January 14, 2025

Starcraft, Artie Schiller, Sensation breeze

Last updated: 10/27/05 7:12 PM


Multiple Group 1 winner STARCRAFT (NZ) (Soviet Star), who was supplemented to
the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at a cost of $800,000, drilled four furlongs in a
bullet :47 2/5 over a fast main track at Belmont Park on Thursday. It was the
co-fastest of 25 works at the distance. Starcraft is listed at 12-1 on the
morning line and will break from the far outside post position in the 1 1/4-mile
Classic.

“We don’t know how he’ll handle the dirt under racing conditions, but from
what he did this morning, we’re pleased,” trainer Luca Cumani said. “The
draw (14) is not a great help. I estimate he’ll be running about five or six
yards further than the other horses.

“(Jockey) Pat Valenzuela won’t sit on him before the race, but he has seen
the DVD’s of all his wins and he’s excited about riding him. Psychologically,
the horse is fine. The only time he might have a problem is when the jockey gets
up, but once he gets to the track he’s fine.”

Starcraft most recently captured the Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) at
Newmarket.

Multiple Grade 2 winner ARTIE SCHILLER (El Prado [Ire]) blew out three
furlongs in :36 2/5 and galloped out four furlongs in :49 over a fast training track in advance of the Breeders’ Cup
Mile (G1). Artie Schiller will be seeking his first Grade 1 victory in the Mile
and is listed at 6-1 on the morning line. Garrett Gomez replaces the injured
Richard Migliore in the saddle.

“His best races have been when he’s up there on the pace on his own,” trainer
James Jerkens said. “When he’s on the bridle, that’s usually a good sign. When
the turf is soft, he doesn’t seem to fall into the bridle as quickly, but most
horses are like that.”

Artie Schiller won the Bernard Baruch H. (G2) at Saratoga before finishing
second by a head in the Kelso Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) in his last start.

Astarita S. (G3) heroine SENSATION (Dixie Union) breezed three-eighths in :36
3/5 in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The bay filly is
listed at 8-1 on the morning line and will break from post 7 beneath jockey
Eibar Coa.

“She went off easy and did it smoothly,” trainer Stanley Hough said. “We
didn’t have to do much with her because she had a serious workout last week
(five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 on October 20).”

Sensation’s only loss in four career starts occurred when she finished
fourth, beaten 8 3/4 lengths, in the Spinaway S. (G2) at Saratoga.

Royal Lodge S. (Eng-G2) winner LEO (GB) (Pivotal), prepping for the Breeders’
Cup Juvenile (G1), worked four furlongs in a bullet :47 2/5 on a fast main
track. The colt, trained by John Gosden, is listed at 20-1 on the morning line
and will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

“I told Frankie (Dettori) to take him extremely wide and he was timed from
the five-eighths to the one-eighth,” Gosden said. “He breezed behind two
Christophe Clement horses and both Frankie and the horse came back covered with
dirt.

“I think he’ll do well on the dirt. He’s got a good foot for it, and he’s
handled the Polytrack very well at home.”

Leo won the Royal Lodge by 1 1/4 lengths at Newmarket in his last start.

Four horses — BAGO (Fr) (Nashwan), AZAMOUR (Ire) (Night Shift), FAVOURABLE TERMS (GB) (Selkirk) and KAREN’S
CAPER (War Chant) — turned in “European-style” works. Bago and Azamour will run in the
Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). Favourable Terms and Karen’s Caper will contest the
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

European champion Bago traveled four furlongs in :53 2/5 under jockey Thierry
Gillet over the soft inner turf course.

“He had a nice strong canter,” said Alan Cooper, Niarchos racing manager.
“Thierry said the ground is quite heavy. We’ll see how it dries out in the next
48 hours.”

Bago, who is listed at 5-1 on the morning line, rallied for third in the Prix
de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) last out.

Multiple Group 1 winner Azamour breezed four furlongs in :54 over the soft
inner turf course.

“He just did a nice canter and he came down the straight a bit quicker the last
two furlongs,” trainer John Oxx said. “The track was quite deep again today when
you looked at the holes in the ground where they were going in. (Jockey) Mick (Kinane)
thought it was a bit worse than yesterday, but he was going a bit quicker. The
horse couldn’t be doing any better.”

Azamour, who is listed at 7-2 on the morning line, finished a close fifth in
the Irish Champion S. (Ire-G1) in his last start.

Group 1 winner Favourable Terms went three furlongs in :39 4/5 on the soft
inner grass course. The five-year-old mare is listed at 20-1 on the morning line
for the Filly & Mare Turf and gets a rider change to Kinane.

Group 3 victress Karen’s Caper, who just missed in the Queen Elizabeth II
Challenge Cup S. (G1) at Keeneland in her U.S. debut, breezed five furlongs in
1:06 on the soft inner course.

“The course is soft now, but not heavy, and I thought she handled it
very well,” Gosden said. “The Filly & Mare Turf is an open race, and the ground will be an
issue Saturday. I think it will be a question of who handles it best.”

Karen’s Caper is 15-1 on the morning line for the 1 1/4-mile event.