Malibu Prayer

CLASSIC HOPES PADDY O’PRADO, FIRST DUDE WORK OVER HOME  TRACK FOR ROMANS – Louisville-born trainer Dale Romans’ pair of 3-year-old contenders for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade I) – Paddy O’Prado and First Dude – topped the roster of works by Breeders’ Cup hopefuls Saturday over their home track at Churchill Downs.

Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and winner of the Secretariat (GI) on turf at Arlington Park, breezed five furlongs over a “fast” track in 1:01.  Exercise rider Tammy Fox was up for the move, which came just after the mid-morning break for track maintenance.  The 3-year-old son of El Prado covered the distance in fractional times of :12.40, :24.40 and :36.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.40.

Donald Dizney’s homebred First Dude, runner-up in the Preakness (GI) and the Pennsylvania Derby (GII), breezed six furlongs under Fox a short time later and covered the distance in 1:15.  The 3-year-old Stephen Got Even colt was timed in fractions of :12.60, :24.60, :36.60, :49.20 and 1:01.80 and galloped out seven furlongs 1:29.60.

First Dude’s move was the slowest of five works at six furlongs.

“They’re both fit,” Romans said.  “We were looking for maintenance and we’ll come back and work them again next Saturday.”

Paddy O’Prado’s work, which ranked as the seventh fastest of 34 at the distance, was the first since his owners and Romans decided that the Classic would be the colt’s Breeders’ Cup target.  The Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI) was also an option, as was the Japan Cup in Tokyo on Nov. 27.

"It was a tough decision,” said Romans of the Classic choice for Paddy O’Prado.  “There really wasn’t a wrong choice.  You’re running for big money in all three races, but the bottom line is that if he runs well in the Classic it does so much more for him as a stallion prospect.  That’s what kind of sealed the deal.”

And, Romans added, a victory over the star-studded Classic field headed by unbeaten Zenyatta, Blame and Quality Road could give Paddy O’Prado a shot at 3-year-old championship honors.  Preakness (GI) winner Lookin At Lucky, a Classic rival, is the current front-runner for that Eclipse Award honor.

“The one thing he needs to do is to show up in another dirt race and show everybody he’s dirt or turf,” he said.  “Even if wins the Turf and ‘Lucky’ runs well on the dirt, it’s still an uphill battle to be 3-year-old of the year.  If he runs big here, he’s got a legitimate shot.”

Romans noted that First Dude, a winner of just one of 11 races but second or third in nine of those races with earnings of $860,160, might be the most accomplished horse ever to still be eliglble for a “non-winners of two” race.

“He shows up every single time and we expect him to show up in this race, too,” Romans said.  “He’s showed he can run with anybody.  We’re right here in our back door, he runs well over this racetrack and trains here everyday.  He’s gonna run well.”

HURRICANE IKE SHARP IN WORK FOR BC DIRT MILE – With jockey Calvin Borel up, Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Hurricane Ike tuned up for his engagement by working six furlongs in 1:12.40 in company with Third Dawn after the renovation break Saturday morning.

Fractions for the move, which was the fastest of five at the distance, were :12.20, :24, :35.80, :47.80 and :59.80 with a seven-furlong gallop-out time of 1:27.80.

"He worked super this morning,” trainer John Sadler said of Hurricane Ike, who also worked a bullet five-eighths in :59 here on Oct. 17. “He might be a horse for course. He worked OK on it here in the spring, but he also won on it (in the Grade III Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial).”

Hurricane Ike and Third Dawn started off together with Hurricane Ike on the inside. At the head of the stretch, Hurricane Ike began to steadily pull away, finishing eight lengths in front of his workmate at the wire.

Prior to the Hurricane Ike work, Borel was aboard Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) hopeful Tell a Kelly for the Thrashes and Sadler through a five-furlong work in 1:00.80, fifth fastest of 34 at the distance.

Fractions on the work were :12.60, :24.40, :36, :48 and out six furlongs in 1:15.40.

“They both went well,” Borel said. “That Hurricane Ike, he really likes this track.”

Sadler’s Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) candidate Switch, owned by C R K Stable, is scheduled to work on Sunday after the break.

Sadler will head back to California on Sunday night to supervise a Monday work for TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) hopeful Sidney’s Candy.

“Sidney’s Candy will fly here on the next Tex Sutton flight,” Sadler said. “And, we have to make up our minds on (Gary and Cecil Barber’s) Cost of Freedom (for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint). We will bring in a couple more horses for the (Breeders’ Cup) undercard races.”

STEWART HOPING FOR SOME REPEAT MAGIC IN LADIES’ CLASSIC – Dallas Stewart has flown below the radar before at Breeders’ Cup time. In 2001, he saddled Unbridled Elaine to a 12-1 upset victory in the Grade I Distaff (now Ladies’ Classic) at Belmont Park.

