CD Barn Notes: BC Mile Hope Sidney's Candy Works On Turf

by Travers Manley and Gary Yunt | Churchill Downs Communications

Sidney's Candy, headed for the TVG Mile, breezed a half-mile on turf under Annie Finney. (Reed Palmer, CD)





PLETCHER SETTLES IN; SIDNEY’S CANDY WORKS ON TURF – Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled three of his six Breeders’ Cup winners at last year’s World Championships at Churchill Downs, began the process of improving on his career total Tuesday morning starting at 6 o’clock with light exercise from Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) hopefuls Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty and concluding just before 10 o’clock with a half-mile grass work from Sidney’s Candy for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI).

“I am here through the Breeders’ Cup,” said Pletcher, whose last contingent of World Championship runners arrived from New York on Monday morning.

Leading that contingent was the Repole Stable-owned duo of Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty. Both colts jogged once around the main track Tuesday, with Hector Ramos on Uncle Mo and Fernando Zamora on Stay Thirsty.

Pletcher plans to work both colts on Sunday.

“We pre-entered 11 altogether,” Pletcher said. “Hunt Crossing (Sentient Jet Juvenile Sprint), Stopshoppingmaria (Grey Goose Juvenile Fillies), Sweet Cat (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Her Smile (Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint), Super Espresso (Ladies’ Classic), Finale (Juvenile Turf), Rule (Dirt Mile), Sidney’s Candy (Mile), and Aikenite who was cross-entered in the Sentient Jet Sprint and Dirt Mile, plus Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty.”

Uncle Mo won the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) last year and Pletcher’s other winners were Pluck in the Juvenile Turf and More Than Real in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“I feel good about all my horses and it looks like the ones that came in yesterday all shipped well,” Pletcher said. “We have some important works coming up and you hold your breath (until the event is here).”

Pletcher was asked if there were any of his runners that might be flying under the radar coming into this year’s championships.

"We’ve got a few that are in that category,” Pletcher said with a laugh. “Her Smile won the Prioress (GI) and got the perfect set-up and would need something similar. Super Espresso, we are going off her work here the other day (five furlongs in 1:01.60 over a fast track Saturday). She trained here in the spring before going to Pimlico (for a victory in the GIII DuPont Distaff), so for her it is racetrack related. Aikenite runs well here.”

WinStar Farm and Rubio B Stable’s Sidney’s Candy covered a half-mile on firm turf in :50 under exercise rider Annie Finney. Clockers got the first quarter in 27 seconds flat and a gallop-out time of 1:03.40 for five furlongs.

“It was a good work,” Pletcher said of Sidney’s Candy, who ran third in the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland in his most recent start on Oct. 8. “It looked like he got over the ground well and finished strong.”

FIELDS TAKING SHAPE FOR OPENING-DAY POCAHONTAS AND IROQUOIS – A trio of Grade III winners are expected to be among the names to pass the entry box Thursday for the 43rd running of the $150,000 Pocahontas (GII) at a mile on the main track to be run Sunday.

The Pocahontas and the 30th running of the $100,000-added Iroquois (GIII) share top billing on Sunday’s opening-day program of the 21-day Fall Meeting that runs through Nov. 27. Sunday’s card, “Stars of Tomorrow I” will feature racing exclusively for 2-year-olds.

Heading the list of probables according to Churchill Downs racing officials are Believe You Can, Flashy Lassie and Georgie’s Angel.

Brereton Jones’ Believe You Can has won her past three starts, capped by a victory in the Tempted (GIII) at Belmont Park on Oct. 2. Barry King’s Flashy Lassie won the Debutante (GIII) here in June and Georgie’s Angel, beaten favorite in the Tempted, won the Schuylerville (GIII) at Saratoga. Georgie’s Angel is owned by Sheffer Racing Stable, Ronald Stocks, Betsy Wells and Kelly Weitsma.

Other probable starters for the Pocahontas, won last year by Dancinginherdreams, include And Why Not, Aubby K, Best of Times, Glinda the Good, Heart of Destiny, Spirited Miss and Taxi Dancer.

Lantern Hill Farm’s Motor City, third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (GIII), tops the list of probables for the Iroquois. Other likely starters for the Iroquois, won last year by Astrology, include Hollywood Script, Mark Valeski, Purely Determined and Seven Lively Sins.

