Dennis' Moment's Breeders' Cup breeze raises 'goosebumps'
Trainer Dale Romans, positioned in the trainers stand near the far turn at Churchill Downs, felt frustrated as exercise rider Tammy Fox eased Dennis’ Moment into his Friday work toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Was he moving fast enough?
Then Churchill clocker John Nichols clicked off a quarter mile in 23.80 seconds, 3/8 in 35.60 and the half mile in 48 seconds. The mood lightened.
“It gave me goosebumps watching him work today,” Romans said in an interview with the Kentucky HBPA. “He just went so easy. It’s a fast time, but it looks like he’s galloping.”
Or as Fox said when riding the son of Tiznow back to the barn: “He moved like a Cadillac as fast as a Ferrari.”
Albaugh Family Stables’ Dennis’ Moment, who galloped out a fifth furlong in 1:00.40, is bound for the Nov. 1 Juvenile as one of the top choices with his record 2-for-3.
“His rhythm and how smooth he is — it’s different than watching most horses,” Romans added. “You can tell how fast most of them are going. He just looks like he’s skipping over the ground. He’s so efficient.”
Dennis’ moment’s only blemish came on debut, when jockey Robby Albarado was dismounted along the back stretch. The colt returned to break his maiden by 19 1/4 lengths at Ellis Park, then won Churchill’s Iroquois Stakes (G3) while geared down by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Romans has his stable star booked for an Oct. 20 flight to California, allowing for one more work at Churchill before he breezes a final time at Santa Anita Park.
“All the feedback I get is the racetrack is pretty deep,” the trainer said. “It’s worked for me to go out early before.”
On race day, “We’ll lead him over and find out who’s champion.”
Dennis’ Moment figures to vie for favoritism with Eight Rings, the Bob Baffert-trained winner of Santa Anita’s American Pharoah Stakes (G1). Brendan Walsh conditions the Juvenile’s other big horse, Maxfield, who rolled to a victory last weekend in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1).
Romans offered the age-old bit of trainer speak that he wouldn’t trade places with anybody heading into the Breeders’ Cup.
“He doesn’t get tired. Nothing phases him. Nothing rattles him,” Romans said of Dennis’ Moment. “I don’t know where the bottom is. There’s a lot of room for improvement. We haven’t seen the best of him.”
In other major Breeders' Cup works Friday morning at Churchill, the top Filly & Mare Sprint contender Covfefe drilled 5/8 of a mile in a minute flat for trainer Brad Cox, while Bret Calhoun sent out Dirt Mile-bound Mr. Money for a half-mile breeze in 48 seconds.