On the Breeders’ Cup Worktab

Midnight Lute won’t be splattered with slop in this Sprint (Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com) At Santa Anita on Monday, defending Sprint (G1) champion MIDNIGHT LUTE (Real Quiet) traveled a half-mile on the Pro-Ride in :46 4/5, breezing. “He went very smooth, very nice,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “I got him galloping out the five-eighths in 59 3/5.” Midnight Lute has raced only once this season in the Pat O’Brien H. (G2) at Del Mar, where he grabbed a quarter and reported home a troubled 10th. He has been wearing a protective plate ever since. “The plate will come off before Saturday,” Baffert revealed. “That surface down there (at Del Mar) was just too hard for him. He was just sour down there and he really picked up once he got on this surface. He has thrived on it.” Also limbering up for the Sprint, Vosburgh S. (G1) winner BLACK SEVENTEEN (Is It True) worked in :47 4/5 for trainer Brian Koriner.

“That’s a nice work for him,” said Koriner, a former Quarter-Horse trainer.
“He’s a big, heavy horse who is a bit lazy in the mornings and you’ve got to get
him to work hard to get things done. (Assistant trainer and exercise rider)
Colleen (Hartford) has been telling me he really likes this track. He’s done
well on it and we’re hoping for the best Saturday.

“That race (Sprint) is such a tough event. There are so many good horses in
there; so many fast horses. I know my horse is fast, but I know he’s in tough.
But he’s doing good and we’ll be in there trying. He might be good enough.”

Goodwood S. (G1) victor WELL ARMED (Tiznow) zipped in
:46 4/5 beneath Aaron Gryder. The Eoin Harty trainee, who was originally cross-entered to the Classic
(G1) as his
second preference, is expected to run in the Dirt Mile.

PALACIO DE AMOR (Dixieland Band), runner-up in both the Del Mar
Debutante S. (G1) and Oak Leaf S. (G1), sizzled in :46 3/5 in advance of the
Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Grey S. (Can-G3) hero MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) blitzed five furlongs
in :59 4/5. Four-for-five lifetime, he will make his debut for Richard Mandella
in the Breeders’ Cup, with the Juvenile (G1) his first preference and the
Juvenile Turf as an alternative.

“He went real nice,” Mandella said. “He’s intended for the main track, but
I’ll study things this afternoon and make my decision.”

Ralph M. Hinds Invitational H. scorer BOOYAH (Running Stag) clocked
1:00 1/5 in preparation for the Marathon.

Morvich H. (G3) winner CALIFORNIA FLAG (Avenue of Flags) smoked
three-eighths in :34 4/5 as he sharpens up for the Turf Sprint.

On the firm turf, CORONET OF A BARON (Pure Prize), who just missed in
the Del Mar Futurity (G1), exercised five panels in 1:02 4/5 for Harty. The
Darley Stable colorbearer lists the Juvenile as his first preference, but he is
also pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf.

“That will come later,” Harty said of the decision about which race to enter.
“I have to confer with the powers that be and they are overseas.”

Wickerr H. victor ONE UNION (Dixie Union), third in the Morvich, sped
in 1:01 1/5 for Mandella in advance of the Turf Sprint.

“Very nice,” Mandella said of the best of three works at the distance. “He
just ran in the Morvich Handicap, so he didn’t need any fancy work”

Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine SAUCEY EVENING (More Than Ready)
rattled off a grassy three furlongs in :36 2/5 around the dogs. The Graham Motion pupil is
expected to go in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, but she also holds a cross-entry in
the Juvenile Fillies.

“She felt great. I was really happy with her,” said assistant trainer Alice
Clapham, who was aboard for the workout. “She’s so great for a two-year-old.
She’s always been a real good professional filly. She’s a More Than Ready, and
more and more the More Than Readys are showing they like grass. She really felt
great out there.”

On the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park, undefeated Pilgrim S. (G3) winner
ELUSIVE BLUFF (Elusive Quality) negotiated five-eighths in 1:02 1/5 with
Michael Baze aboard in preparation for the Juvenile.

“I asked him (Baze) to go 1:02, so it was perfect,” trainer Eric Guillot
said. “We like the way he goes on it (synthetic track).”

Guillot elaborated on the reasoning for opting for the Juvenile instead of
the Juvenile Turf.

“There are a lot of reasons,” Guillot said. “It (Juvenile) is more
prestigious, it’s graded, it’s further and our colt is by a dirt sire (Elusive
Quality). We’ve got a come from behind horse. The mile is a tougher trip. The
distance was the key. If the grass race was nine furlongs, then we’d run there.”

Kip Deville will encounter much nicer conditions in the Mile at Santa Anita (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) On Aqueduct’s firm turf on Monday, defending Mile (G1) winner KIP DEVILLE (Kipling) breezed five furlongs in 1:05 2/5. The multiple Grade 1 winner will seek to defend his title Saturday following a lackluster fifth in the September 7 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1). “It was a basic five, gallop-out six (furlongs) move,” trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said. “He went good. He’s leaving Aqueduct at 5:45 (a.m. on Tuesday). He’s ready to go.” Multiple Grade 1 veteran BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man) covered six furlongs in 1:14 3/5 over the Tapeta surface at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. The gelding, who will be participating in his fifth consecutive Turf (G1) on Saturday, won the race at Lone Star in 2004, placed second in 2006, and was unplaced in 2005 and 2007. The Motion veteran was most recently seventh in the Northern Dancer S. (Can-G1) on September 7. Under exercise rider Fenella O’Flynn, Better Talk Now worked in company with his Grade 3-winning stablemate Jade’s Revende (Quiet American), who posted the same time. Better Talk Now is scheduled to be shipped to Southern California on Tuesday.

“I was really pleased with the work for both horses,” Motion said.

Over the fast Oklahoma training track at Saratoga, multiple Grade 1 winner
DREAM RUSH (Wild Rush) prepped for Friday’s Filly & Mare Sprint with a
four-furlong breeze in :53 1/5. Fifth in the Filly & Mare Sprint last year, the
four-year-old exits a third-place effort in the September 13 Presque Isle Downs
Masters S.