Breeders' Cup Marathon

WARRIOR’S REWARD WORKS HALF-MILE IN :48.80 – A. Stevens Miles Jr.’s Warrior’s Reward, winner of the Carter Handicap (GI) and runner-up in the Churchill Downs (GII), worked a half-mile before the renovation break in :48.80 over a fast track Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) to be run Nov. 6.

Working solo and with exercise rider Tracey Wilkes up, Warrior’s Reward posted fractions of :25.60 and :37 with a five-furlong gallop-out time of 1:01.80 and 1:16.20 for six furlongs.

“I got the last eighth in 11 and 3. This was fine,” trainer Ian Wilkes said of Warrior’s Reward, who will be ridden in the Breeders’ Cup by Julien Leparoux.

Warrior’s Reward, who has posted a 4-1-3-0 mark at Churchill Downs, enters the Breeders’ Cup off a third-place finish over Polytrack at Keeneland in the Oct. 8 Phoenix (GIII). Prior to the Phoenix, Warrior’s Reward returned from a three-month layoff in the Forego (GI) at Saratoga.

“I messed up (running him in the May 31 Metropolitan Handicap) and made a bad decision to run there,” Wilkes said. “We gave him a break and freshened him with this (the Breeders’ Cup) in mind.”

Wilkes had a choice between the Sprint and the Dirt Mile (GI) for the 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro.
“I just think the Sprint is a better race for him,” Wilkes said. “It is just my gut feeling.”

LUKAS HOPING MINE THAT BIRD GETS BREEDERS’ CUP CHANCE – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has won more Breeders’ Cup races (18) than any other conditioner and his six World Championships victories at Churchill Downs are the most at one venue, a mark he shares with Richard Mandella’s six triumphs at Santa Anita.

The Hall of Fame trainer hopes he gets a chance to add to those numbers with Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).
“I don’t think he will get in,” Lukas said of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI), “but he has done very well since he got back here from Saratoga.”

Lukas said Mike Smith would have the mount on Mine That Bird.

Mine That Bird has been with Lukas for five months and had three starts in 2010, a comeback race on the turf in the Firecracker Handicap (GII) here in July and two off-the-board finishes at Saratoga in the Whitney (GI) and Woodward (GI), both at 1 1/8 miles.

Since returning to Churchill Downs, where he is 1-for-1 on the main track, he has had five works, two of them bullets. Lukas said if Mine That Bird does not get in the Dirt Mile the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track on Nov. 5 is a possibility.

“It is up to them,” Lukas said of owners Mark Allen of Double Eagle Ranch and Dr. Leonard Blach of Buena Suerte Equine.

Lukas has two other possible Breeders’ Cup horses but acknowledges they are on the bubble to get in: Westrock Stables’ Tidal Pool for the Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) and Westrock Stables and Barry Butzow’s Hamazing Destiny for the Sentient Jet Sprint (GI). Smith would have the mount on Tidal Pool and Terry Thompson would ride Hamazing Destiny.

ATONED GETS MARATHON TEST DRIVE FROM ALBARADO – Dogwood Stable’s Atoned worked a mile in 1:44 before the renovation break Wednesday morning under jockey Robby Albarado in preparation for a bid for the 1 ¾-mile Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GIII).

Fractions for the work were :13, :26, :39, 1:18 and 1:30.80 with a gallop-out time for 1:58.40 for 1 1/8 miles and 2:13.60 for the mile and a quarter.

“I wanted to put a jock on him this morning because we were doing something a bit more significant,” trainer Neil Howard said. “I was extremely happy with the work.”

Howard has had Atoned for only his past three races, the most recent being a third-place finish in the Turfway Park Fall Championship (GIII) on Sept. 11.

“He is doing good,” Howard said. “He is one of those horses that can get the distance and horses like that are in the minority, so we figured we’d take a shot.”

Atoned is one of five confirmed Breeders’ Cup mounts for Albarado, according to his agent, Lenny Pike. Other Albarado mounts are First Dude (Classic), Acoma (Ladies’ Classic), Central City (Turf Sprint) and Court Vision (TVG Mile).

BARN TALK – Trainer Dale Romans said a decision on where four-time graded stakes winner Paddy O’Prado would run next would be announced Friday. “All of us are having a conference call tomorrow and we hope to come to a decision as to where we will run next by sometime on Thursday,” Romans said of the colt who is owned by Donegal Racing, which is headed by Jerry Crawford. “We will let everyone know Friday morning where we are running.” Under consideration for Paddy O’Prado are the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI), the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) to be run Nov. 6 and the Nov. 28 Japan Cup (GI). …

Ron Anderson, agent for nine-time Breeders’ Cup-winning rider Garrett Gomez, has four definite rides lined up for this year’s World Championships, headlined by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Blame in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Other confirmed Gomez mounts include Alcomo (BRZ) in the Marathon (GIII), More Than Real in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII) and Jessica Is Back for the Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint (GI). …

Trainers Clark Hanna (A.U. Miner) and Tom Amoss (Falling Knife) reported that their runners came out of Tuesday works at Churchill Downs in good order in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. …

Defending Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner California Flag, owned by Hi Card Ranch, is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Thursday. Trained by Brian Koriner, California Flag has been at Keeneland since running 11th in the Woodford (GIII) on Oct. 9. Another Koriner trainee, Legacy Ranch and Shirley MacPherson’s Sweet August Moon, also is coming from Keeneland after a fifth-place finish in the Thoroughbred Club of America (GII) on Oct. 9. Sweet August Moon is being pointed to the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) on Nov. 5. The Koriner duo will be stabled in Barn 17. …

Scheduled for a Friday arrival from California is Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz’s Smiling Tiger for the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI). Trained by Jeff Bonde, the 3-year-old Smiling Tiger won the Bing Crosby (GI) at Del Mar in August and in his most recent start won the Grade I Ancient Title on Oct. 9 at Hollywood Park.

