Covfefe, Dennis' Moment Lead BC Workers in Kentucky

Topped by sparkling workouts from Covfefe and Dennis' Moment, six horses breezed Oct. 18 at Churchill Downs toward possible starts in the Nov. 1-2 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park.

Covfefe, winner of the Longines Test Stakes (G1) and one of the anticipated favorites for the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), was among three Brad Cox-trained horses to breeze Friday morning, speeding six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 before galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25 2/5 and a mile in 1:40 3/5, according to track clockers. It was her third breeze since she won the Sept. 21 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs in a stakes-record time of 1:20.51 for seven furlongs.

"She breezed fantastic. She's a good work horse," Cox said. "She shows up every week, and she did again today. Very pleased with it."

A 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief  owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Covfefe will be ridden in the Filly & Mare Sprint by Joel Rosario, Cox said. Rosario was aboard for her half-length victory in the Test over Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Serengeti Empress. Shaun Bridgmohan rode her in the Dogwood.

Other Cox workers Friday at Churchill included Andesite and British Idiom. They worked five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 in separate breezes. Andesite, second in the Pilgrim Stakes (G3T), is a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) candidate with Rosario slated to ride. British Idiom, winner of the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1), is targeted for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) with Javier Castellano having the mount.

Both of those races are Nov. 1.

Two other Cox trainees, Arklow and Owendale, are set for breezes Oct. 19 at Churchill Downs as they prepare for the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) and Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), respectively. Cox said Castellano will ride Arklow in the Turf, but the mount on Owendale is not finalized. Owendale's regular rider, Florent Geroux, is recovering from a fractured sternum as the result of a training spill Oct. 13 at Keeneland. His time frame for a return to riding is to be determined by a follow-up medical evaluation this month.

Cox's Breeders' Cup horses ship to Santa Anita Oct. 29, the trainer said.

Recording his second straight bullet work Oct. 18 was Dennis' Moment, a leading candidate for the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1. Dennis' Moment zipped five furlongs in :58 3/5, the fastest of 65 at the distance. It followed a :58 4/5 move last week at Churchill. Dale Romans trains the 2-year-old son of Tiznow  who won the Iroquois Stakes (G3), a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Juvenile, for Albaugh Family Stables.

"We actually tried to slow him down today," Romans said. "You know, fast horses work fast."

The colt is scheduled to leave Louisville and be shipped to California Oct. 20 and will have one breeze at Santa Anita before the Juvenile, according to Romans.

Other stakes-winning horses working Friday at Churchill Downs toward possible Breeders' Cup starts were Dixiana Bourbon Stakes winner (G3T) Peace Achieved, a Mark Casse trainee who went five furlongs in :59 3/5 toward the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and 2018 Forego Stakes (G1) winner Whitmore, who worked a half-mile in a bullet :46 4/5 in company in advance of a possible Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) outing Nov. 2.

Whitmore's trainer, Ron Moquett, plans to make a decision in the coming days whether to pre-enter him by the Breeders' Cup deadline Oct. 21.

"He's doing great, knock on wood," he said.

One horse who was set to breeze Friday but did not was Serengeti Empress after her trainer, Tom Amoss, was hospitalized with appendicitis. "Will be in surgery today with an overnight stay in the hospital. Pushing back the work on (her) a couple days, so I can be there," his social media post to Twitter stated in part.

Breeders' Cup Preparations at Keeneland

Also Friday, Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner Maxfield and two-time Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) winner Blue Prize were among five Breeders' Cup runners who breezed at Keeneland.

Maxfield, a 2-year-old son of Street Sense  owned and bred by Godolphin, prepped for the Juvenile by breezing a half-mile in :48 3/5 for trainer Brendan Walsh. Blue Prize covered the same distance in :49 2/5 for trainer Ignacio Correas. She is pointed toward the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), a race in which she was fourth last year.

"He was good and relaxed," Walsh said of Maxfield, who is 2-for-2. "It was just a little maintenance move to stretch his legs. You could tell he wanted to do something the last couple of days."

Walsh plans to work him again Oct. 25 and ship to Santa Anita early the following morning.

"If I had to put him on a plane tomorrow, I'd be real happy," Walsh said. "Everything is positive. In business, he would be the perfect employee. No complaints, just does his job."

Walsh also intends to send Bourbon runner-up Vitalogy to the Juvenile Turf. Vitalogy is owned by the partnership of Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Bottle Rocket Stable.

"He is scheduled to gallop on the grass Sunday and pick it up a little down the lane," Walsh said. "I hope to get out on the grass next Friday before shipping. I am sure there are a lot of us in the same shape."

Merriebelle Stable's Blue Prize had an easy breeze under Joe Bravo, her jockey in her two Spinster victories. Clockers timed her galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.

Working right after Maxfield was Tracy Farmer's Perfect Alibi, who worked five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 under Tyler Gaffalione, galloping out six furlongs in 1:16. The Alcibiades runner-up is pointed toward the Juvenile Fillies.

"We were happy with that," said Allen Hardy, assistant to Casse. "She likes this track, and Mark said he would leave her here with me since I was with her this spring when she got to Churchill Downs.

"She will probably go over there (to Louisville) the next couple days and then fly out to California on the 26th."

Also scheduled to leave for California Oct. 26 is Apogee Bloodstock and Mike Anderson Racing's Abscond for trainer Eddie Kenneally. Abscond worked a half-mile in company in :48 4/5 Friday. She won the Natalma Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine in her most recent race Sept. 15.

Finally, Stonestreet Stables' Dawn the Destroyer, runner-up in the Oct. 5 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), breezed a half-mile in :48 1/5 in preparation for the Filly & Mare Sprint. She is booked on a flight to California Oct. 29.