- Arrivals Tuesday: A Tex Sutton charter from California arrived before noon in Louisville Tuesday with 11 horses that are scheduled to compete in the Breeders’ Cup. Included on the flight was the unbeaten defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta for trainer John Shirreffs, along with Classic contender and leading 3-year-old Lookin At Lucky, trained by Bob Baffert.
Also aboard the chartered flight were A Z Warrior (JF) and Gabby’s Golden Gal (FMS) for Baffert; Champ Pegasus (T) and Crown of Thorns (DM) for Richard Mandella; Awesome Gem (Mar) and Tropic Storm (TS/DM) for Craig Dollase; Unzip Me (TS) for Martin Jones; Jaycito (J) for Mike Mitchell; and J P’s Gusto (J) for David Hofmans.
Classic entrant Musket Man boarded a van in New Jersey at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday for the approximately 12-hour ride from Monmouth Park to Churchill Downs and was expected to arrive late in the afternoon.
Trainer Derek Ryan had horses entered at Parx Racing Tuesday and said he would drive to Louisville after the races at the Philadelphia track.
Musket Man, owned by Eric Fein and Vic Carlson, will be stabled in Barn 41 on the Churchill backside, taking the same stall he occupied when he ran third in the 2009 Kentucky Derby and third in the Churchill Downs Stakes this year on Derby Day.
Etched is taking the scenic route to Churchill Downs and the Classic, being shipped by van from his Greentree Training Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin decided it was the best mode of transportation for the “difficult” Classic contender.
“It would have been a four-hour ride to Long Island, another hour at the airport and then the flight,” McLaughlin said. “He can be a bit difficult and he’s a very large horse, so it’s just better for him to head down there on a van.
McLaughlin estimated that Etched will arrive at Churchill Downs at 5 or 6 a.m. Wednesday after being loaded onto the van at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Etched’s stablemate Soldat, a Juvenile Turf contender stabled at Belmont Park, was scheduled for a quicker form of transportation to Louisville Tuesday aboard a Tex Sutton chartered flight from JFK International due at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The American-based horses from Godolphin arrived safe and sound from New York and had settled down in their stalls in Barn 36 at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning after an uneventful van ride from Belmont Park.
Assistant trainer Henry Spiller said Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender Girolamo, Dirt Mile contenders Gayego and Vineyard Haven, and Filly & Mare Sprint starter Sara Louise all shipped well and will go to the track Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. to gallop 1 1/4m in preparation for their respective starts. Godolphin’s main assistant, Rick Mettee, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Tuesday evening, while head trainer Saeed bin Suroor will arrive Thursday.
Winchester, winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont last time out, will accompany stablemate and Mile starter Gio Ponti on the last Tex Sutton chartered flight from New York to Louisville Tuesday. The pair of turf specialists will be bedded down in Barn 40. Trainer Christophe Clement will arrive on Friday.
On Tuesday, Gio Ponti’s connections announced that the 5yo son of Tale of the Cat will bypass the Classic, which was listed as first preference in the pre-entries.
“He came out of the Shadwell Mile in great order. I’m very excited to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Mile,” Clement said Tuesday.
Also new on the grounds was Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Fancy Point, who vanned in late Monday from trainer Will Phipps’ base in Ocala, Fla. The 2yo daughter of Point Given will jog 1m, gallop 1m, and school in the paddock Wednesday morning
The European horses were released from quarantine Tuesday morning with Goldikova (IRE) leading the way to the track for a first look at Churchill Downs.
The 5yo mare, trained by Freddy Head, is seeking an unprecedented third straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She jogged over the main track Tuesday morning, just stretching her legs.
Other Europeans getting their first exercise on the dirt track Tuesday included Debussy (IRE), Dangerous Midge and Behkabad (FR), all entered in the Turf, and Filly & Mare Turf runners Midday (GB) and Plumania (GB).
- Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce (GB) is to be entered in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, but a decision on whether he will actually run will be made later in the week, with the hope of rain softening the turf course.
Head lad Stuart Messenger sent both Workforce and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf contender Dux Scholar to the track for the first time on Tuesday morning, and after they jogged for a bit, gave them each an gallop on the turf.
With the lack of rain in Kentucky, firmness of the course has been a concern and heading back to the barn, a grim-faced Messenger said “It’s very firm. We’re going to have a very serious discussion on whether we will run.”
Messenger phoned trainer Michael Stoute, who was about to fly to the United States from his Newmarket base in England, and they decided to enter the horse and then monitor the course condition the rest of the week.
Workforce, by King’s Best, could return to run as a 4yo, which is a factor in the decision. It’s possible that Dux Scholar would also scratch if Workforce does.
- Trainer Akio Adachi said Espoir City (JPN) will work Wednesday morning at approximately 8:45 a.m. following the renovation break.
Jockey Tetsuzo Sato will be aboard for the breeze, which will likely be five or six furlongs, beginning at the finish line. Adachi said it was a typical training schedule for the horse, which has won 10 of 13 starts, including the Japan Cup Dirt and the February Stakes since being switched from turf to dirt in August 2008.
Espoir City worked 4f Sunday and will stay on his usual schedule with a second breeze the week of the race.
“It’s basically the style. Of course it depends on the individual horse,” Adachi said through interpreter said Mikki Tsuge, West Coast Representative for the Japan Racing Association who has been serving as the connections’ liaison at Churchill Downs. “With him, it’s pretty much sticking to his routine.”
Adachi said the horse will walk Thursday and jog Friday.
- Tuesday Workouts:
Pashito the Che - In his final major preparation for Saturday's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint, Tuna Stable LLC and Off the Hook LLC's Pashito the Che worked 4f over a fast main track in 51 3/5.
With exercise rider Jennifer Stisted aboard, the 4yo son of Flatter ran splits of 14, 26 3/5, 38 3/5 and he galloped out in 1:07 2/5.
"The work was a little slower than I wanted, but I told my wife (Stisted) I'd rather have him go slow than fast," trainer Scott Lake said. “He passed another horse in the stretch and finished out good. He came back great. It's all systems go."
· Tuesday Declarations:
Major Gain – Gary and Mary West’s son of More Than Ready came up with a temperature Tuesday morning and will not be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
“He will be fine in a few days but will not be well enough to run on Saturday,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “It is disappointing, but these things happen sometimes.”
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