar.
Pyrenees
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux.
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Morning activity: En route from Keeneland to Del Mar.
Planned activity: Will likely gallop tomorrow, time and distance to be determined after arrival.
DeVaux: “So far, so good (the travel). They (each of her Breeders’ Cup contenders) are all going to gallop tomorrow, I’m just not sure what time.”
Rattle N Roll
Trainer: Kenny McPeek.
Jockey: Jose Ortiz.
Morning activity: Left Churchill Downs at 4 a.m. EDT Monday; scheduled to arrive at Del Mar at 2 p.m. PDT.
Planned activity: TBA
McPeek, on whether he will draw into the race from the also-eligible list: “I’m not going to worry about what I can’t control. If he does, he does … great. If he doesn’t, we’ll regroup and point him to the Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill (Nov. 29).”
Senor Buscador
Trainer: Todd Fincher.
Jockey: Joel Rosario.
Set: 7:50 a.m. PDT.
Morning activity: Backtracked to frontside then galloped 1 1/2 miles under Dennis Means.
Planned activity: Gallop at 7:45 a.m. PDT Tuesday and visit paddock.
Dennis Means, assistant to Fincher: “He’s going to the paddock tomorrow and maybe Thursday if we can go on a race day.”
Sierra Leone
Trainer: Chad Brown.
Jockey: Flavien Prat.
Set: 8 a.m. PDT.
Morning activity: In his first day since shipping in from New York, Sierra Leone left the Darl Mar barn area in tandem with Domestic Product and proceeded to walk a furlong back into the chute before turning around and beginning a 1m clockwise jog around the perimeter of the main track.
Planned activity: Will have a light gallop Tuesday morning.
Brown: “They all breezed on Saturday and had a long trip door-to-door ship yesterday, so I trotted them all today and they’re all moving nice and square and fluid. He got around there very happy and looks like his energy is good after that work. These horses will all start galloping tomorrow."
Tapit Trice
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Morning activity: First morning at track after shipping from New York on Sunday.
Like all of Pletcher’s six horses, he jogged in the chute for the regulatory vets and galloped a mile at approximately 6:20 a.m. PDT.
Planned activity: TBD per Pletcher, who said he expects the colt to go out for a gallop in his first group after the track opens.
Pletcher, on how he looked on the track while training: “Probably a little more animated; he gets a little more amped up when he trains than Fierceness would. But I thought he did very well.”
Ushba Tesoro
Trainer: Noboru Takagi.
Jockey: Yuga Kawada.
Set: 7 a.m. PDT.
Morning activity: Ushba Tesoro propped sharply, causing his exercise rider to be unseated. He didn’t get loose. He did a light exercise on the main track after.