JUVENILE TURF

Animal Spirits – The 2yo son of Arch galloped 1m Wednesday morning in his first trip back to the track after walking Tuesday following his final pre-race work Monday.  Exercise rider Scotty LeLeux was in the saddle aboard the Al Stall Jr. trainee.

Animal Spirits will gallop a similar distance Thursday morning and was slated to school in the paddock Wednesday afternoon.

“The more seasoning you can get, the better off you are,” Stall said. “We’re not trying to crash-course him, but every little bit you get right until the very last minute helps.”

It is quieter at Stall’s barn this year compared to last year, when the Louisiana native sent another son of Arch – Blame – to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“It’s different, that’s for sure,” Stall remarked. “But I wouldn’t mind trying for another Breeders’ Cup win, now.”


Caspar Netscher – Caspar Netscher, trained by Alan McCabe took to the dirt Wednesday morning and upped the tempo with a much stronger canter than he did Tuesday. McCabe is pleased with his progress.


Coalport – Six weeks ago, the 2yo son of Kitten’s Joy was an unraced maiden. Now he’s a 15-1 morning-line shot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“He’s a young, inexperienced horse who ran a big race last time out in the stake (2nd in the Bourbon),” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “I thought he was a winner for a second there. With that accident happening (frontrunner Here Comes Frazier attempting to jump the rail) everybody got a little discombobulated, including my jockey and my horse. I think everybody not knowing what was happening got a little leery. My horse checked a little, and that horse (winner Animal Spirits) got the momentum and ran by me.”


Fantastic Song – Trainer Chad Brown sent the Lemon Drop Kid colt out for a routine morning gallop of 1 3/8m.


Farraaj – With traveling head lad Paul Rutter on board, Farraaj took quite awhile to get used to the Churchill Downs main track Wednsday morning. The son of Dubai Destination found the early morning track work a bit daunting and on a couple of occasions appeared not to want to go forward, but once settled he did a gentle canter of about half a circuit.

“He is still not quite used to it,” trainer Roger Varian said. “He was not sure which way to go – either left or right. He will get better every day. Neil Callan who will ride him on Saturday, will be on him tomorrow and Friday and that will help”.


Finale – Unbeaten on grass, the son of Scat Daddy has already earned more than the purchase price of $175,000 risked by owners Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor.

“He’s really taken to it,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who started the colt on the dirt and failed to break his maiden in two tries. Once on the grass at Belmont, he won off by more than five lengths and since has taken a pair of minor stakes. “He’s as sharp as he can be.”

Finale galloped 1 1/4m on the main track Wednesday and then stood in the gate.


Gung Ho – Off a seventh-place run in the Breeders’ Futurity, Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Juvenile Turf performer may be 20-1 in the morning line, but trainer Mike Maker is optimistic about his chances.

“He’s run at a different racetrack in all four starts and has experience on his side,” Maker said. “The 12-hole at Keeneland in the Breeders’ Futurity didn’t work in his favor, but you have to play the cards that are dealt to you.

“He’s a talented horse looking for redemption. He works fast, but is always well within himself. We started him out sprinting, but since he’s a Kitten’s Joy, the plan all along was to progress to routes and hopefully get to this stage with him.”


Lucky Chappy/ State of Play – Lucky Chappy galloped 1 1/4m on the main track and State of Play galloped 1 3/4m on turf Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

Both colts are owned by Barry Irwin’s Team Valor International, whose colors were carried to victory by Animal Kingdom in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Trainer Graham Motion, who saddled Animal Kingdom for his 20-1 upset triumph, was flooded with memories when he returned to Churchill with his five Breeders’ Cup hopefuls.

“It was somewhat emotional the first day I came back here. It still is. It wasn’t that long ago. It’s an amazing memory. It’s different in that more people know me now. It’s funny, when you’re walking around most people know you won the Kentucky Derby in this area. It’s great to be back,” said Motion, who reported Animal Kingdom will begin galloping next week in Fair Hill, Md.


Majestic City – The 4-1 morning-line favorite for the Juvenile Turf got his first feel for the turf at Churchill Downs Wednesday morning at about 9:45 when he backtracked from the backside to the frontside, then galloped once around with enthusiasm under a strong hold by trainer/exercise rider Peter Miller.

