Francesca LeDonne Photo

Pletcher contingent breezes for Breeders' Cup

by NYRA Press Office

• Casse loaded for Breeders' Cup; G1 Belmont winner Sir Winston back to work
• McLaughlin pre-enters Lucullan for G1 Breeder's Cup Mile
• McGaughey skips Breeders' Cup with Alandra, points to G2 Demoiselle
• Instagrand, Complexity make comeback in Sunday allowance
• Mandatory payouts for Empire 6, Early Pick 5 and Late Pick 5 slated for Sunday's Closing Day card

With one week remaining until the 2019 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park from November 1 - 2, conditioner Todd Pletcher oversaw the final major preparations on Friday morning at the Belmont Park training track before the contingent travels west on Monday.

Headed towards the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, 4-year-old Vino Rosso for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable completed his third breeze since being disqualified from first to second in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 28.

The Curlin colt, working in company with Noble Indy, completed four furlongs in 48.40 seconds with rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

"I thought he breezed terrific," said Pletcher. "It was a well-executed good strong breeze. He finished up strongly in hand and galloped out the way we hoped. Everything seemed to go according to plan. Last week was our real major work towards the Classic with him. This week he seemed to maintain form and seems to be thriving so far."

Calumet Farm's 4-year-old graded stakes winner Channel Cat won the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga this summer and followed with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at the Spa. Last out, he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont before eyeing his next start in the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf.

Channel Cat, in company with Lemonist, also visited the Belmont training track, breezing four furlongs in 49.44.

"I thought he breezed strongly for a turf horse going over the dirt," said Pletcher. "He seemed to handle it well and finished up with good energy galloping out strongly."

Multiple graded-stakes winner Coal Front for owners Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners will return to face Grade 1 competition in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Coal Front, who captured the Parx Dirt Mile on September 21, worked four furlongs in 50.95 over the Belmont training track.

"It probably wasn't the best executed breeze we had this morning," said Pletcher. "He kind of eased off at the five-eighths pole. Before that, he got into good rhythm and was settled and relaxed. He ended up galloping out good. He seems to be happy with himself. "

Set for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Pletcher reported Sweet Melania, for owners Robert and Lawana Low has continued to progress off her impressive 5 ½ length victory in the Grade 2 Jessamine on October 9 at Keenland.

"She's doing well," said Pletcher. "We let her pick her gallop a little bit yesterday, it seems like she's moving very well and she came out of her race in good order so she's set to fly early tomorrow morning."

Pletcher also reported New York-bred Freewheeler, who was pre-entered for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and is currently in 16th place on the oversubscribed list, continues to train well and will make his next start in the $100,00o Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds on Saturday, November 9 at Aqueduct if he does not draw into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

*      *     *

Casse loaded for Breeders' Cup; G1 Belmont winner Sir Winston back to work

Mark Casse boasts a strong Breeders' Cup contingent, led by Grade 1 Preakness-winner War of Will (Classic) and Grade 1 Fourstardave champ Got Stormy (Mile). Additional Casse contenders include Perfect Alibi (Juvenile Fillies), Two Sixty (Juvenile Fillies) and Peace Achieved (Juvenile Turf). Jack and Noah and Proven Strategies are on the overflow list for the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Juvenile Turf, respectively.

Gary Barber's War of Will joins a talented group in a wide open edition of the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic set for Saturday, November 2 at Santa Anita Park.

The War Front bay contested all three legs of the Triple Crown including a troubled effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby where he was placed seventh; a subsequent redemption with a 1 1/4-length score in the Grade 1 Preakness; and an off-the-board effort in the Belmont Stakes.

War of Will has since finished fifth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga and third in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx.

War of Will breezed a half-mile in 47.40 on Friday morning at Santa Anita.

"I thought he went extremely well," said Casse. "I think he looks great but he's got to pick up his game. He's going to need his A plus game. We figure if he comes with it, he's got a shot. It's tough. He's playing against the older boys now."