This year, for the now-named Ladies’ Classic, Stewart has Ladies’ Classic hopes for another 3-year-old filly in Seeking the Title for owner Charles Fipke.

“She’s a quality filly,” Stewart said. “I thought she worked awesome this morning and she will work again next Saturday.”

With Calvin Borel up and working on her own before the renovation break, Seeking the Title covered five furlongs in 1:01.60, eighth fastest of 34 at the distance. Fractions for the work were :13.20, :25.60, :37.60, :49.60 and out six furlongs in 1:16.40.

Seeking the Title finished fourth in her most recent start in the Indiana Oaks (GII) at Hoosier Park on Oct. 2.

“Her last race was on mud and on a speed-biased track,” Stewart said. “She ran well in the race before at Monmouth (GIII Monmouth Oaks) when she came from far back. She finishes with energy every race except for the mud. She is doing very well and I see no reason not to take a shot.”

MALIBU PRAYER HEADS STELLAR LIST OF 31 CHILUKKI NOMINEES – Edward Evans’ Malibu Prayer, winner of the Ruffian Invitational Handicap (GI) this summer at Saratoga and 2009 winner of the Chilukki (GII) is the marquee name among 31 nominations for the 25th running of the $150,000-added race for fillies and mares ages 3 and up scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 6.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Malibu Prayer is being pointed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (GI) scheduled the previous day.

Ten other graded stakes winners are among the nominees for the one-turn mile race for fillies and mares, including Starlight Partners’ Ailalea, winner of the Dogwood (GIII) here in May, who also is trained by Pletcher.

The 33rd running of the $100,000-added River City Handicap (GIII) will kick off the Breeders’ Cup World Championship weekend on Thursday, Nov. 4. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up over the Matt Winn Turf Course attracted 20 nominations including the past two winners of the race: Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation (2008) and Robert Courtney’s Rahystrada (2009).

The 18th running of the $100,000 Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) for horses 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the main track serves as the lead-in to six Breeders’ Cup races on Friday, Nov. 5. Among the 31 nominees is Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

Augustin Stable’s Forever Together, winner of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) and a candidate for this year’s renewal, is the marquee name among 29 fillies and mares nominated to the 37th running of the $100,000-added Cardinal Handicap (GIII) to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course on Sunday, Nov. 7.

BARN TALK – There were other Breeders’ Cup works of note Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Working before 6:30 on his own was Turf Sprint candidate Chamberlain Bridge, who covered a half-mile in :49.40 under Jamie Theriot for trainer Bret Calhoun. Fractions for the move, 18th best of 47 at the distance, were :12.60, :25.40, :37.40 and out five furlongs in 1:03.60.

Also working before the break was Filly & Mare Sprint candidate My Jen for trainer Eddie Kenneally. Working in company with Missyoulikecrazy, My Jen covered a half-mile in :47.40, second best of the morning at the distance.
Other half-mile works for Breeders’ Cup candidates were Rinterval (Filly & Mare Sprint) in :49.40 (:12.40, :24.80, :36.80 and out in 1:03.60) and More Than Real (Juvenile Fillies Turf) in :49.80 (:12.80, :25 and out in 1:03) with jockey Garrett Gomez up.

After the break, trainer Eric Guillot sent two-time Grade I winner Champagne d’Oro out for a five-furlong work with Miguel Mena up. Working solo, Champagne d’Oro stepped the distance in :59.60, second fastest of 34 at the distance. Fractions for the work were :11.40, :22.80, :34.60, :46.80 and out six furlongs in 1:14.20. “I got her in a minute and a fifth,” said Guillot, who plans to work the filly a half-mile next Saturday. “She’ll be 10-1 [in the Breeders’ Cup] and run like 3-5.”

At Keeneland on Saturday morning, Breeders’ Cup Mile candidate Proviso worked five furlongs on the turf in 1:02.20 for trainer Bill Mott. Working on the main track was Hot Cha Cha (Filly & Mare Turf) covering five furlongs in 1:00 for trainer Phil Sims and Silver Timber (Turf Sprint) working a half-mile in :49.20 for trainer Chad Brown. Two Ken McPeek 2-year-olds, Harlan’s Ruby (Juvenile Fillies) and Rogue Romance (Juvenile or Juvenile Turf), worked in company on the main track, covering five furlongs in :58.40. Splits for the work were :12.60, :23.60, :35.20, :47 and out six furlongs in 1:10.80 and seven-eighths in 1:24.20. ...

