Paynter, Bob Baffert’s “other horse,” worked five furlongs in company Monday
for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, going in 1:00 under jockey Martin
Garcia. Workmate Den’s Legacy was given the identical time on the fast main
track.
“He went awesome,” Baffert said of Paynter, who survived life-threatening
ailments after winning the Haskell Invitational in 2012. “He really worked great
today. In fact, both horses worked well.”
Paynter comes off a second to Classic rival Mucho Macho Man in the Awesome
Again.
Game On Dude, the likely Classic favorite trained by Baffert, is scheduled to
work Tuesday at Santa Anita for the $5 million Classic at 1 1/4 miles on
November 2. Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup races will be taken next Monday,
October 21.
A trio of Baffert juveniles likewise posted moves ahead of their Breeders’
Cup engagements.
Secret Compass, a head winner in the Chandelier last month, sped a half-mile in :48 2/5 as she prepares for the Juvenile
Fillies.
Multiple Grade 1-placed Fascinating, third in the
Chandelier, stopped the watch in :47 2/5 as she also is pointed
toward the Juvenile Fillies.
New Year’s Day, a recent maiden winner,
fired a six-furlong bullet in 1:11 2/5. He posted the best of 14 works at the
distance as he looks forward to a possible date in the Juvenile.
Two Breeders’ Cup candidates trained by Steve Asmussen also worked on Santa
Anita’s main track Monday. Sprint hopeful Justin Phillip went five-eighths in
1:01, breezing, and Turf Sprint contender Unbridled’s Note drilled in 1:00 1/5. Justin Phillip
was runner-up by a neck in
the Vosburgh last out, while Unbridled’s Note was recently third in the Eddie D.
Argentine shipper Ever Rider continued to build toward the Marathon by
covering a half-mile in :48 4/5 for Maria Munoz.
Multiple Argentinean Group 1 star Indy Point worked six furlongs on Santa
Anita’s firm turf course in 1:13 3/5.
“He couldn’t look better,” trainer Richard Mandella said of the colt, who
most recently captured the John Henry Turf Championship.
Breeders’ Cup candidates have special dispensation to work on turf Mondays
and Fridays, rather than Santa Anita’s normal turf work days of Thursday and
Saturday.
Mandella added that Zenyatta Stakes winner Beholder is scheduled to breeze
“Tuesday or Wednesday” as the two-year-old filly champion of 2012 prepares for
the November 1 Distaff.
Critics who would chastise Mike Mitchell for strategy that might have cost
Obviously victory in the October 5 City of Hope Mile Stakes would do well to
hold their tongues before expressing their rant. To that end, the trainer holds
a philosophy similar to that of Lincoln when members of his Cabinet admonished
Grant for over-imbibing.
“I’m going to find out what he drinks,” Lincoln told Grant’s detractors, “and
send it to all my Generals.”
Mitchell isn’t second-guessing himself for Obviously’s fourth-place finish as
the 1-2 favorite in the City of Hope. In fact, he’s more resolved than ever that
the Irish-bred gelding is best when loose on the lead, and come the Breeders’
Cup Mile on November 2, Wise Dan and all, that’s where he intends to be.
Obviously wants to be in front and that’s where he’s going to be from now on.
This time, Mitchell means it.
“He’s doing great. He’s all ready to go,” Mitchell said. “We’re just going to
try different tactics now. We’re going to send him. I don’t care if they go
three-quarters of a mile in (one oh) seven and one.
“I’m sending the sonofagun, because we’ve had two times now where we kind of
sat him off the pace when they were going real fast early, and he doesn’t want
that. He just wants you to let him roll. That’s the way he’s always been.”
Despite Wise Dan’s defeat in the Shadwell Mile, moved from turf to Polytrack
due to heavy rains, Mitchell hasn’t lost any respect for the 2012 Horse of the
Year and defending Mile champion.
“That’s a good horse and a good trainer,” Mitchell said of Wise Dan’s
conditioner, Charles LoPresti. “He’s a good horseman.”
Mike Smith appears loaded for bear in the Breeders’ Cup. Agent Brad Pegram
has the Hall of Fame jockey booked on Game On Dude in the Classic; Royal Delta
in the Distaff; Points Offthebench in the Sprint; Little Mike in the Turf;
Fascinating in the Juvenile Fillies; and Mizdirection in the Turf Sprint.
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