BC Sprint Works: In the Zone

Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) contenders Private Zone and Limousine Liberal both worked Oct. 24 over a wet track at Keeneland, and both went out prior to the renovation break at 8 a.m.



Private Zone, the likely favorite off his back-to-back wins in the Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes (gr. III) and Saratoga Race Park's Priority Jets One Forego Stakes (gr. I), went a half-mile in :48 3/5 for trainer Jorge Navarro.



Limousine Liberal, trained by Ben Colebrook, went a half-mile in a quick :46 2/5.



Navarro wasn't exactly thrilled with the work, but reported Private Zone "did it easy; he's ready.



"The track was a little heavy for him today and I wanted to go out early because I wasn't going to work him on a sealed track. But he's ready. (Rider) Carlos Marquez Jr. knows him. He said, 'You'll have to be King Kong to beat him'. "

Private Zone was caught in splits of :12 4/5, :35 4/5, and :48 3/5, while galloping out five furlongs in 1:03 3/5.



Private Zone races for Larry Slavin's Good Friends Stable. The 6-year-old gelding by Macho Uno  —Auburn Beauty, by Siphon, was 10th in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Sprint and third in last year's running. Both were at Santa Anita Park. Private Zone is 10-8-3 in 30 starts and has earned $2,608,120.



Much lighter in experience, the 3-year-old Limousine Liberal has only made four starts, winning twice and finishing second twice. He was second to Runhappy in the seven-furlong NYRA.com King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga and second, beaten a neck, in the Sept. 19 Gallant Bob Stakes (gr. III) at Parx.



A son of Successful Appeal  —Gift of Gab, by In Excess, Limousine Liberal was bred by Mike and Katherine Ball and races for Katherine Ball.



"We got the work in before the rain really started," said trainer Ben Colebrook outside Barn 44. "The track was really good. He went a little faster than we had planned but he always works fast.



"I thought the track was playing to a half or a second faster than it normally does because of the moisture. But he did it the right way. He went off in :24 and change and finished well and the rider was sitting up on him, never asking him."



Colebrook realizes the challenges for his budding star in the Sprint.



"Private Zone and Runhappy both have speed," Colebrook said. "We have speed, too, but we'll have to see how the post position draw comes out. We'd rather draw outside the speed. If you want to hit the board, take back because there will be such a fast pace. If you want to win the race you'll have to be up there because those two horses aren't coming back."

Colebrook, based at Keeneland, will move his charge over to the barns on Rice Road (for the Breeders' Cup entrants) later today while Navarro will move Private Zone on Sunday.