Sir Winston, War of Will Fire Bullets at Palm Meadows
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Photo: Dana Wimpfheimer
(L-R): War of Will and Sir Winston March 4 at Palm Meadows Training Center
Free from the pressures facing their younger compatriots with designs on this year's Triple Crown trail, 2019 American classic winners Sir Winston and War of Will breezed March 4 for trainer Mark Casse at Palm Meadows Training Center. Working on the dirt, the pair each turned in a bullet at the South Florida facility as they rev up for their next possible starts in the 2020 season.
Tracy Farmer hombred Sir Winston was clocked in 1:02 flat for his five-furlong move on Wednesday, the fastest of four at the distance. The Belmont Stakes (G1) winner, who won his season debut in a Jan. 31 allowance optional claiming race at Aqueduct Racetrack, is pointed towards the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) March 28 at Meydan Racecourse.
"As I've said in the past with Sir Winston, his 'A' work is everyone else's 'C' work," said Casse of the Awesome Again colt. "Since coming back from winning the Belmont he has become a little bit better of a work horse, so we were very pleased today. Tyler (Gaffalione) drove up and breezed him this morning for us because Tyler will ride him in Dubai."
Having finished off the board in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) to end his sophomore season, Gary Barber's War of Will was given some time off before returning to the work tab late February. Wednesday's breeze was only the second back for the son of War Front , but Casse said the Preakness Stakes (G1) winner is already back in work mode. Ridden by exercise rider Chris Garraway, the 4-year-old worked three furlongs in :36.15, the fastest of six at the distance.
"War of Will, he knows he's over his vacation," said Casse. "He was ready and willing this morning. We had to slow him down, in fact. We have radios on all our riders and at the eighth-pole we were slowing him down or he would have worked a lot faster. He's ready to start getting serious."
Casse said both horses will work again in the coming days, with Sir Winston set to have at least one more serious breeze before traveling to the Middle East. War of Will will likely shift surfaces next time to work on the turf, but a next start has yet to be determined.
"I'll breeze him on the grass," said Casse. "I just haven't decided when I will do that just yet."