Don't Tell Sophia, Ria Antonia Drill for BC
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Don't Tell Sophia and Ria Antonia, pre-entered for the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), turned in half-mile breezes Oct. 24 at Keeneland.
Working on her own after the renovation break, recent Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) winner Don't Tell Sophia covered the trip in :48 flat under jockey Joe Rocco Jr. The time ranked sixth of 42 moves at the distance. Spinster runner-up Ria Antonia topped all workers with her bullet :47 3/5 drill.
Don't Tell Sophia clocked splits of :12 2/5 and :24 1/5, and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.
"She was doing a two-minute lick to the half-mile pole and I got her in like :48 and 3 or 4 and out in 1:01," co-owner and trainer Phil Sims said. "We are just trying to maintain what we have."
Don't Tell Sophia had worked a half-mile in :48 4/5 Oct. 18 and followed that with a strong gallop Wednesday. She is scheduled to be flown out of Louisville the morning of Oct. 26 to Santa Anita Park.
Sims, who owns the filly in partnership with Jerry Namy, flies out the same day to prepare for his second Breeders' Cup experience. His previous starter was Hot Cha Cha, who finished fifth in the 2010 Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs.
"I may take her to the gate one day to let the gate crew get the chance to know her and may take her through the paddock once just to see it," Sims said of Don't Tell Sophia.
Sims said he has not taken an in-depth look at the Distaff, which drew 12 pre-entries, but at first glance he noticed a lot of speed for the 1 1/8-mile race over a track that tends to play toward speed.
"I am just concentrating on my horse, but (a speed-favoring track) is always a concern. We are not going to take her out of her element," Sims said of the late-running 6-year-old daughter of Congaree . "There seems to be a lot of speed in there, which is good for us. She'll run her race."
Ria Antonia, whose most recent victory came via disqualification in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park, prepared for her California return Friday morning with exercise rider Mario Orantes aboard for trainer Tom Amoss.
Working on her own after the renovation break and wearing blinkers, Ria Antonia produced a first quarter-mile in :23 1/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 2/5
"It was very good," Amoss said. "She did it in hand and the key thing was the rider was just sitting on her. That was exactly what we were looking for."
Loooch Racing Stable and Christopher Dunn's 3-year-old Rockport Harbor filly will ship from Louisville to Santa Anita on Tuesday. She will be ridden in the Distaff by Paco Lopez. Amoss will join her in California the following day.
It was the second work at Keeneland since the Spinster for Ria Antonia. A week earlier, she shared a bullet five-furlong work in :59 4/5 in blinkers.