Other works of note for Breeders’ Cup hopefuls outside of Kentucky included Sara Louise (Filly & Mare Sprint) going a half-mile in :49.01 at Belmont Park, Big Drama (Sprint) covering six furlongs in 1:14.20 at Calder and Musket Man (Classic) going six furlongs in 1:17 at Monmouth Park.  …

Breeders’ Cup candidates expected to work Sunday morning in addition to Switch are Acoma (Ladies’ Classic), Espoir City (JPN) (Classic) and Pluck (Juvenile Turf). Espoir City, who will have jockey Tetsuzo Sato up, is scheduled to work after the renovation break. Blame, one of the leading contenders for the Classic, is scheduled to work Sunday morning around 7:30 at Keeneland for trainer Al Stall Jr. … 

Trainer Michelle Nihei said that Casa Farms I’s Prince Will I Am, winner of the Jamaica Handicap (GI) in his most recent start, would be pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GIII) instead of the Emirates Airlines Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI). Prince Will I Am, who worked five furlongs in 1:02.20 on Friday, is scheduled to work next Saturday. Nihei also said that Silent Joy, fifth in the Miss Grillo (GIII) at Belmont Park in her most recent start, would be pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII). Silent Joy is owned by Danny Gargan, Adam Wachtel and Nils Brous. …

Frank Bernis, agent for jockey Jamie Theriot who has been the regular rider of Dubai Majesty and Secret Gypsy, said that Theriot would ride Dubai Majesty in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI). Robby Albarado will have the mount on Secret Gypsy, according to his agent, Lenny Pike. …
Trainer Tom Amoss said that Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Falling Knife would not be pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.
                                    
WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – Dryfly, an early contender for the 2010 Kentucky Derby before injury knocked him off the Derby trail, breezed six furlongs in 1:13.80 for trainer Lynn Whiting.  Borel was up for the move … C.S. Silk breezed five furlongs in :59.40, the fastest move of 34 at the distance.
   

MALIBU PRAYER HELPS SALVAGE THE DAY FOR EVANS – Saturday was not a total loss for Edward Evans, who saw his Quality Road scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade I) when he refused to load in the starting gate.

Nearly two hours earlier, his Malibu Prayer posted her first graded-stakes victory by taking the Chilukki (GII) at Churchill Downs by a length over Copper State.

“She is doing well this morning,” said Michael Dilger, the Churchill Downs assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. “She had been training well at Belmont and we thought she would run well.”

Dilger was not sure if Malibu Prayer would come back in three weeks to run in the $150,000-added Falls City Handicap (GII) on Nov. 26.

“I don’t know if Todd would want to run her back that quick,” Dilger said. “We have Unbridled Belle pointed to the Falls City and that will be the last race for her.”

The Chilukki victory improved Malibu Prayer’s record to 9-4-3-2 with the three runner-up finishes coming in graded stakes.

“We had her at Delaware Park this summer and she only needed to improve a little bit to be a good filly,” Dilger said. “She has always been well thought of and she has progressed well through the year.”

One Caroline, the Chilukki favorite who finished third in her first start in more than six months, was headed back to her home base at Keeneland on Sunday.

"She ran hard yesterday,” said Jack Bohannan, assistant to trainer Rusty Arnold. “It is tough to sustain those fractions (:22.47 and :44.87) after being off so long. We were disappointed she didn’t win.”

A return in the Falls City is possible for One Caroline.

“If Rusty feels she is all right, I am sure he will entertain that thought,” Bohannan said. “Rusty and (owner) Mr. (G. Watts) Humphrey (Jr.) will talk it over.”
    
SHE’S OUR ANNIE COMES BACK STRONG IN DREAM SUPREME – Trainer Jinks Fires was all smiles Sunday morning after the performance of Destiny Oaks’ She’s Our Annie in Saturday’s $60,000 Dream Supreme overnight stakes.

Idle since being taken out of training in the spring, She’s Our Annie came off the 7 ½-month layoff by going wire-to-wire under Jon Court to win by 2 ½ lengths. The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro covered the six furlongs in 1:10.31.

“She had been training that way, so we thought she would run that way,” Fires said. “She’s doing well this morning. We are going to take it one step at a time and see what’s out there, but we are not going to push her.”

Now a winner of four of five starts, She’s Our Annie developed the start of a slab fracture this spring at Oaklawn Park and Fires gave her 90 days off before starting her back. Prior to the Dream Supreme, She’s Our Annie had recorded two bullet six-furlong works here.

WIGGINS’ HORSE OF THE YEAR VOTE … JUST SAY HE’S PARTIAL – “I bet I know what you are going to ask me,” trainer Hal Wiggins said with a big grin. “Who do I think should be Horse of the Year?”

Well, now that you mention it after Zenyatta’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI), who should be Horse of the Year, Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra?

“I think it will be a photo finish,” Wiggins said. “You can’t gripe if it goes either way. But then, you know I may be a little prejudiced.”

Wiggins trained the 3-year-old Rachel Alexandra to the first four of her eight victories in a perfect 2009 campaign. Zenyatta finished a 5-for-5 year with the Classic victory that ran the 5-year-old mare’s career record to a perfect 14-for-14.

