Ortiz Thinks Brightwork Can Shine in Juvenile Fillies

Brightwork  enters the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park off the first bump in the road of her racing career but trainer John Ortiz believes there are plenty of reasons to move forward to her biggest challenge yet.

After winning the first four starts of her career, a stretch capped by a half-length score in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) Sept. 3 at Saratoga Race Course, Brightwork faltered in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) when she challenged for the lead early before fading to fifth. As the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades Oct. 6 at Keeneland was her first try at two turns, the ready-made explanation would be that she didn't like the added distance but Ortiz has seen some other possible explanations.

In short, Ortiz is ready to give her another shot at two turns. The Juvenile Fillies also is contested at 1 1/16 miles.

"It was her first time going two turns. We're going to view it as a learning curve for her, and for myself probably," Ortiz said the morning of Nov. 2 as his kind filly, adorned with a small pink flower on the upper right side of her bridle, looked on from her stall in Barn 59 on the Santa Anita backstretch. "She started her (oestrus) cycle that week and I think that had something to do with it. We've addressed that. Other than that, I think she was just a little confused. She broke so well and I think we took the run out of her early—nothing against the ride; it's what I would have done if she broke like that. Knowing her, I think she thought she was out for a gallop. So it's just part of the learning curve."

Beyond explaining that off-the-board finish, Ortiz also has observed positive signs in his filly, including a half-mile breeze in :47 4/5 Oct. 28 at Keeneland in her final serious preparations for the Breeders' Cup. The move earned the 14th-fastest time from 106 works at the distance at Keeneland that day.

"Her last work was perfect," Ortiz said. "We put an older mare on the outside of her and we had (the mare) pressure (Brightwork) the whole half-mile through the workout. 

"I want her to not be intimidated. I feel like at the quarter pole (of the Alcibiades), she had a horse on her outside. I feel like maybe she just didn't know how to compete but normally she's the one that makes that move. So let's put a little competition on the outside. She handled that well."

Campaigned by WSS Racing, Brightwork won a "baby" race at Keeneland on debut, completing the 4 1/2-furlong test in :52.49 to win by three lengths in a field of fillies that saw Crimson Advocate  finish third. (Crimson Advocate in June would win the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and she's entered against males in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) on Friday's card).

Brightwork then prevailed by a half-length in the Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park in her stakes debut and followed with a pair of graded stakes wins at Saratoga Race Course, romping by five lengths in the Adirondack Stakes (G3) before rallying from fourth to win the seven-furlong Spinaway.

Brightwork is the first grade 1 winner for Ortiz and she would be his first Breeders' Cup starter; Ricardo Santana Jr., is scheduled to ride. Ortiz, 37, originally from Bogota, Colombia is the son of a leading apprentice rider in that country, Carlos Ortiz. He moved to the United States with his family when his father began to ride in New York and in the Mid-Atlantic region. Ortiz is based in Kentucky and Arkansas.

"For any trainer, any horseman, anybody that's on the backside; whether you're a hotwalker, an owner or breeder, this is why we wake up every day at 4 o'clock in the morning," said Ortiz, who is based in Kentucky and Arkansas. "All the blood, sweat, and tears—the broken bones that we get. I mean, it's been rough on my body, but it's what we dream of."