Medina Spirit Zips Six Furlongs in Breeze for Classic

Topped by a six-furlong breeze in 1:11 3/5 at Santa Anita Park from Zedan Racing Stables' grade 1 winner Medina Spirit , workout action heated up across the country a week before the start of the two-day Breeders' Cup Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

Working inside of stablemate Ax Man , the Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit inched away from his older rival under late encouragement and maintained a slight advantage on his gallop out. Ax Man is a stakes-winning sprinter owned by Hal and Patti Earnhardt who was fourth in the Kona Gold Stakes (G3) in his last start April 18.

Private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young, who signed for Medina Spirit's $35,000 purchase from the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales' July Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age, told TVG he was pleased with the Protonico   colt's final pre-Breeders' Cup breeze. Medina Spirit is forecasted to abound 6-1 odds in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 6 behind the anticipated favorites, Knicks Go   and Essential Quality  .

Medina Spirit's regular jockey, John Velazquez, will be aboard in the Classic.

"We think this horse is coming into this race the right way," Young told TVG. "It will likely take his lifetime best effort to win this race, but we're pretty confident."

Clocker & Bloodstock Agent Gary Young was very pleased with this morning's final work by Medina Spirit going 5F in 59:2 at Santa Anita Park in preparation for the @BreedersCup Classic.

Watch Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup now on TVG! pic.twitter.com/9Jj4zM74mS

— TVG (@TVG) October 29, 2021

Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit won the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) earlier this month at Santa Anita in his final prep for the 1 1/4-mile Classic. He also finished first in the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, though he is at risk of disqualification from the Derby after testing positive for the prohibited race day presence of betamethasone. A stewards' hearing has not yet been held while specialized follow-up testing is completed.

He and other Baffert trainees are undergoing added screening and testing by the Breeders' Cup as a condition for their participation in the two-day event.

Elsewhere, a number of horses breezed in New York between a break in inclement weather. Several leading Breeders' Cup contenders trained by Todd Pletcher sped around Belmont Park, led by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good . He went five furlongs on a fast training track in :48.65 for his role as the likely favorite in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 6.

"He's an exceptional workhorse and very talented," Pletcher said. "He did what we've become accustomed to seeing him do, which was put in an impressive move. He did it very easily."

Pletcher also worked Red Oak Stable homebred Mind Control  (half-mile in :50.09) toward the Dirt Mile.

Shadwell Stables' three-time grade 1-winner Malathaat  breezed five-eighths in company with 3-year-old allowance winning colt Vindictive  in her final breeze for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). She was timed in 1:01.23

"She's outstanding. She looked great and seems to be in really good form," Pletcher said.

Also breezing for Pletcher was Spendthrift Farm's Vosburgh Stakes (G2) winner Following Sea  (four furlongs in :48.99). A decision is still to come if he starts in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

"He did really well. He's been training great. I'll get with the Spendthrift guys and make a final decision, but the horse is doing well," Pletcher said.

At Churchill Downs, where the main track was rated good, FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) contender Got Stormy  and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) prospect Juju's Map  headlined the morning workout action from Kentucky. Got Stormy, owned by My Racehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm, logged a half-mile breeze in :48 3/5, while Albaugh Family Stables' Juju's Map zipped five furlongs in :59 3/5.

Got Stormy, a multiple grade 1-winning mare by Get Stormy  , finished second in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in one of her career highlights.

"We had some rain in the area but the track was really good so I decided to move her work up a day," trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll said. "Sometimes you see with older mares that they may take a step back from their younger campaigns, but she has been doing great. I'm really excited the way she's coming into the Breeders' Cup. She's a very special mare to all of us."

Got Stormy, along with a large group of Kentucky-stabled horses, will fly from Indianapolis to California Nov. 1.

Juju's Map, recent winner of the Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, breezed in company with stakes-winning older horse Matera .

"'Juju' sat just off her and maybe broke about a length behind. She was well in hand throughout the work and it was exactly what we were looking for at this stage," said trainer Brad Cox, who has six Breeders' Cup hopefuls. "This filly seemed to improve a little bit since her win in the Alcibiades, which is what these horses need to do this time of year leading into the Breeders' Cup."

Juju’s Map (outside) 5F :59.60. #BC21 pic.twitter.com/cuWeNq3UvX

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) October 29, 2021

There are at least six Breeders' Cup contenders slated to work Oct. 30 at Churchill Downs: Essential Quality   (Classic), Knicks Go   (Classic), Shedaresthedevil  (Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, G1), Rattle N Roll  (TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, G1), Ready to Purrform  (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America, G1T), and Turnerloose  (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, G1T).

Pre-entered Breeders' Cup horses with Friday workouts across North America appear in the table below.