“You can call me the Junior Larry Jones,” Miller joked, referencing the taller and larger trainer who gallops his own horses, including the Havre de Grace, one of the favorites for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Majestic City, a chestnut by City Zip who has been first or second in all five of his starts this year, will be making his grass debut in the 8f test. Miller worked him twice on the turf at Santa Anita in late October and the colt handled the assignments without any problems.

Garrett Gomez, a 12-time Breeders’ Cup winner, including last year’s Juvenile Turf on Pluck, has the call on Majestic City Saturday and they’ll start from post 8.

Wrote – Wrote was part of the final contingent of eight colts from the powerful stable of Aidan O’Brien that arrived at Churchill Downs Tuesday at 8:22 p.m. and are housed in the second quarantine barn.
 

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

Ann of the Dance – She may be called “Peanut” around the barn because she’s petite and very feminine, but Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf starter Ann of the Dance is all race horse when it counts.

“She’s so little, but she’s got a big, big heart. That’s why Marty bought her (for Farnsworth Stables after her last outing in the Alcibiades),” said Heather Irion, the assistant to trainer Marty Wolfson.

“If you look at her race replays, you’ll see that she got knocked into the rails and bumped into, and she’s only half the size of the others, but she kept fighting. When she ran against the boys (winning an optional claiming race at Arlington by 6 ½ lengths) they smashed into her but she pinned her ears back and went right on through. We’re very excited for this race.”

On Wednesday, Irion took Ann of the Dance to the track for a jog to the wire followed by a 1 1/2m gallop.

“She did great,” she said. “She’s really relaxed. Having all of these people around with all of the commotion doesn’t bother her one bit.”


Customer Base – The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid jogged 3f on the turf under Gabriel Sanchez on Wednesday morning with trainer Tom Proctor and Glen Hill Farm president Craig Bernick keeping a watchful eye.

“So far, she’s perfect,” Bernick said of the undefeated filly he purchased for $170,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Yearling sale.

 
Dayatthespa – Trainer Chad Brown sent his New York-bred City Zip filly out for a routine morning gallop of 1 3/8m.


Dear Lavinia – The daughter of Grand Slam, who will remain in America after the Juvenile Fillies Turf, had a strong canter on the dirt Wednesday. Second in a listed raced at Craon in France in September, that form got a real boost when the winner, French Fifteen, comfortably won the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last weekend.

Elusive Kate – The 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Juvenile Fillies Turf has been sold to Teruya Yoshida by her owners Magnolia Racing and Rachel Hood, the wife of trainer John Gosden.

A winner of four straight races in Europe, most recently the Criterium d Pouliches at Longchamp, Elusive Kate will run in the name of Yoshida and Magnolia Racing, owned by Robert and Janice McNair, in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Bloodstock agent Eugenio Columbo said that the Elusive Quality filly will remain in Gosden’s care at his yard in Newmarket and will race in Yoshida’s name in Europe in 2012


Somali Lemonade – The undefeated Lemon Drop Kid filly continues to thrive in Kentucky and galloped 1 1/2m Wednesday with assistant trainer Peter Brette aboard.    

Trainer Michael Matz explained that the filly got her name after her owner, Caroline Forgason, had several other name choices rejected by The Jockey Club and while on a trip to Dubai came up with the new name. On her visit, she kept seeing bags of lemons labeled Somali Lemons and decided to try the name Somali Lemonade, which was accepted.

The filly is the fifth generation of horses bred by Forgason’s family. Her mother is noted horsewoman Helen Groves and her sister Helen Alexander owns Middlebrook Farm in Lexington, Ky. Another sister, Dee Dee, is wife of trainer Michael Matz.
 

Stephanie's Kitten – A maiden winner over the Arlington turf in her second career start, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Juvenile Fillies Turf contender then traveled to Woodbine for her Graded stakes debut. Very wide throughout, she finished third behind a pair of fellow Breeders’ Cup starters in Northern Passion (Juvenile Fillies) and Dayatthespa (Juvenile Fillies Turf).

