July 6, 2024

On the Breeders’ Cup worktab

Last updated: 10/30/09 8:15 PM










Ventura will return to the site of her Santa
Monica win

(Benoit Photos)

2008 Filly & Mare Sprint heroine VENTURA (Chester House) posted her
final serious work in advance of her title defense when breezing five furlongs
in :59 4/5 over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track on Friday. Trained by Bobby
Frankel, the five-year-old mare exits a tremendous one-length score in the
Woodbine Mile (Can-G1), and she’ll enter the Breeders’ Cup fresh with only four
starts this season. The likely Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) favorite posted the
third-fastest of 26 works at the distance.

“Ventura went fast, but she did it easy,” assistant trainer Humberto Ascanio
said. “Bobby wanted her to go a little slower, but she’s pretty quick.”

Stablemate PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]), demoted to second in the Spinster (G1), recorded a four-furlong move in :48 4/5.
The classy French import will make her second U.S. start in the Ladies’ Classic
(G1).

Multiple Grade 1 runner-up VISIT (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]), another
Frankel trainee and headed to the Filly & Mare Turf (G1), worked in :48. The
four-year-old filly finished second by a half-length in the Yellow Ribbon S.
(G1) last time.



Jose Dominguez was aboard each for Frankel.

Grade 1 winner LIFE IS SWEET (Storm Cat), who will look to rebound in
the Ladies’ Classic after a fourth in the October 10 Lady’s Secret (G1), drilled
six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 for John Shirreffs. It was the fastest of four workers
at the distance.

Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) hero AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again), third in the
2007 Classic (G1), prepared for this year’s $5 million event with three-quarters
in 1:13.

“I’m real pleased with the work,” trainer Craig Dollase said. “He came home
in :11 and change and galloped out seven furlongs in (1):26 and change. He’s
right on target.”

Grade 1 victor MONZANTE (Maria’s Mon), gearing up for the Turf (G1),
logged seven furlongs in 1:28 4/5. The five-year-old was last seen finishing
seventh in the Goodwood S. (G1).

Multiple Grade 3 winner EL GATO MALO (El Corredor), on the
also-eligibles list for the Turf Sprint and Dirt Mile (G1), sped five-eighths in a bullet :59 2/5.
He exits a disappointing seventh in the Goodwood.

Dual stakes scorer DELTA STORM (Storm Boot), third in the Ancient
Title S. (G1) last out, went five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 for the Turf Sprint.

On Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride, multiple Grade 3 winner SARA LOUISE (Malibu
Moon), second by a head in the Gallant Bloom H. (G2) on September 26, breezed
four furlongs in a snappy :47 2/5 in preparation for the Filly & Mare Sprint.
The bay lass was clocked in fractions of :12 2/5, :24 4/5 and :36 3/5, with a
gallop-out of 1:01 1/5. A
two-length winner of the August 29 Victory Ride (G3) in her first start back
this season, the Godolphin-owned sophomore filly recorded the fourth fastest of
40 moves.

Fellow Godolphin runner and dual Grade 1 heroine SEVENTH STREET
(Street Cry [Ire]) covered five furlongs in 1:02 2/5, also in advance of the
Filly & Mare Sprint. The chestnut, runner-up in the Ruffian H. (G1) last out,
was caught galloping out in 1:16 1/5 after posting splits of :24 4/5, :37 1/5
and :50.

RAINBOW VIEW (Dynaformer), second when making her North American bow
in the October 17 E.P. Taylor (Can-G1) at Woodbine, worked five furlongs in 1:00
4/5. Winner of the Matron S. (Ire-G1) and second in the Nassau S. (Eng-G1) this
season, the three-year-old filly is cross-entered to the Ladies’ Classic and
Filly & Mare Turf, with first preference in the former.

Del Mar Mile (G2) winner and Woodbine Mile runner-up FERNELEY (Ire)
(Ishiguru), who was supplemented to the Mile (G1), worked five furlongs in :58
3/5 over the firm turf.

A Gleam H. (G2) runner-up SILVER SWALLOW (Alphabet Soup), completing
preparations for the Filly & Mare Sprint, worked six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 on the
Pro-Ride.