Tracy Farmer's Commentator, Elisabeth Alexander's Magna Graduate and Midnight Cry Stable's Einstein (BRZ), who have combined to earn $5,769,604 in their stellar careers, headline a field of eight for Friday's 134^th running of the $400,000-added Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) at Churchill Downs.

            The Clark Handicap, named for the family of Churchill Downs founder Meriwether Lewis Clark, was first run at the track's inaugural meet in 1875 and, like the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and the Kentucky Oaks (GI), has been run annually without interruption since.  The 1 1/8-mile race over the main track will be the 11^th race on the 12-race card with an approximate post time of 4:29 p.m. (all times Eastern). Post time for the first race is 11:30 a.m. and admission gates open at 10 a.m.

            The 7-year-old Commentator has won 13 of 20 careers starts for earnings of $1,841,936 while racing for five years under the care of trainer Nick Zito. Ridden by John Velazquez in all five of his starts this year, Commentator has won four times, highlighted by a second victory in the Grade I Whitney at Saratoga, and enters the Clark off a 14-length victory in the Massachusetts Handicap on Sept. 20 at Suffolk Downs.

            The New York-bred gelding by Distorted Humor is enjoying the finest year of his career with four victories in five races and earnings of $1,025,700.  His only loss came in a runner-up finish to Divine Park in the Metropolitan Handicap (GI) at Belmont Park.  Commentator will carry top weight of 124 pounds and break from post position four under Velazquez.  He easily won his only previous start at Churchill Downs in 2004.

            Now trained by Steve Asmussen, the 6-year-old Magna Graduate has won 10 of 34 career starts with six seconds and six thirds for earnings of $2,561,237. Two of those victories have come at Churchill Downs, one in the 2005 Clark Handicap for former trainer Todd Pletcher and the other in this year's Grade III Ack Ack Handicap on Oct. 26.  Shaun Bridgmohan, who rode Magna Graduate in the Ack Ack, will be aboard Friday.  Magna Graduate will break from post position two and carry 120 pounds.

            The 6-year-old Einstein, trained by Helen Pitts, is a two-time Grade I winner on the grass this year and has built a career resume of eight wins in 21 starts for earnings of $1,366,431. Idle since finishing a troubled fifth in the Grade I Arlington Million on Aug. 9, Einstein last started on the dirt in the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) at Churchill Downs on June 14 when he ran second to 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin.

            Julien Leparoux, who rode Einstein in the Stephen Foster, will ride Friday and break from post position three. Einstein will carry 119 pounds.

            Bidding for a return to form in the Clark will be Silverton Hill LLC's Dominican, winner of the 2007 Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland.  The Darrin Miller-trained son of El Corredor defeated Street Sense by a nose over the Polytrack course that day, but finished 11^th to that rival on the dirt in the Kentucky Derby.  Dominican snapped a six-race losing streak in an allowance win over the synthetic Tapeta surface in July at Pennsylvania's Presque Isle Downs, and has since finished third to Delightful Kiss in the Turfway Fall Championship (GIII) and was runner-up to longshot Ball Four in the Fayette (GIII) at Keeneland.  Robby Albarado will ride.

            Three other graded-stakes winners on dirt in 2008 are in the Clark field: Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Anak Nakal, winner of the Grade II Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 1 at Philadelphia Park, World Thoroughbreds Racing's Wayzata Bay, winner of the Grade II Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows on June 28, and Hobeau Farm's Delightful Kiss, winner of the Turfway Park Fall Championship on Sept. 6 and the All American Stakes at Golden Gate on Sept. 27.  Delightful Kiss most recently finished fifth to Albertus Maximus in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon over the Pro-Ride course at Santa Anita.

            The field for the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare, from the rail out, is as follows: Delightful Kiss (Calvin Borel, 116 pounds), Magna Graduate (John Velazquez, 120), Einstein (Julian Leparoux, 119), Commentator (John Velazquez, 124), Anak Nakal (Jesus Castanon, 118), Timber Reserve (Kent Desormeaux, 116), Wayzata Bay (Israel Ocampo, 117) and Dominican (Robby Albarado, 115).

            Appearing on the Clark Handicap undercard on Friday will be Robert LaPenta's Da' Tara, the upset winner of the Belmont Stakes (GI) who derailed Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown's bid for a Triple Crown.  The Nick Zito-trained son of Tiznow has lost three consecutive races since then, with the most recent setback coming in a sixth-place finish to Tale of Ekati in the Jerome Handicap (GII) at Belmont Park. 

Da' Tara will face seven rivals in the 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming race for 3-year-olds and up.  He will be the first Belmont Stakes winner to run at Churchill Downs since 1999 winner Lemon Drop Kid finished fifth to Tiznow in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic (GI).  Victory Gallop, the 1999 Belmont Stakes winner, won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs the following year.