Afleet Alex sizzles five furlongs

Afleet Alex sizzles five furlongs

Juvenile "Hopeful" Afleet Alex   (Horsephotos.com) Hopeful S. (G1) winner AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet) sizzled five furlongs in a bullet :58 2/5 over a fast track at Lone Star Park on Monday in preparation for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Exercise rider Sam Cabrera was up. The move was at least three seconds faster than the next best of eight works at the distance. "He went on his own, very willingly," Cabrera said. "He seemed to like the track. He goes over it really nice, really comfortable." Afleet Alex won his first three starts, including the Sanford S. (G2) at Saratoga, by a combined 28 1/2 lengths. The Tim Ritchey trainee won the sloppy seven-furlong Hopeful with a late burst of speed, then suffered his first career loss in the Champagne S. (G1) at Belmont Park when finishing a game second, beaten just a half-length, in the one-turn, 1 1/16-mile test. Regular rider Jeremy Rose retains the mount.

Two probables for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) -- DOMESTIC

DISPUTE (Unbridled's Song) and ROYAL REGALIA

(Cozzene) -- each breezed five furlongs over a good turf course

at Lone Star Park

Strub S. (G2) winner Domestic Dispute, who has second

preference in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), covered the distance

in 1:02 1/5. In his only start on turf, the four-year-old set the

pace before finishing a close fourth in last year's Oak Tree

Derby (G2). The Patrick Gallagher trainee exits a last-place

effort in the Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1).

Domestic Dispute is likely to try the grass again  (Horsephotos.com) "I was very happy with the work," exercise rider Mickey Brennan said. "He galloped out very sweet. I couldn't be happier with it." Royal Regalia, who finished a close third in the Atto Mile S. (Can-G1) in his last start, was timed in 1:03 2/5. The lightly raced six-year-old, trained by Justin Nixon, set a new course record for one mile at Woodbine in early July, completing the distance in 1:31 4/5. In California: Another contender for the Mile, SPECIAL RING (Nureyev), who won his second consecutive Eddie Read H. (G1) in his only start this year, drilled five furlongs in :58 3/5 over a fast track at Santa Anita. The Julio Canani-trained seven-year-old finished a troubled eighth, beaten five lengths, in last year's Mile at Santa Anita. "He looked super," Canani said following the work. "He went the first two furlongs in :24 and the last three furlongs in :34 3/5. He galloped out strong."

Victor Espinoza will ride the gelding for Texas owners Prestonwood

Farm. Special Ring will be flown to Texas on Wednesday.

In Kentucky:

Grade 1 juvenile winner CUVEE (Carson City),

runner-up in the Kentucky Cup Sprint S. (G2) at Turfway Park in

his last start, breezed four furlongs in :47 4/5 over a fast

track at Churchill Downs. The Steve Asmussen-trained sophomore is

pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

Runway Model scoring in the Alcibiades (Horsephotos.com) RUNWAY MODEL (Petionville), who won the Alcibiades S. (G2) by a head in a blanket finish in her latest, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. The Bernie Flint-trained miss is slated for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and Rafael Bejarano, the nation's current leading rider in wins this year, will make his Breeders' Cup debut aboard her. Grade 2 winner SILVER TREE (Hennessy), who exits a third-place finish in the Shadwell Turf Mile S. (G1) at Keeneland, officially breezed four furlongs in :47 1/5, but trainer Bill Mott said there was a discrepancy between the time recorded for the move by Churchill Downs clockers and assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy. "Kenny got her in roughly 48 and 3 (:48 3/5)," Mott said from New York. In New York: Mongo Queen S. winner SIS CITY (Slew City Slew), third in the Frizette S. (G1), breezed five furlongs in 1:03 1/5 over a fast track at Aqueduct on Monday. Her connections called Breeders' Cup officials Monday to say she was coming for the Juvenile Fillies despite contradictory reports over the weekend. "The owners all want to go, and if we can get these things worked out, I'll be excited to be there, too," trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said.

In other Breeders' Cup news:

Trainer Neil Drysdale announced Monday that Grade 1 victor SARAFAN (Lear

Fan) had injured himself over the weekend and would not run in the Turf (G1).