Oak Leaf (G1) and Spinaway (G1) third-placer BICKERSONS (Silver
Deputy), readying for the Juvenile Fillies (G1), blistered a half-mile in :47
over the main track, going the final three-eighths in :34.

Del Mar H. (G2) runner-up SIR DAVE (Untuttable), seventh in the
Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (G1) last time, traveled five-eighths in
1:01 1/5 in advance of the Marathon.

Irish Group 2-placed ELUSIVE GALAXY (Ire) (Elusive City), fourth when
making her North American debut in the September 19 Natalma S. (Can-G3) at
Woodbine, recorded five furlongs on the sod in 1:01 4/5. She’s headed to the
Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Over Aqueduct ‘s wet-fast main track, last-out Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) winner
COURT VISION (Gulch) breezed six furlongs in 1:14 2/5 in advance of the
Mile. The Shadwell Turf Mile was his first race back following surgery to have
an ascended testicle removed.

Trainer Richard Dutrow says that while he’s not thrilled about running
against defending Mile winner GOLDIKOVA (Ire) (Anabaa), he feels Court Vision is
at the top of his game.

“I don’t like it,” said Dutrow of the showdown with the European filly phenom.
“But our horse is doing good, and as long as he gets a good trip and runs his
race, we think that we’re very, very live. We breezed him this morning; he’s
ready.”

Court Vision will ship from Aqueduct to California on Tuesday.

With jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard, CONNIE AND MICHAEL (Roman Ruler)
tuned up for her engagement in the Juvenile Fillies
with a five-furlong move in 1:01 on Churchill Downs’ fast dirt.

“She went out for a breeze with a capital B,” Desormeaux said after the work,
which occurred following the morning renovation break.
“She was just cruising out there and she galloped out strong.”

Connie and Michael did not make her racing debut until October 17 when she
romped by 7 3/4 lengths after exiting the 12 hole in a seven-furlong Keeneland
maiden special weight. The bay lass is scheduled to fly to Santa Anita on
Saturday to join the rest of trainer Ken McPeek’s Breeders’ Cup cast.

“I am going to be busy, and that’s how I like it,” said Desormeaux, who thus
far has nine confirmed Breeders’ Cup mounts. “I’ll ride here Thursday and catch
a plane after the card and get out there around 11 that night.”

On Keeneland’s Polytrack, Arlington-Washington Lassie (G3) heroine SHE BE
WILD
(Offlee Wild) logged five-eighths in a co-bullet 1:00 1/5. Trained by
Wayne Catalano, the dark bay miss suffered her first career loss when second by
a half-length in the Alcibiades S. (G1) last out and will try to get back on the
winning track in the Juvenile Fillies.

Grade 3 winner KARELIAN (Bertrando), second by a nose in the Shadwell
Turf Mile in his only start of 2009, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5. The
Rusty Arnold charge is gearing up for the Mile, with second preference given to
the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Arnold also sent out maiden scorer MINT CHIP (Johar) to post four
panels in :48 3/5. The bay colt is cross-entered to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
(G1) and Juvenile Turf (G2) on November 7, with preference given to the latter,
but needs to draw in from the also-eligible list in both.

Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) third PISCITELLI (Victory Gallop),
headed for the Juvenile following a fifth in
the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), breezed six furlongs from the gate at Keeneland in
1:17.

The undefeated DEVIL MAY CARE (Malibu Moon), who captured the Frizette
S. (G1) by a head last time, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 over the fast Belmont
Park training track in advance of the Juvenile Fillies.

Grade 3 winner NITE LIGHT (Thunder Gulch), the Hawthorne Gold Cup
runner-up who is aiming for the Marathon, went in 1:00 3/5.

Maiden winner ROSE CATHERINE (Speightstown) traveled in 1:01 2/5 in
advance of the Juvenile Fillies Turf.


MS VANENZZA (Successful Appeal), the Blue Hen S. winner headed to the
Juvenile Fillies, covered the same distance in 1:01 over the Tapeta at Fair Hill
training center in Maryland. Another Juvenile Fillies contender working on
synthetic was BIOFUEL (Stormin Fever), who zipped in a bullet :59 2/5 over the
Woodbine Polytrack.