Work All Week back in the Aristides

A six-time stakes winner, Work All Week owns an 11-9-2-0 record at six furlongs (Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Unraced since a half-length tally in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), champion
sprinter Work All Week (City Zip) will launch his six-year-old campaign in
Saturday’s $100,000
Aristides
(G3) at Churchill Downs. The Roger Brueggemann-trained gelding will face six
rivals in the six-furlong test from his outside post and Florent Geroux retains
the mount.

A winner in nine of his last 10 starts, the Illinois-bred Work All Week
recorded his first Grade 1 triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita,
scoring by a half-length as a 19-1 longshot, and netted a 104 BRIS Speed rating.
His Speed figures ran as high as 106 last season and the chestnut will be making
his first appearance at Churchill Downs in the Aristides, which is named in
honor of the first Kentucky Derby winner.

Alsvid (Officer) looms as a dangerous challenger following his win in the
Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Chris Hartman, the
six-year-old gelding registered a career-best 106 Speed rating scoring by nearly
a length last time and Chris Landeros will be back aboard the early presser. A
nine-time winner at the distance, the Kentucky-bred Alsvid will also be making
his start under the Twin Spires.

The Pizza Man, who likes to race on or close to the early lead, recorded three stakes wins last season (Four Footed Fotos)

Good Lord (Greatness), Googleado (Southern Halo) and Viva Majorca (Tiago)
complete the field.

One race after the Aristides, 10 older horses will contest the $65,000
Opening
Verse at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Multiple Grade 2-winning millionaire
Departing (War Front), unraced since a seventh in the Clark H. (G1) last
November, is scheduled to make his turf debut for trainer Al Stall Jr. with
regular rider Robby Albarado.

The five-year-old gelding will meet a nice group of challengers that includes
The Pizza Man (English Channel), winner of the American St. Leger and Stars and
Stripes (G3) last season. Conditioned by Brueggemann, the Illinois-bred gelding
will make his first start since a close third in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2)
last November. Geroux has the call aboard the six-year-old.

Grade 2 scorer Frac Daddy (Scat Daddy), last seen finishing fourth in the San
Diego (G2) in late July, returns for Kenny McPeek and just missed when making
his lone appearance on Churchill’s grass course in the 2013 Commonwealth Turf
(G3), finishing a half-length second. Multiple stakes victor Hip Four Sixtynine
(Southern Image) tries turf again following an encouraging runner-up in the May
1 Texas Mile (G3) and Guys Reward (Grand Reward) is a five-time winner over the
local turf, including the 2012 editions of the Firecracker (G2) and Opening
Verse.