Alex Campbell Jr.’s Karlovy Vary, winner of the Grade 1 Ashland this spring,
breezed a half-mile in :52 3/5 over Keeneland’s Polytrack Sunday morning in
preparation for next Sunday’s 57th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Spinster.
“The work was supposed to be easy, and it was,” trainer Rusty Arnold said. “I
am not trying to do too much with her as she is coming back pretty quick (from
the Grade 1 Garden City run September 15 at Belmont Park).”
Following her victory in the Ashland, Karlovy Vary finished 12th in the Grade
1 Kentucky Oaks, but rebounded a month later with a turf allowance victory at
Churchill Downs. The daughter of Dynaformer finished third in the Nani Rose at
Saratoga and then finished seventh in the Garden City.
“She ran a good race at Saratoga, but had a bad trip,” Arnold said. “She was
in behind horses in a small field and clipped heels in the race. She had to have
12 stitches in her leg after that race and we walked her for 2 1/2 weeks. She
didn’t run well in the Garden City and I may have missed more time with her
(prior to the race) than I thought.”
Karlovy Vary shipped to Keeneland the day after the Garden City.
“She does well on this track,” Arnold said. “I am pretty confident she’ll run
well.”
A few years back, Dolphus Morrison did well with a homebred filly named
Rachel Alexandra. Come Friday, Morrison will have a chance to see if he has a
similar commodity in Gold Edge when the undefeated Eddington filly runs in the
61st edition of the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades.
Hal Wiggins trained Rachel Alexandra prior to her being sold and his son Lon
conditions Gold Edge, who will enter the Alcibiades off a victory in the Grade 3
Arlington-Washington Lassie on September 8.
With exercise rider Maurillio Garcia up, Gold Edge put in her final major
move for Friday’s race by working five furlongs on her own in :59 2/5 Sunday
morning. Fractions on the work were :12 1/5, :23 3/5, :35 1/5 and :47 1/5, and
she galloped out six furlongs on the Polytrack in 1:13 2/5.
Gold Edge broke her maiden for a $50,000 claiming tag in June at Churchill
Downs going five furlongs and then won the Lisa M at seven furlongs at Arlington
Park prior to her score in the Lassie at a mile.
“She was entered in a maiden special weight at Churchill, but she was
lethargic in the post parade under (jockey) Calvin (Borel) and she was
scratched,” Lon Wiggins said. “We got her back to the barn and she was fine and
then we galloped her the next day. She had a gate work and was fine.
“It was the end of the meet and there were only two spots for her, the maiden
$50,000 or a maiden special weight the next week, but we had lost our date and
we knew we would not get in that race and we didn’t want to wait another two
weeks and not have the chance to run on her home track.”
The Alcibiades will be the first test around two turns for Gold Edge. Chris
Emigh, who has been aboard for her past two wins, has the return call.
“I think she can go forever,” Wiggins said. “I have not seen any distance
limitations with her, and that is good with the speed she has.”
Also on Sunday, Great Lady M Stakes winner Mega Dream tuned up for an
expected run in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America by
drilling five Polytrack furlongs in :59 2/5. Working on her own, Mega Dream
recorded fractions of :11 4/5, :23 2/5, :35 4/5 and :47 3/5 and galloped out six
furlongs in 1:13 3/5. Owned by Jerry Durant, Barry Arnason and Mersad Metanovic,
Mega Dream is trained by Jeff Bonde.
Melnyk Racing Stables’ six-time stakes winner Bridgetown worked a half-mile
in :47 as a prelude to an expected run in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Woodford
Stakes. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Bridgetown posted an opening quarter-mile in
:23 2/5 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:01 while working in company with
Giant Sensation.
Silverton Hill’s Zoloto, nominated to Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Breeders’
Futurity and a debut winner here in the spring, drilled five furlongs in a
bullet :59. Trained by Darrin Miller, Zoloto posted fractions of :12 2/5, :23
4/5, :35 1/5 and :46 4/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 2/5.
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