Oscar Performance puts in breeze for Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
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NYRA
Oscar Performance put in his penultimate breeze Sunday before the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on September 30, Super Saturday, at Belmont Park.
The Brian Lynch trainee worked five furlongs in 59.42 seconds on Belmont's inner turf track in company with The Bull, marking his second breeze in as many weeks on the turf after previously working on the main track on September 1.
"His last few works have been easy ones on the dirt, and the turf is back open now so we wanted him to stretch his legs over five-eighths," Lynch said. "We worked him with a pretty nice import from Australia called The Bull. He looked very good. I would say we're definitely on track for the Joe Hirsch. To the eye, it was a very appealing work."
Oscar Performance has won three graded stakes in a row and has six wins in his last eight starts. The son of Kitten's Joy has put himself in contention for top 3-year-old after winning the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge and followed that effort up with victories in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and a 2 ¼-length score in the Grade 1 Secretariat on August 12 at Arlington.
Winning the Joe Hirsch would earn Oscar Performance an automatic entry to the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on November 4 at Del Mar.
"Coming out of the Secretariat, you couldn't get him going much better than he was going a mile and a quarter. Now, it's just maintenance. It was a nice work today and we'll give him a nice-and-easy five-eighths next week."
Meantime will be headed to Kentucky after running fifth against allowance company on Saturday, Lynch said.
The 3-year-old son of Shackleford, who ran eighth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes June 10, was the runner-up in an allowance race off a freshening August 19 at Saratoga.
Lynch said a cutback in distance could benefit Meantime, owned by Silverton Hill. On Saturday, he stayed close to the fast fractions before fading late in the one-mile route.
"We'll regroup and get him to Keeneland and put him around two turns," Lynch said. "I think with the one-turn stuff, the heat's on in the kitchen too early. I think he wants to go a little slower and he's his own worst enemy as washy as he gets. We've got to work on getting that out of him."
Source: NYRA Communications
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