Collected Impressive in Final Breeders' Cup Work

For such an important work, trainer Bob Baffert wanted to make sure he could see it.

Speedway Stable's Collected was supposed to come out at the beginning of the 6:30 a.m. workout session at Santa Anita Park Oct. 28, but the early morning darkness still made it difficult to glimpse the backstretch from the grandstand.

"We're gonna wait a minute," the Hall of Fame trainer said ahead of Collected's final timed work for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). "As soon as I can see the three-quarters pole, we'll go."

Even after the wait, though, the 4-year-old City Zip colt was only a glowing, floating orb in the backstretch—barely visible if not for the small, bright white light attached to jockey Martin Garcia.

What was visible was nothing short of impressive. After a relatively slow start to his six-furlong drill (his quarter-mile fractions through the first four furlongs were :25 1/5 and :49 3/5), the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner finished strong in the final quarter-mile without any asking from Garcia and hit the wire in 1:13 2/5, with a gallop out to seven furlongs in 1:26 2/5 and to a mile in 1:39 4/5.

"He went nice," Baffert said. "Worked three-quarters and out to seven-eighths. I'm happy with it. Looks great."

Also on the work tab during the 6:30 a.m. session was Peter Redekop's stakes-placed Armour Plate, who covered five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).

Earlier in the morning, defending Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner and champion female sprinter Finest City was the first horse on the racetrack at 5 a.m. to log her final workout for this year's Filly & Mare Sprint. Seltzer Thoroughbreds' City Zip mare ran a half-mile in :47 flat.

In between the 6:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. workout sessions came Itsinthepost's final breeze for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T). The three-time grade 2 winner breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:03 flat under jockey Tyler Baze.