Verrazano Works Bullet for BC Dirt Mile
Image:
Description:
Let's Go Stable and Coolmore partners' Verrazano worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.08 Oct. 12 on the dirt training track at Belmont Park, gearing up for a run in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
The 3-year-old son of More Than Ready , who took the July 28 William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) off a victory in the grade III Pegasus Stakes, both at Monmouth Park, is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Best of 14 works at the distance, Verrazano worked as a team in company with Foxwoods King's Bishop (gr. I) winner Capo Bastone, who was credited with a time of 1:01.10. The Pletcher-trained Capo Bastone, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, is being pointed to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) Nov. 2.
Verrazano won the 1 1/8-mile Haskell by 9 3/4 lengths, but finished seventh last time out in the Aug. 24 Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. Earlier in the season, he strung together four wins with a maiden triumph first time out at Gulfstream Park and a solid allowance score at the Florida oval, followed by victories in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) and Wood Memorial (gr. I). He has won six of eight starts for earnings of $1,556,300.
Pletcher has been steadily increasing the intensity of Verrazano's breezes on the dirt training track at Belmont, with an easy four furlongs in :49.10 Sept. 21 as his first work back after the Travers, another four panels in :49.68 Sept. 28, and five furlongs in 1:01.26 Oct. 5.