Cherry Wine, Brody's Cause Work at Churchill
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Trainer Dale Romans prepares to do a tv segment as Cherry Wine schools behind him in the paddock
The Dale Romans-trained duo of Brody's Cause and Cherry Wine are back to work since finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, in the June 11 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). Both breezed a half-mile July 2 at Churchill Downs.
A homebred son of Giant's Causeway, Brody's Cause went a half-mile in :50 1/5 while recording fractions of :12 3/5 and :37 3/5 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:03 3/5.
Meanwhile, Cherry Wine fired a bullet work in :47—the fastest of 77 works at four furlongs. Breaking from the three-eighths pole, Churchill Downs clockers caught the son of Tapit in an opening quarter mile of :23 3/5 and he galloped out in :59 4/5.
"They both worked well," Romans said. "I don't know where we're going to run, but I plan on getting quite a few races in them here in the next few months."
The $1 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park July 31 and $600,000 Jim Dandy (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course July 30 are options for both horses. Cherry Wine, however, could return to action sooner in the $500,000 Indiana Derby (gr. II) at Indiana Grand Race Course July 16.
"It's possible," Romans said. "We're going to look at how the Indiana Derby comes up and go from there."
In four starts this year, Brody's Cause has made one trip to the winner's circle in Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) on April 9, which was followed by a seventh-place effort in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Cherry Wine's late-closing second behind Exaggerator in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) has been the highlight of his 3-year-old campaign, which began with a six-length allowance victory Jan. 9 at Gulfstream Park.