A Tale of Two BC Breezes for Hot Rod Charlie, Letruska

With the Breeders' Cup World Championships coming up Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar, horses prepping for the two-day event were out in force for workouts Oct. 30 in California.

Hot Rod Charlie  and Letruska  led the star power at the host track, with the former recording the longest pre-Breeders' Cup workout of the morning, traveling seven furlongs in 1:26 4/5, and the latter breezing five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 after picking up unintended company. Hot Rod Charlie is one of the leading 3-year-olds prepping for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), while the standout mare Letruska is a short-priced favorite for the $2 million Longines Breeder' Cup Distaff (G1).

Elsewhere in Southern California, numerous top prospects worked at Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs.

While Hot Rod Charlie's workout went without a hitch, Letruska's did not unfold as planned. Intended by trainer Fausto Gutierrez for a solo workout, she came inside a horse breezing in front of her, the Richard Baltas-trained 2-year-old winner Brandon'smylawyer , and the pair sped off.

BREAKING: More insight of the unintentional work from Letruska with @TVGJoaquin pic.twitter.com/6zha0rCL9T

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 30, 2021

Letruska (Super Saver  ) moved in front down the backstretch but was outfinished on the turn and down the stretch. She checked in a few lengths behind her younger rival at the end of the workout.

Though disappointed the breeze didn't unfold how he wanted, Gutierrez declined to call the workout frustrating in an interview with TVG.

"We (have) had a wonderful year," he said. "All that she made has been spectacular, and we are here to win … this is something to happen. No problem. I repeat to you, the only situation is '(Did) she come back OK?' She is."

Hot Rod Charlie, on the other hand, had everything go as planned. He swallowed up a workmate that served as an early target and finished powerfully under his regular rider, Flavien Prat.

WATCH: Hot Rod Charlie complete his final workout leading into the @BreedersCup Classic next Saturday @DelMarRacing!

Tune-in to Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup LIVE: https://t.co/JnDfgd2kLJ pic.twitter.com/caBwHNvFSK

— TVG (@TVG) October 30, 2021

"When Flavien called on him, he responded well and separated himself and looked good," trainer Doug O'Neill told TVG.

Both horses are grade 1 winners this year, with Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and Bill Strauss, taking the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) in his most recent start. St. George Stable's Letruska has captured four top-level races in six wins this year, including the Oct. 10 Juddmonte Spinister Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

At Santa Anita, champion Gamine , the expected heavy favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), was one of the stars of morning training. The Bob Baffert trainee overpowered her workmate, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 3/5.

With thick fog blanketing Santa Anita early in the morning, several Breeders' Cup hopefuls worked, while trainers of other horses delayed their horses' breeze until later in the morning to give the fog time to clear a little.

Mark Glatt called an audible and switched Dr. Schivel  from 7:45 to 9 a.m. PT, and sent the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) contender out with a maiden 3-year-old to work in company. Dr. Schivel worked a bullet five furlongs in :58 2/5.

"That gave him a little bit of a target and kept his attention," said Glatt. "By himself he's just kind of an average workhorse. He won't do any more than he has to by himself. We just wanted to make sure we kept him sharp. It was a nice work."

Dr. Schivel has a five-race winning streak going that includes the 2020 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1), 2021 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), and 2021 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2). Glatt trains him for Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and William Branch. Branch bred Dr. Schivel with Arnold Hill.

Michael McCarthy sent out his three pre-entered Breeders' Cup horses at Santa Anita: Ce Ce  (Filly & Mare Sprint, G1), Smooth Like Strait  (FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, G1T), and Friar's Road  (an also-eligible in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, G1T). 

Track clockers did not give official times to their three workouts, owing to the fog.

"Ce Ce worked five-eighths, and my rider caught her in the fog in a minute and four-fifths," said McCarthy. "I was very pleased with the way she got over the racetrack. We were just looking for more or less a little bit of a maintenance work today."

A multiple graded stakes winner, Ce Ce most recently won the Oct. 3 Chillingworth Stakes (G3). McCarthy trains her for owner/breeder Bo Hirsch.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli was aboard Smooth Like Strait, who completed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5, according to McCarthy.

"Umberto said he was very happy with the way he went this morning," said McCarthy. "He's always very professional, very straightforward. It was a leg-stretcher—that was all we were looking for. He and Ce Ce both had strong works last week."

Smooth Like Strait, owned and bred by Cannon Thoroughbreds, has won five graded stakes, including this year's Shoemaker Mile (G1T).

