Bruggemann Hopes for Big Day at Churchill

Photo: Alex Evers / Eclipse Sportswire

Trainer Roger Bruggemann looks to have a big day on Saturday with two of his Illinois-bred superstars both making their 2015 debut. He sends out Champion Sprinter Work All Week in the $100,000 Aristides (GIII) and The Pizza Man in the $65,000-added Opening Verse overnight stakes.
 
Both horses, which are owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds, are coming off of a layoff of over six months. Work All Week has not run since his triumph in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) and The Pizza Man has not run since a third-place effort in the Nov. 27 Hollywood Turf Cup (GII) behind eventual winner Finnegan’s Wake. Nevertheless, Brueggemann is not much concerned with their amount of time off.
 
“The layoff should not be a problem for either of them,” Brueggemann said. “I think he [Work All Week] is coming into the race well and he should be okay, but they have both been training well.”
 
Bruggemann said that their layoff was not intentional as harsh weather this winter at Oaklawn Park set back training for both horses.
 
“We wanted to get them out earlier but it just didn’t work out,” he said. “This was probably the soonest we could get them out.”
 
The Bruggemann-trained duo had stellar campaigns last year. Work All Week won five of his six starts, which ended with a Breeders’ Cup Sprint victory. The Pizza Man won his first three starts last year, which included his first graded stakes victory in the Stars and Stripes (GIII) at Arlington on July 12.
 
“We’re all hoping for another big year,” he said. “You just never know what might happen, but I hope so.”
 
Jockey Florent Geroux has the mount on both horses entered for Saturday.
 
The Aristides field from rail out (with jockey and morning line odds): Alsvid (Chris Landeros, 3-1); Viva Majorca (Brian Hernandez Jr., 15-1); Googleado-ARG (Corey Lanerie, 20-1); Gentlemen’s Bet (Ricardo Santana Jr., 7-2); Nate’s Mineshaft (Rafael Mojica Jr., 9-2); Good Lord (Robby Albarado, 15-1); and Work All Week (Florent Geroux, 6-5). It goes as Race 8 at approximately 4:18 p.m. ET.
 
The field for the Opening Verse, which follows as Race 9 at 4:49 p.m. ET: Frac Daddy (Corey Lanerie, 9-2); Ultimo Trago (Francisco Torres, 20-1); Hip Four Sixtynine (Calvin Borel, 30-1); Guys Reward (Shaun Bridgmohan, 6-1); Departing (Robby Albarado, 7-2); The Pizza Man (Florent Geroux, 7-2); Enterprising (Channing Hill, 15-1); Key to Power (Miguel Mena, 20-1); R. Great Adventure (Jamie Theriot, 15-1); and Regally Ready (Ricardo Santana Jr., 3-1).
 
UNBEATEN PROMISE ME SILVER WORKS SWIFTLY FOR ACORN – Robert Luttrell’s unbeaten Promise Me Silver, 1 ¼-length winner of the $200,000 Eight Belles (GIII) on Kentucky Oaks Day, breezing a bullet five furlongs in :59.40 Friday with Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons for trainer Bret Calhoun. 
 
The Texas-bred daughter of Silver City, who is 8-for-8, remains on target for the $750,000 Acorn (GI) on June 6 at Belmont Park and is likely to ship to New York on Wednesday. Dennis “Peaches” Geier, assistant to Calhoun, oversaw the work while Calhoun was in Texas visiting family and said he was happy with the filly’s work.
 
“She looked very good,” Geier said. “Everything was perfect, she galloped out good.”
 
Promise Me Silver rattled off fractions of :12, :23.80 and :35.60 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.20.
 
“She went great,” Hernandez said. “She did everything Bret [Calhoun] wanted her to do. Everything went smooth.”
 
Mike Smith will ride Promise Me Silver in the Acorn. Her previous jockey, Robby Albarado, will pilot Longines Kentucky Oaks runner-up Shook Up.
 
LOUISVILLE REGIONAL BASEBALL FANS CAN RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION TO CHURCHILL DOWNS – Guests attending this weekend’s Louisville Regional for the 2015 NCAA Baseball Tournament at neighboring Jim Patterson Stadium will receive free general admission to Churchill Downs Racetrack by showing their game ticket or ticket stub. The University of Louisville, the No. 3 national seed, hosts Morehead State on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, a little more than an hour after Friday’s ninth and final race that’s scheduled for 4:48 p.m. ET. Bradley and Michigan play earlier at 2 p.m. More games are scheduled Saturday and Sunday. 
 

DOWN THE STRETCH – Nominations close Saturday for the four stakes that comprise the June 13 “Downs After Dark” / Stephen Foster Handicap Night program at Churchill Downs: the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) for 3-year-olds at up at 1 1/8 miles; $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap (GII) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles; $100,000 Matt Winn (GIII) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles; and $100,000 Regret (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Stephen Foster and Fleur de Lis Handicap are part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” program. … The weekly “Who’s the Champ? Handicapping Contest” continues Sunday in Churchill Downs’ ITW area on the second floor of the Clubhouse. Bettors can enter for $35 ($30 for TSC Elite members) and are required to make mythical $2 Win/Place bets on Races 3-8. The highest bankroll will win a $1,000 cash voucher or free entry to the Churchill Downs Challenge on June 13. Second place is a $500 voucher and third is a $250 voucher. Registration takes place Sunday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the top of the Gate 17 escalators.

Source: Churchill Downs

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