“With the right trip, the Natalma was probably a winning race, but that’s horse racing,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “You have to have everything lined up, and then you have to have a good trip. If the jock had saved a little ground we probably would have been standing in the winner’s circle. The race spaced out well leading up to the Alcibiades, which gave us an extra week going into the Breeders’ Cup.”

Despite finishing a disadvantaged third in the Natalma, a race that was run in a faster time than the Summer for the boys on the same day, the daughter of Kitten’s Joy was dismissed at odds of nearly 10-1 in the Alcibiades.

“Considering the strong headwind into the stretch, and how well speed was holding up that day, she ran a very good race to win the Alcibiades,” Catalano said. “That was powerful. Off that, we’re feeling pretty good about our chances. We got all the formula working for us, now we just need the stars to line up.”


Stopshoppingmaria/Sweet Cat – Both 2yo fillies galloped 1 ¼m and then stood in the gate in preparation for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“I think her (Stopshoppingmaria) work here was so good on Saturday (5f in 1:04 2/5 on the Matt Winn Turf Course) it got some people’s attention,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Being a daughter of More Than Ready it seemed like a natural for us to give her a try on the turf.”

Sweet Cat also has plenty of grass pedigree appeal from Kitten’s Joy. She has already been first and second in two turf tries. This will be the first start on grass for Stopshoppingmaria, who was second in the Frizette after a 9 ¾-length maiden victory on dirt.

 
Up – The daughter of Galileo cantered 1m on the main track early Wednesday morning with two of her stablemates, Homecoming Queen (Juvenile Fillies) and Misty For Me (Filly & Mare Turf).


JUVENILE SPRINT

Blacky the Bull – The maiden winner from the barn of Jeff Bonde came back to the track after a day off to jog 2m Wednesday.

The son of Flashy Bull is listed at 20-1 on the morning line for the inaugural running of the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint.


Secret Circle – The Juvenile Sprint favorite galloped 1m under exercise rider Peter Hutton and will do the same Thursday, according to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The 2yo son of Eddington is unbeaten in two starts, with his last victory coming by 5 ¼ lengths in the Jack Goodman Stakes on Oct. 10.


Seeker – Run for the first time on Saturday, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint offers a fresh opportunity for 2yo performers.

“I’m very happy the Breeders’ Cup added this race,” Seeker’s trainer Steve Asmussen said. “This colt comes from a very good family of Winchell-bred sprinters. He’s a very tough little horse. I think he’ll be capable of stretching out eventually, but with this race now available, it was easy to target with him.”
 

Shumoos – Fawzi Abdulla Nass’ Distorted Humor filly did some gate schooling during her time on the track at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The filly is the only female in the field for the Juvenile Sprint, and the most experienced with six starts. Both of her wins have come against males in Europe. The Juvenile Sprint will be her first start on dirt.


Sum of the Parts – Trainer Tom Amoss sent his 2yo Speightstown colt to gallop 1m and school in the paddock during training hours.

 “I make no bones about it, Secret Circle is the horse to beat,” Amoss said. “But if he doesn’t bring his ‘A’ game, that opens it up for a lot of other horses, and we’re one of them.”


Trinniberg – When trainer Bisnath Parboo saddles Juvenile Sprint starter Trinniberg on Friday for owner and son Shivananda Parbhoo, there will be little talk of strategy in the paddock with jockey Cornelio Velasquez.

“We won’t give Cornelio any instructions with this horse,” Shivananda Parbhoo said. “We won’t tell him what to do. He knows this horse well. He’s ridden him in races three times and has been on him in the morning before, so I have complete confidence in him.”

In each of his last two starts, the Nashua Stakes and the Hopeful Stakes, Trinniberg has set the pace, both times yielding the lead in the final yards to get beat less than a length. Since those efforts, a change in his morning work has opened up another tactical option for the son of Teuflesberg.

“He has speed. We know that. And I don’t think any of the horses in here can stay with us,” Parbhoo said. “But we’ve been working him with another horse of mine (Butler Cabin) and because of that, we’ve been able to teach him to rate.

“So if something happens in the race and he doesn’t make the lead, I know that he can rate too. And (jockey) Willie Martinez, who has been working the horse for me, has spoken with Cornelio, and he’s let him know that. “