Ce Ce and Smooth Like Strait worked singly, while Friar's Road worked in company, going five-eighths in 1:00 4/5, said McCarthy.

"It would be great if Friar's Road could get in, but it doesn't look like he will," said McCarthy. "But we're ready just in case."

Friar's Road, who finished third to United  and Acclimate  in the John Henry Turf Championship (G2T), is listed as number 22 in the Turf, which has 14 in the field and eight on the also-eligible list.

Trainer John Sadler also worked Classic longshot Tripoli  five furlongs in :59. The Hronis Racing-owned colt is a stakes winner on dirt at Del Mar, having taken the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) this summer.

Rattle N Roll Tops KY Tab

Meanwhile, with workouts from Essential Quality  , Knicks Go  , and Shedaresthedevil  postponed a day due to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs, Rattle N Roll  headlined Saturday workouts from Breeders' Cup horses beneath the Twin Spires.

Breezing under exercise rider Danny Ramsey at about 5:40 a.m. ET, shortly after Churchill Downs opened for training, the grade 1-winning 2-year-old comfortably traveled five furlongs in 1:02 2/5. Clockers caught him with splits of :13, :25 2/5, :37 1/5 and timed him galloping out six furlongs in 1:16.

"I just sat on him, let him run, run off on his own, and he did it all by himself," Ramsey said.

Rattle N Roll worked 5:30 this morning @ChurchillDowns went well. Originally scheduled for 7:30. Canceled Tiz The Bomb work at Keeneland due to rain. He’s going Sunday @Keeneland hope this weather clears out quick. pic.twitter.com/MEWfTS80qk

— Kenny McPeek (@KennyMcPeek) October 30, 2021

The Lucky Seven Stable-owned and Kenny McPeek-trained runner has won two straight races under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. since stretched out to race 1 1/16 miles. He won a maiden race at Churchill Downs Sept. 23 followed by the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 9.

One and one-sixteenth miles is also the distance of the TVG Breeder's Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), where he will make his next start Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Ramsey feels good about the Breeders' Cup chances of Rattle N Roll and Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Tiz the Bomb , McPeek's other Breeders' Cup starter this year. Tiz the Bomb goes in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), also Friday.

Both 2-year-olds are contenders as McPeek looks to pick up an elusive Breeders' Cup victory. Though 16 of the trainer's 36 Breeders' Cup starters have hit the board, none have won.

"Second, third, second, third, second, third," Ramsey said, describing the near misses. "I think this is the year for us."

He sees development from Rattle N Roll, a Connect   colt who lost his first two starts. In one of those defeats, coming this summer at Saratoga Race Course, jockey Jose Ortiz pulled him up after the colt raced erratically with an eye injury that has since healed. 

Ramsey said in terms of the colt putting things together on a scale to 10, Rattle N Roll is a "9" coming into the Breeders' Cup.

"But I'm afraid when he gets number 10, oh my God, he can be dangerous," Ramsey said. "He can be very, very dangerous."

WATCH: Ramsey Says Rattle N Roll a '9' Going into BC Juvenile

Tiz the Bomb, winner of the Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2T), had a scheduled workout pushed back until Sunday due to wet track conditions at Keeneland, McPeek tweeted.

Though trainer Brad Cox similarly delayed workouts from Essential Quality, Knicks Go, and Shedaresthedevil at Churchill Downs, he did opt to work Turnerloose  and Ready to Purrform  five furlongs late Saturday morning. They breezed in company in the slop in 1:02 1/5.

Cox felt they did not need as demanding of a workout, as turf horses, and with their intended starts coming on Friday, he chose not to postpone their drills.

WATCH: Cox Postpones Works for Essential Quality, Knicks Go, Shedaresthedevil

Ike and Dawn Thrash's Turnerloose is a Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) prospect, while Donegal Racing's Ready to Purrform could go in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Turf. As of Saturday morning, he needed a defection to gain entrance into the field from the list of alternates.

Turnerloose outside Ready to Purrform 5F from the half 102.20. #BC21 pic.twitter.com/J7Ci4bWYhA

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) October 30, 2021

Cox said the preparation of his older horses is largely unchanged by delaying workouts a day. Essential Quality and Knicks Go run in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Shedaresthedevil in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. 

"We'll still look to get a good move out of them," Cox said. "But we'll see how the track is tomorrow. I think it will be a little better and go from there."

The following chart lists official workout times for horses pre-entered to the Breeders' Cup. Due to fog at Santa Anita, some breezing horses there were not timed by track clockers.