Moreno, Itsmyluckyday Work for Super Saturday

Several horses aiming for races on Belmont Park’s TVG Super Saturday card Sept. 27 put in works at various tracks Sept. 20, including Woodward Stakes (gr. I) winner Itsmyluckyday   and Whitney Stakes (gr. I) victor Moreno.

 

The Elmont, N.Y. track will host six graded stakes on Super Saturday with combined purses of $3.4 million. Topping the list is the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (gr. I), a 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-olds and up

 

Moreno drilled at Saratoga Race Course for the Jockey Club Gold Cup while Itsmyluckyday continued his preparations at Monmouth Park for the $400,000 Kelso Handicap (gr. II).

 

In his only workout since the Aug. 30 Woodward, Moreno breezed five furlongs in 1:03.31 over a deep Oklahoma training track for trainer Eric Guillot and owner Southern Equine Stable.

 

"It was just an easy maintenance move," said Guillot of the move by the 4-year-old son of Ghostzapper  . "He went in 1:03 and change; it would have been :59 if it was on the [Saratoga] main track, but the Oklahoma is tiring. He came out of it good so far; tomorrow morning will be the real test."

 

Guillot is looking forward to getting Moreno back to the Jockey Club Gold Cup's distance of 1 1/4 miles, as he considers it the gelding's best.

 

"The [1 1/4-mile] Suburban [at Belmont] was his best race, and he got beat by inches in the [1 1/4-mile] Travers,” he said. "Inner fractions make the race, and at 1 1/4 miles he's allowed to set a slower pace. In the Suburban, if you look at the configuration of the starting gate, he had to be used up to get to the lead from post 11, and they still had to come get him in the last sixteenth. [In the Jockey Club Gold Cup], I'm hoping for post 5 and in."

 

Itsmyluckyday likely will not be taking the conventional route to the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park. Rather than use the Jockey Club Gold Cup as a steppingstone to the $5 million Classic, the colt's trainer, Eddie Plesa, has opted instead for the one-mile Kelso.

 

"We thought [the Kelso] was the best fit for him right now," said Plesa. "He's very efficient at a mile, and it makes no difference whether it's one turn or two turns."

 

On Saturday morning, Itsmyluckyday drilled four furlongs in :49.80 at his Monmouth base.

 

"It was just what we wanted," said Plesa. "He galloped out strongly and finished [his workout] in :11 and change. He's coming into the race at 110%."

 

The son of Lawyer Ron finished second to Moreno in the Whitney Stakes (gr. I) and then turned the tables on that foe with a rousing triumph in the Woodward following a stretch-long duel. The win gave Itsmyluckyday his first grade I score.

 

Travers (gr. I) runner-up Wicked Strong breezed six furlongs Saturday morning over Belmont’s main track in preparation for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which will mark his first race against older horses. Under regular exercise rider Kelvin Pahal, the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) and Jim Dandy (gr. II) winner went out shortly after the renovation break and covered the distance in 1:13.15, leaving trainer Jimmy Jerkens smiling.

 

"I liked it," said Jerkens. "It was fast, but not for [how fast] that track is. It's been a while since he did work over there, but I figured since he's going to be running on it ... if he goes in 1:11, he goes in 1:11; what are you going to do?"

 

Jerkens added that Travers winner V. E. Day would likely work on Sunday or Monday in preparation for the Gold Cup.

 

Trainer Chad Brown's pair of Jockey Club Gold Cup contenders—Thomas Coleman's Zivo and John D. Gunther's Last Gunfighter—breezed five furlongs in company in :59.50 on the main track.

 

Zivo won the Suburban Handicap (gr. II) over the Jockey Club Gold Cup's course and distance in July before finishing fourth in the Woodward. Last Gunfighter, a four-time graded stakes winner, was sixth in the Woodward.

 

"I thought they breezed terrifically," said Brown. "They went together, were equal. I thought they both breezed great."

 

Zivo is probable for the Gold Cup, and Brown and Gunther will make a final decision on Last Gunfighter's status later this week, the trainer said. 

 

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's grade I winners Real Solution and Stephanie's Kitten together traveled five furlongs on the Belmont turf in 1:01.92. Real Solution is aiming for the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) at 1 1/2 miles, with Stephanie's Kitten pointed toward the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles. 

 

Also probable for the Flower Bowl is Alterite, who is owned by Martin Schwartz. Victorious in the 2013 Garden City (gr. I) at Belmont, Alterite breezed five furlongs in 1:01.30 in company with Minorette, who is on target for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) at Keeneland.

 

Antonino Muccio's Palace, winner of back-to-back grade I races at Saratoga, turned in his final serious move for the $400,000 Vosburgh Invitational (gr. I) on Saturday, covering five furlongs in 1:01.31 on Belmont's training track.

 

“He's ready," said trainer Linda Rice of the 5-year-old New York-bred son of City Zip  . "He's in good shape. Everything went well with the breeze, and we're ready for Saturday."

 

At Saratoga, Palace swept the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and Forego (both gr. I).

 

Trainer Christophe Clement sent out a pair of turf mares on Saturday morning at Belmont Park to log their final breezes in advance of the Flower Bowl.

 

According to Clement, either Irish Mission or Aigue Marine will enter the Flower Bowl, while the other will be pointed to the Rodeo Drive (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park.