"“The only knock I have on Zenyatta is that all of her wins were on synthetic tracks,” Wiggins said. “Rachel Alexandra won on seven tracks, three times in the mud and was a 3-year-old filly beating older horses in a Grade I race. That just doesn’t happen.

“But then for Zenyatta to do what she did (yesterday in the Classic), that doesn’t happen often either.”

CARDINAL HANDICAP ATTRACTS 27 NOMINATIONS – Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Acoma, a two-time graded-stakes winner over the Matt Winn Turf Course, tops a list of 27 fillies and mares nominated to the 36th running of the $100,000-added Cardinal Handicap (GIII) to be run 1 1/8 miles on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Trained by David Carroll, Acoma won the Mrs. Revere (GII) here last fall and came back in June to win the Mint Julep Handicap (GIII) over Pure Clan, runner-up in Friday’s Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) at Santa Anita.

Two Cardinal nominees posted Grade III turf wins in their most recent starts.

Ronchalon Stable’s Belle Allure (Ire) took the Athenia at Belmont Park on Oct. 21 and Dell Ridge Farm’s Bluegrass Princess won a division of the Valley View on Oct. 23 at Keeneland.

Weights for the Cardinal will be announced on Saturday and entries will be taken on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

 Indescribable won last year’s Cardinal.

BARN TALK – Trainer Dale Romans said that his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Tapitsfly would be back in his barn at Churchill Downs on Sunday afternoon. Romans said that Tapitsfly, owned and bred by Frank Jones Jr., was “probably done for the year.” … Julien Leparoux, who rode three winners in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, was the winner of the seventh annual Bill Shoemaker Award given to the top jockey at the event. Leparoux’s winners were Informed Decision (Filly & Mare Sprint) and She Be Wild (Juvenile Fillies) on Friday and Furthest Land (Dirt Mile) on Saturday.

Edward Evans’ Malibu Prayer collared favored One Caroline on the far turn and then held off a late charge by Copper State by a length to win the 24th running of the $167,550 Chilukki (Grade II) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Chris DeCarlo, Malibu Prayer gave trainer Todd Pletcher his second consecutive victory in the Chilukki having scored in 2008 with Leah’s Secret. Malibu Prayer covered the mile on a “fast” main track in 1:36.24.

One Caroline, who was coming off a six-month layoff because of an injury, shot to the lead under Leandro Goncalves and took the field through fractions of :22.47 and :44.87 while maintaining a clear advantage.

DeCarlo moved Malibu Prayer after One Caroline leaving the backstretch and took command entering the stretch only to have One Caroline battle back. Malibu Prayer finally began to draw clear in the final sixteenth of a mile as Copper State closed fast to swipe second place by a neck over One Caroline.

The victory was worth $99,626 and increased Malibu Prayer’s earnings to $348,526 with her fourth victory in nine starts.

Malibu Prayer, a 3-year-old Virginia-bred daughter of Malibu Moon who carried 115 pounds, nine fewer than top weight Swift Temper who finished sixth, returned $12.20, $6.20 and $3.80. Copper State, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, paid $15 and $6.60 with One Caroline paying $2.60 to show.

Payton d’Oro, who finished fifth in the field of nine, represented the final starter for trainer Larry Jones, who is turning the training of his 23-horse stable over to his wife Cindy.

Jones, a 53-year-old native of Hopkinsville, Ky., who began training in 1982, is best known as the conditioner of 2008 Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles. Jones, who saddled Proud Spell to win the 2008 Kentucky Oaks, also had the 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up in Hard Spun.

"At least I ended the career better than I started,” Jones said. “The pressure’s off. I bet my blood pressure’s already come down now. But, no, it’s good. Trust me, it’s got some sentimental feelings about it, but I’m OK. It’s all good. . . . I don’t know what the future really holds, but it’ll all be good.  You know, we’re ready for the next journey, whatever it may be.”

Cindy Jones will oversee the barn operations through the end of the Churchill Downs meet on Nov. 28 and then the couple will head home to Henderson, Ky., for the holidays before rejoining the barn for the 2010 meet at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

In the race before the Chilukki, Destiny Oaks’ She’s Our Annie made a successful return to the races after a 7 ½-month layoff to post a 2 ½-length victory over Adhrhythm in the $61,300 Dream Supreme, a six-furlong overnight stake for fillies and mares.

Ridden by Jon Court for trainer Jinks Fires, She’s Our Annie returned mutuels of $5.20, $4.20 and $3.20 as the favorite in the field of nine. Adhrhythm, ridden by Chris Emigh, returned $17.60 and $10.20 with Step Out Smartly paying $5.20 to show under Francisco Torres.

Racing continues Sunday with a 10-race card beginning at 12:40 p.m.