Heavenly Love, Flameaway Tune Up for Breeders' Cup

Trainer Mark Casse was honing his Breeders' Cup World Championships hand on two fronts the morning of Oct. 20 headlined by grade 1 winner Heavenly Love and stablemate Flameaway working together before the break at Keeneland.

Debby Oxley's Heavenly Love, winner of the Oct. 6 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1), and her husband John Oxley's Flameaway, winner of the off-the-turf Oct. 8 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3), matched strides through five furlongs in 1:00. Kim Carroll was aboard Heavenly Love and Sophie Doyle was on Flameaway as they ran through fractions of :12, :24, :36, :48 and out six furlongs in 1:13. The five-furlong works were the best of 24 at the distance.

"It was a good move," said David Carroll, Casse's assistant at Keeneland. "We were very happy with both of them and they cooled out beautifully. Flameaway is a really good workhorse and was for (Heavenly Love to work with).

"It was mainly just maintenance to let them stretch their legs. They will have an easy half-mile next week and then ship (to Del Mar) on the 30th."

Heavenly Love is being pointed to the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 4. Flameaway is on track for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Nov. 3.

Via text, Casse said John Oxley's Gio Game, a maiden winner at Keeneland Oct. 6, "breezed super this morning at Churchill (1:00 1/5 for five furlongs)" and also will be pointed to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

The remainder of Casse's likely six-horse Breeders' Cup contingent also worked on the main track at Churchill Downs this morning, including Holding Gold and Awesome Slew, both owned by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation.

Holding Gold worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 and Commonwealth Stakes (G3) winner Awesome Slew worked five furlongs in 1:00 flat.

Casse's other Churchill Downs worker was Live Oak's three-time grade 1 winner World Approval, one of the likely favorites for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), who covered five furlongs in 1:00 4/5.