A Tale of Two BC Breezes for Hot Rod Charlie, Letruska

With the Breeders’ Cup World Championships arising Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar, horses prepping for the two-day occasion had been out in drive for exercises Oct. 30 in California.

Hot Rod Charlie  and Letruska  led the star power at the host track, with the former recording the longest pre-Breeders’ Cup workout of the morning, traveling seven furlongs in 1:26 4/5, and the latter breezing five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 after picking up unintended company. Hot Rod Charlie is one of the leading 3-year-olds prepping for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), while the standout mare Letruska is a short-priced favorite for the $2 million Longines Breeder’ Cup Distaff (G1).

Elsewhere in Southern California, numerous top prospects worked at Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs.

Whereas Scorching Rod Charlie’s exercise went with out a hitch, Letruska’s didn’t unfold as deliberate. Meant by coach Fausto Gutierrez for a solo exercise, she got here inside a horse breezing in entrance of her, the Richard Baltas-trained 2-year-old winner Brandon’smylawyer , and the pair sped off.

BREAKING: More insight of the unintentional work from Letruska with @TVGJoaquin pic.twitter.com/6zha0rCL9T

— Breeders’ Cup (@BreedersCup) October 30, 2021

Letruska (Super Saver  ) moved in front down the backstretch but was outfinished on the turn and down the stretch. She checked in a few lengths behind her younger rival at the end of the workout.

WATCH: Hot Rod Charlie complete his final workout leading into the @BreedersCup Basic subsequent Saturday @DelMarRacing!

Tune-in to Breakfast on the Breeders’ Cup LIVE: https://t.co/JnDfgd2kLJ pic.twitter.com/caBwHNvFSK

— TVG (@TVG) October 30, 2021

“When Flavien known as on him, he responded effectively and separated himself and seemed good,” coach Doug O’Neill advised TVG.

Each horses are grade 1 winners this yr, with Scorching Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Steady, Roadrunner Racing, and Invoice Strauss, taking the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) in his most up-to-date begin. St. George Steady’s Letruska has captured 4 top-level races in six wins this yr, together with the Oct. 10 Juddmonte Spinister Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

At Santa Anita, champion Gamine , the expected heavy favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), was one of the stars of morning training. The Bob Baffert trainee overpowered her workmate, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 3/5.

Mark Glatt called an audible and switched Dr. Schivel  from 7:45 to 9 a.m. PT, and sent the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) contender out with a maiden 3-year-old to work in company. Dr. Schivel worked a bullet five furlongs in :58 2/5.

Michael McCarthy sent out his three pre-entered Breeders’ Cup horses at Santa Anita: Ce Ce  (Filly & Mare Sprint, G1), Smooth Like Strait  (FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, G1T), and Friar’s Road  (an also-eligible in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, G1T). 

Friar’s Road, who finished third to United  and Acclimate  in the John Henry Turf Championship (G2T), is listed as number 22 in the Turf, which has 14 in the field and eight on the also-eligible list.

Trainer John Sadler also worked Classic longshot Tripoli  five furlongs in :59. The Hronis Racing-owned colt is a stakes winner on dirt at Del Mar, having taken the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) this summer.

Rattle N Roll Tops KY Tab

Meanwhile, with workouts from Essential Quality  , Knicks Go  , and Shedaresthedevil  postponed a day due to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs, Rattle N Roll  headlined Saturday workouts from Breeders’ Cup horses beneath the Twin Spires.

Breezing under exercise rider Danny Ramsey at about 5:40 a.m. ET, shortly after Churchill Downs opened for training, the grade 1-winning 2-year-old comfortably traveled five furlongs in 1:02 2/5. Clockers caught him with splits of :13, :25 2/5, :37 1/5 and timed him galloping out six furlongs in 1:16.

“I just sat on him, let him run, run off on his own, and he did it all by himself,” Ramsey said.

Rattle N Roll worked 5:30 this morning @ChurchillDowns went effectively. Initially scheduled for 7:30. Canceled Tiz The Bomb work at Keeneland resulting from rain. He’s going Sunday @Keeneland hope this climate clears out fast. pic.twitter.com/MEWfTS80qk

— Kenny McPeek (@KennyMcPeek) October 30, 2021

The Fortunate Seven Steady-owned and Kenny McPeek-trained runner has gained two straight races below jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. since stretched out to race 1 1/16 miles. He gained a maiden race at Churchill Downs Sept. 23 adopted by the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 9.

One and one-sixteenth miles can also be the space of the TVG Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Offered by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), the place he’ll make his subsequent begin Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Ramsey feels good concerning the Breeders’ Cup probabilities of Rattle N Roll and Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ Tiz the Bomb , McPeek’s other Breeders’ Cup starter this year. Tiz the Bomb goes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), also Friday.

He sees development from Rattle N Roll, a Connect   colt who lost his first two starts. In one of those defeats, coming this summer at Saratoga Race Course, jockey Jose Ortiz pulled him up after the colt raced erratically with an eye fixed damage that has since healed. 

Ramsey mentioned by way of the colt placing issues collectively on a scale to 10, Rattle N Roll is a “9” coming into the Breeders’ Cup.

“However I am afraid when he will get quantity 10, oh my God, he could be harmful,” Ramsey mentioned. “He could be very, very harmful.”

WATCH: Ramsey Says Rattle N Roll a ‘9’ Going into BC Juvenile

Tiz the Bomb, winner of the Citadel & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2T), had a scheduled exercise pushed again till Sunday resulting from moist observe circumstances at Keeneland, McPeek tweeted.

Although coach Brad Cox equally delayed exercises from Important High quality, Knicks Go, and Shedaresthedevil at Churchill Downs, he did decide to work Turnerloose  and Ready to Purrform  five furlongs late Saturday morning. They breezed in company in the slop in 1:02 1/5.

Cox felt they did not need as demanding of a workout, as turf horses, and with their intended starts coming on Friday, he chose not to postpone their drills.

WATCH: Cox Postpones Works for Essential Quality, Knicks Go, Shedaresthedevil

Ike and Daybreak Thrash’s Turnerloose is a Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) prospect, whereas Donegal Racing’s Able to Purrform may go within the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf. As of Saturday morning, he wanted a defection to realize entrance into the sphere from the listing of alternates.

Turnerloose outdoors Able to Purrform 5F from the half 102.20. #BC21 pic.twitter.com/J7Ci4bWYhA

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) October 30, 2021

Cox mentioned the preparation of his older horses is essentially unchanged by delaying exercises a day. Important High quality and Knicks Go run within the Breeders’ Cup Basic, Shedaresthedevil within the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. 

“We’ll nonetheless look to get a superb transfer out of them,” Cox mentioned. “However we’ll see how the observe is tomorrow. I believe it will likely be a bit of higher and go from there.”

The next chart lists official exercise instances for horses pre-entered to the Breeders’ Cup. As a result of fog at Santa Anita, some breezing horses there weren’t timed by observe clockers.