Penultimate works on Friday for eleven local Breeders’ Cup contenders

LOUISVILLE, Ky.– On a busy Friday morning beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs, several Breeders’ Cup contenders logged their penultimate published workouts prior to the season-ending championships on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland.

Breeders’ Cup contenders that worked Friday morning at Churchill Downs included the following horses:

The action began early Friday at 5:25 a.m. (all times Eastern) as 2019 Preakness Stakes (GI) winner War of Will worked with jockey Declan Carroll in the saddle. The duo clipped through fractions of :11.60, :23.40, :34.80 and :46.80. They continued galloping out strongly around the clubhouse turn and completed six furlongs in 1:12.20, seven furlongs in 1:24.80 and were up one-mile in 1:38.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“I was just the passenger along for the ride,” said Carroll, whose father, David, is Casse’s assistant trainer. “I’ve always loved how this horse trains over the dirt. He’s very versatile and can run on dirt or turf but he’s always trained great over the dirt.”

War of Will previously finished third in the $1 million Woodbine Mile (GI) over the turf. This will be War of Will’s first dirt try since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) where he finished a disappointing ninth.

In the next set, the Carroll family continued their eventful morning as the matriarch of the family, Kim, worked recent $150,000 Franklin County (GIII) winner Got Stormy through splits of :11.80, :23.20 and :34.80. Got Stormy is possible to take on males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (GI). She finished second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI).

It was a typical busy morning for Cox barn as he breezed his first of four Breeders’ Cup contenders at 5:30 a.m. – Godolphin’s $400,000 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) winner Essential Quality. The colt, with Florent Geroux up, started his work one length behind multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Misunderstood through splits of :13.20, :36.80, :48.80 and 1:00.60. Essential Quality finished even with Mr. Misunderstood at the wire and the duo galloped out together in 1:26.40.

“He seems like he’s really matured over the summer into where he is now,” Geroux said. “He’s one of those horses where he keeps getting better as he gets more experience.”

Geroux had the next couple of sets off from working horses for Cox but returned to the track at 7:30 a.m. to breeze Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group’s undefeated $150,000 Jessimine (GII) winner Aunt Pearl. The two-time winner worked outside of Kueber Racing’s $398,000 Untapable Stakes winner Emro, who had jockey Shaun Bridgmohan in the saddle. The duo worked in tandem and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.80.

Emro, who is named after owner Rick Kueber’s daughter Emerson, broke her maiden in front-running fashion at Ellis Park prior to closing form more than seven lengths off the pace in the 6 ½-furlong Untapable.

“She’s pretty versatile she can run out front or can come from off the pace,” Kueber said. “There’s a lot of speed in the race. She’s certainly has the pedigree to run long.”

Cox will be a special guest Friday on “Inside Churchill Downs” to talk about his nine Breeders’ Cup entrants and other stable stars. The one-hour program will air at 6 p.m. on ESPN 680/105.7 in Louisville or online at www.espnlouisville.com.

Also donning the Friday work tab was Calhoun’s duo of Allied Racing Stable and Spendthrift Farm’s multiple Grade III winner and recent $100,000 Ack Ack (GIII) hero Mr. Money and Tom Durant’s gutsy three-time graded stakes champion Silver Dust.

Mr. Money was the first of Calhoun’s workers Friday and recorded the fastest five-furlong move of the day out of 44 horses. With Gabriel Saez in the irons, the fleet-footed Mr. Money cruised through early fractions of :11.60, :23.40, :34.80 and :46.80. He continued to gallop out swiftly around the turn through six furlongs in 1:11.60, seven-eighths in 1:25.40 and finished one-mile in 1:40.20.

“It was kind of an almost must-win situation in the Ack Ack to get him back on track,” Calhoun said. “Mentally I think it was good for him and I can tell a difference with his training. He seems happier after the race. He hasn’t had a lot go right for him this year in his races so coming into the race off a win is crucial.”

Silver Dust, a six-time winner for Calhoun, breezed with jockey Adam Beschizza in the irons through fractions of :11.60, :23.40, and :35.60.

“He’s sort of been a challenging horse his entire career,” Calhoun said of the 6-year-old son of Tapit. “He’s continued to get better mentally and he’s been more consistent with age. I know it’s in him to come out of his shell.”

Following the 7:30 a.m. track renovation break, recent $500,000 Derby City Distaff (GI) winner Bell’s the One continued her march to the Filly & Mare Sprint with jockey Corey Lanerie. Per usual, Bell’s the One began her work three lengths behind stablemate Grove Daddy and worked in :25.40 and :37.20. Bell’s the One finished two lengths in front of Grove Daddy at the wire and galloped out around the clubhouse turn in 1:13.20.

“She likes to have a target in front of her, so we typically work her this way,” Pessin said. “Her race against Serengeti Empress (in the Derby City Distaff) was so thrilling. She dug in really hard that day to get up just in time.”

The final two Breeders’ Cup works of the morning came at 9 a.m. from Albaugh Family Stable’s duo of Sittin On Go and Girl Daddy. Sittin On Go, the 24-1 upset winner of the $200,000 Iroquois (GIII), worked with exercise rider Faustino Herrarte aboard through swift early eighth-mile fractions of :11.40, :22.40, :34.80 and :47.

Moments later, $200,000 Pocahontas (GIII) winner Girl Daddy breezed with jockey Joe Talamo up through splits of :11.80, :23.80 and :48.40. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.60.

Saturday’s work tab at Churchill Downs is expected to include at least 13 Breeders’ Cup contenders. Below are the scheduled workers:

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Photo: Essential Quality. Credit/Churchill Downs/Coady