Dual Grade 1 winner
Alpha, who was bred by Darley and carries the colors of Godolphin Racing,
galloped 1 3/8 miles and went to the gate under exercise rider Rob Massey on
Wednesday morning for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in preparation for the Dirt
Mile.
The four-year-old son of Bernardini, who was eased before finishing last in
the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic, has acclimated beautifully since arriving from
New York and his connections are pleased with the way he’s coming into Friday’s
race.
“He’s got a good look out of his eye and he’s very bright,”
said Jimmy Bell, Godolphin’s representative on the scene and head of operations
for Darley Racing America. “It was great to see him get another Grade 1 win (in
the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga in August).”
Bell cautioned against overlooking the bay colt in the Dirt Mile.
“This is a dangerous horse who is capable at any time of
springing a major performance,” he said. “I am sure that he will give a good
account of himself.”
Whether Alpha will race again this year, or next year,
or head to stallion duty at Darley has yet to be decided.
“We’ll see how he comes out of this race and assess his
performance to see what’s there or isn’t,” Bell said. “We’re considering the
Cigar Mile this year and if he runs there, these next couple of races will
determine his future.”
One who will be making his swan song in the Dirt Mile is Stuart Janney
III’s Hymn Book, who galloped a mile at Santa Anita Wednesday morning in preparation for
his final career start on Friday.
“He’s been good to us. He’s seven years old. We’re taking a
shot here,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “There’s no sense pressing him. We’ll
use him as a pony at some point.”
The veteran gelding, who has earned just shy of $1 million,
is winless in 2013, but has finished on the board in all four starts, including
a close third in the Kelso at Belmont last time out.
“He’s had a very good year. In the Kelso, the pace didn’t
turn out the way we thought it would be. He didn’t get him out until too late
and he comes running and just gets beat,” McGaughey said. “He’s 15-1 in the
morning line, and he just got beat by Graydar, who would have been the favorite
in this race.”
Also scheduled to be retired after the Dirt Mile is the Todd
Pletcher-trained Verrazano, who galloped at Santa Anita Wednesday morning.
“I think this will be his last start. He goes to stud at Ashford after that,”
Pletcher stated.
Verrazano has captured six of eight starts in brilliant
fashion, his only two losses coming in the Kentucky Derby and Travers at 1 1/4 miles.
His seventh in the Travers last out convinced Verrazano’s connections to opt
for the Dirt Mile instead of the Classic.
“We just felt like he’s always had that brilliance about
him. Had he won the Travers, we would have looked at it a little differently,”
Pletcher explained. “But after the Travers, we decided the (Dirt) Mile would be the
right spot for him.”
Pool Play might also be visiting the starting gate for the final time on
Friday while competing in the Marathon. With 40 starts on his
resume, the Mark Casse-trained son of Silver Deputy has gone to the gate more times than any other competitor in
this year’s Breeders’ Cup. At age eight and the oldest of all the contenders, he
qualifies as an equine senior citizen.
“Does he still have the desire to go out there and do this?
I guess we’ll find out on Friday,” said Will Farish Jr. who owns the dark
bay gelding. “This may be his last race, but we’ll let him tell us.”
Pool Play, eighth in the Classic last year, no longer has any speed in his
repertoire but Casse said that he’s still got
plenty of endurance. Anyone looking for clues to solving the mystery of the
Marathon should note that he is the only one in the field who has won at the 1
3/4-mile distance, and even longer.
Should the Marathon be his last stand, Pool Play will
surely be missed by Team Casse.
“He’s such a cool old guy with a great personality. He’s
like the barn pet,” assistant trainer David Adams reflected. “He’s been doing this
for so long and knows the routine so well that nothing fazes him. He’s a real
pleasure.”
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