BARN TALK – Buff Bradley, trainer and co-owner of Groupie Doll, plans to bring the 3-year-old filly back in the Nov. 12 Mrs. Revere (GII) at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Groupie Doll finished second in last Saturday’s Lexus Raven Run (GII) at Keeneland. …

Bisnath Parboo, trainer of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls Giant Ryan and Trinniberg, plans to work both horses Wednesday morning. Trinniberg (Sentient Jet Juvenile Sprint candidate) is scheduled to work three furlongs or a half-mile out of the gate at 7:15 with Giant Ryan (Grade I Sentient Jet Sprint) slated to work a half-mile or five furlongs after the renovation break. Willie Martinez is scheduled to be in the saddle for both works.

WORK TAB – Tom McCarthy’s General Quarters, working toward an expected start in Saturday’s Fayette (GII) at Keeneland, breezed three furlongs in :36.20 over a fast track. …

Lantern Hill Farm’s Motor City, a candidate for Sunday’s 30th running of the $100,000-added Iroquois (GIII), worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 before the renovation break under Calvin Borel. The work was the fifth fastest of 37 at the distance. …

Working six furlongs in 1:18.40 on the firm Matt Winn Turf Course was Gaillardia Racing’s Wilkinson, who was third in the Jamaica Handicap (GI) in his most recent start.

Queens and Quicksters Will Carry Female Banner in Saturday Breeders' Cup Races

Last year may have been the classic year of the female with Rachel Alexandra named Horse of the Year, the unbeaten Zenyatta winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. 1), and Goldikova taking her second consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. 1). But I’m not sure the female dominance is over. At least there is a very good chance that the Friday filly and mare Breeders’ Cup spotlight may continue to have female focus Saturday as well during the Nov. 5-6 championship races.

Races for fillies and mares plus the Breeders' Cup Marathon, make up the Friday, Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup card highlighted by the grade 1 Ladies Classic. The eight Breeders’ Cup races Saturday are either restricted to colts and geldings, like the Juvenile races, or open like the Classic, Mile and others.

Zenyatta will obviously be the large focus for the day as she defends her title in $5 million Classic by attempting to extend her consecutive winning streak to a record 20 races. She is expected to be the betting favorite and will without doubt be the star of ESPN Saturday telecast at least until the running of the Classic. (She is already featured as one of the first five menu items on the Breeders’ Cup home page alongside merchandise, tickets, nominations and Breeders’ Cup 360.) A Zenyatta victory will add historical significance to the 2010 Breeders’ Cup and her legacy. The Classic is also expected to be her final career race before retirement.

What Zenyatta has been to North American horse racing fans through the last three years, Goldikova has been to European fans. While Goldikova does not have the winning streak Zenyatta does, her 12 wins from 17 career starts includes 10 group 1 or grade 1 wins. She has won the last three runnings of the Prix Rothschild (gr. 1), and defeated a field of 16 males in her last start while winning the Prix de la Forêt (gr. 1) at Longchamp Oct. 3. Her next triple attempt comes in the grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile when she tries to surpass Mile legends Miesque, Lure and Da Hoss who are the only two-time winners of the race.

Like Zenyatta, Goldikova will be the favorite and the Breeders’ Cup Mile is also her likely swan song.

Unlike Zenyatta and Goldikova, however, the fillies and mares will rely on a numbered attack in a wide open Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. 1) on the Saturday card. Empressive Lady, Czechers, Melito, Rose Catherine and Unzip Me are the current fillies and mares likely for the Turf Sprint.

Rose Catherine and Unzip Me will have the best chance to topple the colts and gelding in the Turf Sprint which will be modified significantly in distance from the two previous versions of the race at Santa Anita. While defending champion California Flag is back, he will lose a furlong and a-half in distance on the Churchill Downs turf, which of course, also has no downhill start like the race featured over the Santa Anita turf course in 2008-’09. The favorite should be Chamberlain Bridge, recent winner of the Arlington Turf Sprint at Arlington Park, but Rose Catherine and Unzip Me both have had their share of victories this year.

Rose Catherine has won four consecutive races including The Turf Amazon Stakes at Parx Racing at Philadephip Park Sept. 25. The Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-old filly will be making her second Breeders’ Cup appreance after finishing third behind Tapitsfly in the Juvenile Filly Turf last year.

Unzip Me, a 4-year-old filly, has won five turf sprint stakes including the grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap at Hollywood Park on Sept. 30 in her most recent start.

While both Zenyatta and Goldikova have big challenges ahead before they hit the winners’ circle following their respective Breeders’ Cup races, their victories may be considered likely – but far from certain. The girls in the Turf Sprint will probably have a much bigger job to do to hit the line first as well. But they’ll have the spotlight and the opportunity to make 2010 the year of female again in the thoroughbred world.