Dubai Escapade flashes bullet; Commentator will not run in Sprint

The speedy Dubai Escapade will take on males in the Sprint (Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com)

DUBAI ESCAPADE (Awesome Again), one of two fillies pre-entered in the
Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), scorched five furlongs in a bullet :59 3/5 over a
fast track at Churchill Downs on Monday. The workout was the fastest of 40 at
the distance. The speedy four-year-old comes off a front-running, 8 1/2-length
triumph in the Ballerina Breeders’ Cup S. (G1) at Saratoga.

“I thought it was a good work. It’s the way she always works,” trainer Eoin
Harty said. “She does it all very easily and today was no different to anything
in the past. She’s a very, very fast filly and that’s the way she works.”

Dubai Escapade has won five of six starts this season, including the Madison
S. (G2) at Keeneland and the Vagrancy H. (G2) at Belmont Park. Her lone setback
occurred in the Princess Rooney H. (G1) at Calder where she pressed the early
pace before fading to sixth as the odds-on favorite.

Washington Park H. (G2) winner SUAVE (A.P. Indy) breezed five furlongs in
1:01 2/5 in advance of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). The Paul McGee-trained
five-year-old finished 10th in the Woodward S. (G1) at Saratoga after taking the
Washington Park at Arlington Park by a widening five lengths.

“I thought he breezed exceptionally well,” McGee said. “I asked (exercise
rider) Raul (Vizcarrando) to go in about :48 and I had the horse in :47 3/5. I
had the first eighth in :12 and a fifth, then :35 and change, just like I asked.
The horse galloped out strong and he wouldn’t have blown out a match out there
getting his bath.”

Suave finished fifth, beaten three lengths, in last year’s Classic and McGee
was asked how the horse is coming into this year’s event.

“Similar, very similar,” McGee said. “I might even say maybe a little better.
He had an excellent one-mile breeze (1:39 1/5) here nine days ago, and he is not
a real good work horse.”

Suave has captured three of six starts at his home base of Churchill Downs (Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com)

GOT THE LAST LAUGH (Distorted Humor), who finished fifth in
the Champagne S. (G1), breezed five furlongs in 1:02 in preparation for the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). The Bill Mott-trained colt finished in a dead-heat
for first on a sloppy track in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) after
breaking his maiden in his debut at Saratoga.

“He went good,” Mott said. “He went from the three-eighths to the wire in :36
2/5. We were happy with him. He’s never been a big work horse.”

ZANJERO (Cherokee Run), the lone also-eligible for the Juvenile, breezed four
furlongs in :50 1/5 for Blasi. The dark bay colt closed from far back to defeat
maiden special weight foes going 1 1/16 miles on Keeneland’s Polytrack in his
last start.

“It was a nice, even work,” Blasi said.

Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) contender RUSH BAY (Cozzene) breezed five furlongs
around the “dogs” in 1:03 2/5 on a firm turf course. The Tom Amoss-trained
colt finished second in the Sycamore Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) at Keeneland after winning
the Nijinsky S. (Can-G2) at Woodbine. Both races were at 1 1/2 miles on the
grass.

Turf contender Rush Bay is a horse-for-the-course at Churchill (Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com)

Rush Bay is a nose shy of being unbeaten in four starts on
the Churchill turf course.

At Belmont Park, Woodward hero PREMIUM TAP (Pleasant Tap), prepping for the
Classic, drilled four
furlongs in :47 2/5 over a fast main track with jockey Edgar Prado astride. The John
Kimmel trainee clipped heels and stumbled when making a bid on the far turn
before finishing a close fifth in the Kentucky Cup Classic S. (G2) on the Polytrack at Turfway Park.

“He was well within himself and I don’t think he could have blown a match out
after the breeze,” Kimmel said.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) contender ATTILA’S STORM (Forest Wildcat) breezed
four furlongs in :48 4/5 for conditioner Richard Schosberg. The four-year-old
returned from an eight-month layoff to run third in the Vosburgh S. (G1) at
Belmont Park. The four-year-old sustained an ankle injury when running third in
the Palos Verdes H. (G2) at Santa Anita in January.

Sprint threat Pomeroy is expected to arrive at Churchill on Tuesday (Calder Race Course/Jim Lisa Photos)

Attila’s Storm had two screws inserted in his left hind ankle to repair the
fracture. He finished a close fourth in the 2005 Sprint.

Trainer Todd Pletcher breezed three of his 18 Breeders’ Cup contenders on a
fast training track at Belmont on Monday.

Sanford S. (G2) winner SCAT DADDY (Johannesburg), a come-from-behind winner
of the Champagne S. (G1) in his last start, worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in
preparation for the Juvenile. The move was the second best of 40 works at the
distance.

“He’ll love two turns and he’ll love more distance,” said Pletcher, who will
ship his New York-based Breeders’ Cup horses to Churchill Downs on Wednesday.
“We have tried to give the young horses an education, and he got a lot out
of the Champagne. He’s a good energy level horse who feels good, acts good, and
seems sharp. But, like always, I would rather have more time. In a perfect
world, we would have another week, but I wanted to keep him and Circular Quay
(Thunder Gulch) separated, and that was the only way to do it.”

John Velazquez will retain the mount on Scat Daddy for the Juvenile.

Grade 3 winner FRIENDLY ISLAND (Crafty Friend), prepping for the Sprint,
breezed four furlongs in :49 3/5. The chestnut five-year-old finished a closing
third in the Forego S. (G1) at Saratoga two back. Ramon Dominguez is scheduled
to ride Friendly Island.