Breeders' Cup Hopefuls Put in Final Breezes at Belmont

Allen Stable's homebred Civil Union worked a half-mile in :51.0 in company with older allowance horse Sentry Nov. 1 on the inner turf at Belmont Park in preparation for the Nov. 7 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) at Keeneland.

"The company carried her along," said Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. "She worked good. She's gotten better and better and stronger and stronger."

The 5-year-old War Front  mare extended her streak to four wins with a head score last out in the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1T). The turf specialist arrived at the 10-furlong Widener turf test on a winning run-of-form that launched in a June 21 allowance tilt at Belmont and continued through scores in the 12-furlong River Memories July 12 at Belmont and the 11-furlong Glens Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.

Eight Breeders' Cup Contenders Post Works for Chad Brown

The four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown breezed the bulk of his Breeders' Cup contingent the morning of Nov.1 at Belmont.

Rushing Fall, an aspirant for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) for e Five Thoroughbred Racing, drilled a half-mile in :50.69 seconds in company with Peter Brant's Sistercharlieover a soft inner turf.

Rushing Fall, a 5-year-old bay mare by More Than Ready , will look to become only the fifth horse to notch victories in two different Breeders' Cup races. During her juvenile campaign, Rushing Fall won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.

Rushing Fall is unbeaten this year in three starts, all at different tracks, while garnering triple-digit speed figures. Following a 2020 debut win in the June 3 Beaugay (G3T) at Belmont Park, she scored back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Jenny Wiley July 11 at Keeneland and the Diana Aug. 23 at Saratoga Race Course.

"She's been training well," said e Five Thoroughbred Racing owner Bob Edwards. "I've been speaking with Chad quite a bit. She's a mare that works better with breaks, so we gave her a little freshening after the Diana. We know she loves Keeneland. I'm looking forward to the Breeders' Cup and hopefully she gets a good trip."

Rushing Fall, who has earned $2,553,000 while boasting a 14-11-2-0 record, is scheduled to go through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale following the Breeders' Cup, where she will be consigned by Indian Creek.

"It's kind of bittersweet," Edwards said. "Regardless of what happens, we're still proud of her. She's sound and she's training well. Coming back after last year's Keeneland race she wasn't herself. We felt we had to race her one more year and it's all paid off."

Sistercharlie is in pursuit of a second triumph in the Filly Mare and Turf. The seven-time Grade 1 winner was third in the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) and Diana Stakes (G1T), both at Saratoga. Brown's remaining Filly and Mare Turf hopefuls My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay, the second and third-place finishers last out in the Flower Bowl (G1T) Oct. 10 at Belmont, also worked a half-mile on the inner turf Nov. 1 in company with Eliade and Digital Age, respectively.

Also on the work tab for Brown was Uni, the winner of last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), who went a half-mile in :50 3/5 in company with Domestic Spending. Uni seeks a repeat victory in the event coming off a second consecutive triumph in the First Lady Stakes presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) Oct. 3 at Keeneland.

The four-time Grade 1 winning 6-year-old chestnut daughter of More Than Ready was third to stablemate Newspaperofrecord in the Just a Game Stakes (G1T) June 27 over the Widener turf at Belmont before an uncharacteristic seventh as the favorite in the Fourstardave (G1T) over the Saratoga Mellon turf.

"Her last couple of works have shown that she's really starting to show her old self," said Bradley Weisbord, who manages Uni on behalf of owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. "Going from five to six, some horses may take a few races to knock the rust off. She's got a major turn of foot and it looks like we're going to get firm ground for Saturday. She's won on many different surfaces, but firm turf is where she is best."

Peter Brant's Editor At Large, a contender for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), worked a half-mile in :50.75 in company with Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Coolmore America (G1T) entrant Public Sector, who was clocked in 50.69.

On the main track, Brown sent out Klaravich Stables' Complexity , winner of the Kelso Stakes (G2) last out, for a half-mile breeze in :49.21. The son of Maclean's Music  has given first preference to the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) over the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Also for Brown and Klaravich, Reinvestment Risk went a half-mile in :49.04 seconds in preparation for the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), which Brown won with Good Magic  in 2017. The son of first-crop sire Upstart  was a recent second in the Champagne Stakes (G1) to likely Juvenile favorite Jackie's Warrior.

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road logged a five-furlong work in 1:00 3/5 for Brown. The winner of last year's Alabama Stkaes (G1) at Saratoga is targeting the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), which she finished fifth in last year.

Oleksandra Sharp in Six-Panel Drill

Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, currently overseeing a stable of six horses at Belmont, said last-out Jaipur (G1T) winner Oleksandra looked sharp in her six-furlong breeze Nov. 1 in 1:14.04 on Big Sandy in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).

"She's doing very well," said Drysdale. "She doesn't need speed because she's very fast. She worked in company behind another horse and started a half dozen lengths back and finished well."

The ultra-consistent Animal Kingdom mare, Team Valor homebred, sports a record of 15-7-3-3 with purse earnings of $537,353. She rallied from last to beat the boys in the six-furlong Jaipur June 20.

Oleksandra has worked six times on the Belmont main since Oct. 2, including a trio of half-furlong breezes in close succession, ahead of a strong five-furlong effort in 1:01.58 last week.

"That was because of the layoff to get her fit," said Drysdale regarding the busy work pattern. "We gave her some small easy works and then we've only done two serious works — this one and the last one."

Clement Breezes Pair of Breeders' Cup Hopefuls

Trainer Christophe Clement sent out a pair of Breeders' Cup probables to the Belmont Park main track Nov. 1 with Plum Ali breezing three-eighths in :36.11 and Momos clocking in :35 1/5. over a Big Sandy track labeled fast.

"They had an easy work on dirt and looked great," Clement said. "I'm very happy with the two of them. They came back in good shape. Now, it's just about keeping them happy as they ship off to Kentucky tomorrow, and we'll go from there."

The duo will look to give Clement his first career Breeders' Cup win after a slew of close calls, with the conditioner saddling six runners-up, six third-place finishes and eight fourth-place efforts in 38 previous starts entering this year's World Championships from Nov. 6-7.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali will put her 3-for-3 record on the line in the $1 million contest going one mile. The First Samurai  filly made a successful debut on July 23 at Saratoga, posting a come-from-behind two-length victory going 1 1/16 miles. Cut back to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) distance in her stakes debut, she again tracked the early speed before showing great closing speed, powering home a 2 3/4-length victor in the Mint Juvenile Fillies Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.

Stepping up to graded stakes company, Plum Ali cruised to a 2 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) Oct. 4 over firm Belmont turf.

Momos, owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and Secure Investments, also posted a debut win at the Spa, winning by 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track on July 18. The son of Distorted Humor  stayed on the same surface for a third-place finish in the Saratoga Special (G2) Aug. 7 before making his turf debut last out with a third-place effort—one length behind winner Second of July—in the Futurity Stakes (G3T) going six furlongs Oct. 11 at Belmont. He is aimed at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T).