Funny Cide drills four furlongs at Belmont

Ky Derby & Jockey Club victor Funny Cide already owns 2 important wins at 10f; now he seeks a hat trick  (Deborah Kral/Horsephotos.com)

“Funny Cide is doing better than he ever has in his
life,” trainer Barclay Tagg said.

Last year, Funny Cide, a horse who prefers cold weather and
low humidity, finished ninth in the Classic, which was contested
under very hot and smoky conditions due to nearby brush fires at
Santa Anita. The chestnut had not started since running third in
the Haskell Invitational (G1) in early August.

This year, however, the popular gelding is coming off a
victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1) on October 2. Tagg
said the horse has trained ideally since then.

“What I’m saying is the truth,” Tagg said. “All
I tell is the truth. He’s leveled off a little and become more
sensible. He is still a very strong and hard horse to gallop, but
Robin (Smullen, assistant trainer) and I have figured him
out.”

Funny Cide is scheduled to travel from New York to Texas on
Wednesday. Jose Santos has the call.

BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country), a determined winner of the
Frizette S. (G1) in her last start, breezed five furlongs in a
bullet :59 4/5 under jockey Aaron Gryder in advance of the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The trial was the best of 10
works at the distance.

“It was a very impressive work for her,” trainer Tom
Albertrani said. “She appears to be on the top of her
game.”

The chestnut finished a closing second in the Matron S. (G1)
in her prior start and will also ship to Lone Star Park on
Wednesday. Jerry Bailey will ride Balletto in the 1 1/16-mile
Juvenile Fillies.

Society Selection, sloshing her way to an Alabama win, would love a wet track on Saturday  (Vincent Dusovic/Horsephotos.com)

“I was afraid that it would rain as hard as it did on
Monday and that the track wouldn’t be right,” Jerkens, who
is otherwise known as “The Chief,” said. “But they
did a nice job on the track, and the filly seemed to handle it
well.”

Prior to finishing second to the recently retired multiple
Grade 1 winner Sightseek (Distant View) in the Beldame S. (G1),
Society Selection captured both the Test S. (G1) and Alabama S.
(G1) at Saratoga.

Cornelio Velasquez will return aboard Society Selection in the
Distaff.

The Jerkens-trained BOWMAN’S BAND (Dixieland Band), prepping
for the Classic, breezed one mile in 1:39 3/5 with Uske astride.

“They said it was going to rain again (Tuesday
afternoon), and I didn’t want to take any chances,” Jerkens
said. “He raced a few weeks ago, so we gave him a good mile
because he is going to run a mile and a quarter on Saturday. He
seemed to do it well within himself, so I’m happy. Plus, this
gives him three days to get over it.”

The six-year-old has finished third or better in three Grade 1
races this year and exits a fifth-place effort in the Jockey Club
Gold Cup. The elder Jerkens is 0-for-6 in Breeders’ Cup
appearances.

ARTIE SCHILLER (El Prado [Ire]), who is trained by younger
Jerkens, breezed five furlongs in :59 4/5 under Uske, the fastest
of three works on the tab, in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup
Mile (G1).

The three-year-old was originally scheduled to work on the
turf course on Wednesday, but the trial was moved up a day and
switched to the main track due to the threat of more rain Tuesday
afternoon.

“I was too afraid that there wouldn’t be any turf works
on Wednesday and I didn’t want to take any chances, so we gave
him his breeze,” the trainer commented. “It’s no big
deal; he’s done that before.”

Defending Mile heroine Six Perfections, who arrived from Europe on Monday, got her first look at Lone Star on Tuesday  (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

The pint-size chestnut has not started since finishing second
in the Gamely Breeders’ Cup H. (G1) in late May. Frankel believes
she will respond favorably to the freshening and noted that Corey
Nakatani would ride the mare for the first time.

At San Luis Rey Downs, TWICE UNBRIDLED (Unbridled’s Song), a
maiden who is slated to run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1),
drilled three furlongs in :35 2/5 over a fast training track.

“The longer they go, the tougher he’ll be,” trainer
Dan Jensen said.

Twice Unbridled is scheduled to be flown to Texas on Thursday,
as is his trainer.

In other Breeders’ Cup news:

Trainer Murray Johnson said that Kent Desormeaux will ride
PERFECT DRIFT (Dynaformer) in the Classic. Pat Day is the regular
rider of both AZERI (Jade Hunter), who will run in the Classic,
and Perfect Drift.

Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey has lined up three European
mounts on Saturday — NEBRASKA TORNADO (Storm Cat) (Distaff/Filly
& Mare Turf), SIX PERFECTIONS (Fr) (Celtic Swing) (Mile) and
AUBONNE (Ger) (Monsum) (Filly & Mare Turf).

Trainer Paula Capestro was on the fence Tuesday as to whether
to actually enter QUIET HONOR (Real Quite) in the Juvenile
Fillies because the filly “worked a little flat” on
Sunday. The trainer had a blood panel done and she was waiting to
see the results. “If she has an elevated white count, we
won’t go,” she said.