Breeders' Cup Mile Notes

Awesome Gem – see Classic

Colonel John – see Classic

Courageous Cat – The 3yo Storm Cat colt was the final workout runner on the track Monday morning, with a 5f move in 1:01 under regular rider Garrett Gomez on the Santa Anita turf course.

It was the best of only two works on firm grass for the colt, who entered the track just before its 10 a.m. close for training.

“It looked OK,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who observed the move from the clubhouse stands behind the winner's circle. “He's doing fine.”

The Mile will be Gomez’ first time aboard the winner of the Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga. He has been ridden by four different riders in his first seven starts.

A close-up third in the Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park in his last appearance, Courageous Cat broke his maiden against older horses on the grass in June. His three stakes appearances have come against straight 3-year-olds. He is 5-3-0-1 on grass.

Court Vision – Court Vision had a steady gallop over Aqueduct’s main track this morning in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Assistant trainer Michelle Nevin was aboard the recent winner of Keeneland’s Shadwell Turf Mile.

“He’s just as good as a horse could be right now,” trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said. “We’re thinking he’s gonna run a big, big race. If he gets the trip he’s gonna be right there. We think he’s one of the horses to beat in that race.”

Like the Juvenile-bound, Dutrow-trained D’ Funnybone, Court Vision will depart New York on a flight to California at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“I really can’t wait to get him on the plane because he was very exciting in his last start,” Dutrow said. “We got a huge race out of him at Keeneland and him winning that race has brought his confidence to the next level over the last three weeks.”

Jockey Robby Albarado has the mount in the Mile.

Cowboy Cal – The Todd Pletcher-trained, Cowboy Cal has remained in California since his win in the Oct. 10 Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita.

On Sunday, Cowboy Cal worked 4f around the dogs over Santa Anita’s turf course in 48 seconds.

“He worked there yesterday, worked very well,” Pletcher said from New York.

Although based in New York throughout the spring and summer, Cowboy Cal has won two of three starts over Santa Anita’s turf course.

“He certainly likes the track out there and he’s a consistent, hard-trying horse,” Pletcher said.

Jockey John Velazquez has the mount.

Delegator/Gladiatorus – The two Godolphin runners in Saturday’s Mile remained in quarantine Monday morning after arriving on Sunday.

Saeed bin Suroor trains both horses.

Delegator, a 3yo by Dansili who won the Celebration Mile at Goodwood during the summer and was third behind Rip Van Winkle and Zacinto in the Queen Elizabeth II last out, will have Frankie Dettori aboard again.

Gladiatorus, a 5yo by Silic, won the Premio Vittorio di Capua at San Siro on Oct. 11 after running fifth in the Prix du Moulin du Longchamp. Ahmed Ajtebi will ride on Saturday.

Ferneley – The 5yo Irish-born son of Ishigura jogged one more day Monday following a sharp 5f work Friday in 58 4/5.

“This is the best since he’s been here [in the United States in the summer of 2008],” Cecil said.

Ferneley earned an automatic bid to the Mile by capturing the Del Mar Mile, but Cecil said after the race it was unlikely that he would run in the Breeders’ Cup because of the supplemental fee. However, Cecil said that by finishing second in the Woodbine Mile the horse’s earnings encouraged the owner, Silver Springs Stud Farm, to send Ferneley on to the Mile.

Goldikova – The defending champion arrived at Santa Anita Sunday afternoon after a flight from Europe and is in quarantine until Tuesday. She is expected to visit the track Wednesday morning. Trainer Freddie Head was traveling Monday and is expected at Santa Anita on Tuesday.

Goldikova enters the Breeders’ Cup off a rare loss, but it was not at her preferred distance. She finished third a half-length behind the winner in the 7f Prix de la Foret on Oct. 4 at Longchamp in Paris. She made the lead in the quickly run race – the final time was 1:19 1/5 - but was headed 100 yards from the finish.

At 1m on turf, the 4yo Anabaa filly is 9-2-0 in 11 starts. She has won six straight mile races against males and females since losing to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Zarkava in May of 2008.

Justenuffhumor – – The 4yo son of Distorted Humor galloped about 1 1/2m under exercise rider Danny Wright Monday morning at Santa Anita in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Mile.

Justenuffhumor had a six-race winning streak snapped in his most recent race, a sixth-place finish in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland as the 7-5 favorite.

“We hope it was the soft turf. The Keeneland turf course is a different kind of course anyway because of the sand base,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin from New York. “That’s what we’re going to tell the world all week heading into the race.”

Justenufhumor , who had previously captured the Bernard Baruch and Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga, had suffered defeat only once previously, a ninth-place finish over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface in his career debut last year.

“His only two bad races were at Keeneland. Last year, he didn’t like the artificial track and this year he didn’t like the soft turf,” McLaughlin said. “Everything in between he liked.”

Alan Garcia will have the return mount on the colt.

Karelian – The Shadwell Turf Mile runner-up arrived safely on Monday along with a large contingent of Kentucky-based horses and was bedded down in Jenine Sahadi’s barn.

“Jenine said he was perfect,” said trainer Rusty Arnold, who will arrive on Wednesday. “He’ll go to the track and jog tomorrow, just to make sure he’s doing ok and then gallop into the race,.”

Jockey Rajiv Maragh will ride.

Mr. Sidney – The 5yo son of Storm Cat owned by Circle E Racing and trained by Bill Mott worked Sunday at Keeneland with a 4f breeze in 48 2/5.

He arrived at Santa Anita Monday morning on a Tex Sutton charter.

Also pre-entered for the Dirt Mile, the winner of Firecracker at Churchill Downs on July 4 is likely to run in the Mile.

Kent Desormeaux, who has been aboard for all but two of Mr. Sidney’s 12 career starts, will have the mount. He was third in the Shadwell Turf Mile behind Court Vision in his last start on Oct. 10 at Keeneland.

Whatsthescript – The Irish-bred horse was a walker Monday morning after turning in a bullet six-panel drill on Hollywood Park’s Cushion track Sunday in 1:11 4/5.

“It was a good work for him,” trainer John Sadler noted Monday morning at his Santa Anita barn. “And we’ve got Kent Desormeaux to ride for Saturday.”

The 5yo bay “will jog tomorrow at Hollywood, then come over (to Santa Anita) Wednesday,” Sadler said. “He’ll gallop up to the race from there.”

Whatsthescript was a closing third in last year’s Mile, finishing less than four lengths behind winner Goldikova. He’ll have to face her again this year and comes into the race off a third-place finish in the Oak Tree Mile on Oct. 10.

Zacinto – The 3yo colt by Dansili, who runs in Saturday’s Mile, was out for a walk on the turf course with Michael Stoute-trained stablemates Conduit and Spanish Moon after clearing quarantine Monday morning.

Zacinto finished second behind Rip Van Winkle in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot most recently.

Regular rider Ryan Moore has the mount in Saturday’s race.