Calumet Farm's Grade 1 Hopefuls Work at Keeneland

Starting with Vexatious at 5:30 a.m. on the dirt and concluding with Bandua at 10 a.m. on the turf, trainer Jack Sisterson had his Calumet Farm roster of Fall Stars Weekend hopefuls, who are being pointed to Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races, go through their final major preparations Sept. 29 at Keeneland.

Vexatious came to Sisterson's barn in May after beginning her career with Neil Drysdale and posting a victory via disqualification in last fall's Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T) on the grass. She will try to add a dirt score to her résumé Oct. 6 in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1), a "Win and You're In" event for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita Park Nov. 2.

"I think she is better on the dirt," Sisterson said after Vexatious worked a half-mile in :48 with Adam Beschizza aboard. "You look back to when she was 3 in 2017 and she ran against the boys, finishing third behind Battle of Midway (in an allowance race at Santa Anita Park) and was fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

"I asked the farm if it would be OK to pencil in the Spinster and work back from there."

Vexatious returned to the dirt for the first time in 13 months when she finished second to Spinster rival Blue Prize in the Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Since that race, Vexatious has worked four times at Keeneland.

"She should have no excuse after that," Sisterson said of the work that opened with a :24 quarter and a five-eighths gallop out in 1:00 2/5. "I got her the last eighth in :11 and one, and she had a good gallop out."

Bandua will be cutting back in distance for the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1T) following a third-place finish in the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million XXXVII (G1T) and a victory in the 1 3/16-mile Arlington Handicap (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse.

The Shadwell Turf Mile earns the winner a fees-paid berth into the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

"He's a horse that's full of energy, and we had confidence in him to run him a mile on the dirt," Sisterson said, referencing the May 4 Westchester Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park, where Bandua was seventh in the slop. "I wish I had a whole barn like him. He tries every time."

Bandua finished his Shadwell Turf Mile preparation Sunday morning by working a half-mile on the firm Keeneland turf course in :49 with Beschizza up. He covered the final quarter-mile in :23 2/5.

Also working for Sisterson were Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) hopeful Lexitonian and Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) candidate Flap Jack.

With Beschizza aboard and working in company with Speed Effect, Lexitonian covered a half-mile in :47 1/5 and galloped out five-eighths in :59 4/5. Lexitonian returns to the dirt after finishing seventh in the Sept. 12 Nevada State Bank Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs.

"We are going to keep him on the dirt," Sisterson said of Lexitonian, who won the Chick Lang Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course and Concern Stakes at Laurel Park this year on dirt.Fl

Flap Jack, who scored his first win in the Arlington-Washington Futurity, worked a half-mile in company with Truculent in :47 1/5 with Sophie Doyle aboard. Flap Jack galloped out five-eighths in 1:00.

Flap Jack was fifth in his lone dirt start, but Sisterson was not discouraged by that.

"He missed the break that day, rushed up six wide, and then got tired," Sisterson said. "He worked well out of the gate, and after that I said, 'I think we may have something here.'"

The Phoenix and Breeders' Futurity award the winners a berth into the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), respectively. 

Also on the work tab Sunday morning was defending Shadwell Turf Mile winner Next Shares, who worked five furlongs in company with First Lady Stakes (G1) candidate Storm the Hill in 1:02 1/5. Trainer Wesley Ward worked six horses, including Bound for Nowhere (Woodford Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select, G2T), who worked five furlongs in company in 1:01 2/5, and Kimari (Indian Summer Stakes), who worked five furlongs in company in 1:02.

Suedois, who pulled a 9-1 upset in the 2017 Shadwell Turf Mile, arrived at Keeneland's quarantine barn Sunday at 7:15 a.m. along with Vintager and Robin of Navan, both Shadwell Turf Mile probables, and Indian Blessing, who is expected to run in the First Lady, a "Win and You're In" race for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T).

The horses should clear isolation early Oct. 1 and go to the track that morning.