"He struck into himself at some point on the weekend," Drysdale

explained. "It doesn't appear to be anything too serious, but we can't be

running in a race like this under the circumstances."

Drysdale also confirmed that MUSICAL CHIMES (In Excess [Ire]), who

defeated males when winning the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile (G2) on October 9,

will run in the Mile. She'll ship out of Hollywood Park on Wednesday and be

ridden by Kent Desormeaux on Saturday.

STAY FOREVER (Stack), pre-entered to the Filly & Mare Turf (G1),

will not make the trip from her Florida base for the Breeders' Cup. The

seven-year-old mare captured the WinStar Galaxy (G2) on October 10.

"It's too soon," explained trainer Marty Wolfson. "I could

not, in good conscience, run her back in three weeks."

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who had to declare Balto's Star (Glitterman) from the

Breeders' Cup last week due to a tendon problem, revealed Monday that Frizette

runner-up READY'S GAL (More Than Ready) will miss the Juvenile Fillies

due to a fractured right hind pastern suffered on Saturday.

"We're disappointed because she had raced so well and was training

well," Pletcher said. "But she seems to be comfortable here in her

stall at Belmont."

An evaluation later this week will determine whether Ready's Gal needs

surgery. 

ENDURING WILL (Arch), a 10-length winner of the Silver Spoon Breeders'

Cup at Lone Star in her last star, is out of the Juvenile Fillies due to a

fever.

Travers (G1) and Belmont S. (G1) hero BIRDSTONE (Grindstone) made his

first trip to the Lone Star track early Monday morning, jogging a mile. The

three-year-old arrived in Texas with a skin rash, but Reynaldo Abreu, assistant

to trainer Nick Zito, said the rash is no concern.

"It's fine. It's dry," Abreu said. "We're just waiting for the

hair to grow in."

Defending Mile heroine SIX PERFECTIONS (Fr) (Celtic Swing) and

English (Eng-G1) and Irish Oaks (G1) winner OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape

Cross [Ire]), who is cross-entered to both the Turf and Filly & Mare

Turf, both arrived at Lone Star Park Monday along with a contingent

of Breeders' Cup runners from Europe.

Trainer Allen Jerkens arrived with his Breeders' Cup contenders, SOCIETY

SELECTION (Coronado's Quest) and BOWMAN'S BAND (Dixieland Band), at

Lone Star on Sunday. "The Chief" has the reputation of  not

liking to travel far from his barn at Belmont. 

"The owners think their horses run faster if you are with them, so they

made me come," Jerkens joked.

He was also impressed with the grounds in Grand Prairie, Texas.

"I really like this track," Jerkens commented. "And I

like the fact that the barns aren't right on top of one another. You've

got room between them, and I really like that." 

Classic contender FUNNY CIDE (Distorted Humor), who earned his

first Grade 1 victory since taking the 2003 Preakness (G1) when capturing

the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) last out, is scheduled to work at Belmont

Park Tuesday and ship to Texas on Wednesday.

""He'll have an easy work, just to keep his lungs open and

his respiratory system clear," assistant trainer Robin Smullen said.

"That will be the last major thing  we do with him. We'll bring

him out on Thursday (at Lone Star) to putz around, look the place over and

hack a little bit, probably paddock him on Thursday, too."

European champion rider Frankie Dettori has picked up the mount aboard

Juvenile Fillies contender SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band), who

finished second by a head when making only her second career attempt in

the Alciabides S. (G2). Trainer Doug O'Neill, who is due to become a

father this week, will not make the trip to Lone Star.

Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) winner FREEFOURINTERNET (Tabasco Cat),

who is cross-entered to both the Classic and Mile, will definitely contest

the Classic, trainer Mike Maker confirmed Monday.

The outstanding jockey in this year's Breeders' Cup World

Thoroughbred Championships will once again be honored with the

Bill Shoemaker Award. The winner, to be selected by members of

the media, will be announced and presented with a trophy at the

Sunday Press Breakfast at Lone Star Park.