Got Stormy has posted four consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures dating back to a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Rule at Churchill Downs in May. She followed that effort with a score in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose on August 3 at Saratoga; a track-record setting score against the boys in the Grade 1 Fourstardave; and a last-out second in a swiftly-run Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on September 14.

Casse said the lengthy stretch run of the Woodbine turf course was not to Got Stormy's advantage last out.

"I thought her Woodbine Mile was good," said Casse. "She's a true miler. She can get a little farther if the turf is really hard, but she had two things against her last time - the turf had some give to it; and a mile turf race at Woodbine is not like a mile anywhere else. One of her strong suits is her ability to quicken and it's not as effective on that long stretch. She will be much more effective at Santa Anita and I would think we will get a hard, firm turf course there as well."

Perfect Alibi posted back-to-back graded stakes sprint wins at Saratoga this summer under Irad Ortiz, Jr., taking the Grade 2 Adirondack at 6 1/2-furlongs and the Grade 1 Spinaway going seven furlongs. Last out, with Jose Ortiz up, in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades, the dark bay daughter of Sky Mesa ran second to British Idiom.

Casse said Perfect Alibi didn't handle the Keeneland surface last out.

"I think she struggled with the track at Keeneland. It was opening day and the track was very loose," said Casse. "I knew down the backside she was going to struggle because the pace wasn't that fast and Jose was having to ask her to keep up. When she won the Adirondack and the Spinaway, she was into the bit with much faster splits. I thought Jose rode her well but we're excited to get Irad back."

Two Sixty, a Florida-bred daughter of the Casse-trained multiple graded-stakes winner Uncaptured, has won two of four starts, all at Gulfstream Park, including a last-out score in the Florida Sire My Dear.

In her two non-winning efforts, Two Sixty ran third in the slop on August 9 and lost her rider on August 31.

"The race where she lost the rider, she was in a good place and a horse bumped her and it may have knocked her off stride a bit and Zayas went flying," said Casse. "One thing about her, in the races where she's had a good trip she's won impressively. Obviously, she hasn't run against the company she'll face next, but the colt who won the other have of the division [Chance It, Reality Stakes], he ran a fifth of a second faster but had a few 90 Beyers coming into that race.

"I think her Beyer puts her right in there with everybody and in her second time going two turns, she should improve," added Casse. "A lot of the other fillies have yet to go two turns.

Two Sixty breezed four furlongs in 48 flat on Friday at Santa Anita.

"She worked well," said Casse. "Aaron Gryder worked her for us. They had just put up a big white tent in the infield and Aaron said she was watching that tent for a quarter of a mile. You can see her cocking her head and she lost focus. I'd call War of Will's work this morning an A plus and Two Sixty's work a B."

JSM Equine's Peace Achieved is on a three-race win streak heading into the Juvenile Turf, including a maiden win at Ellis Park on July 27; a 2 1/2-length score in the Juvenile at Kentucky Downs; and a narrow neck win the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland last out on October 6.

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston, last seen capturing the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 8, returned to the work tab at Casse Training Center on Wednesday, breezing three furlongs in 37.40 seconds.

The Awesome Again chestnut graduated at Woodbine Racetrack last September and two starts later captured the Display, both going two turns on Tapeta. After finishing off-the-board in pair of Kentucky Derby preps, Sir Winston re-routed to Belmont where he rallied for second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan ahead of his Belmont Stakes win.

*      *     *

McLaughlin pre-enters Lucullan for G1 Breeder's Cup Mile

Following a victory in the Grade 2 Knickerbocker, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is taking a shot with Godolphin's Lucullan and has pre-entered the 5-year-old Hard Spun bay in the Grade 1, $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile on November 2 at Santa Anita.

Lucullan won his 2019 debut off a 14-month layoff when he bested stakes winners Noble Indy and Therapist in a Belmont allowance race over the inner turf. Next out he won the Lure at Saratoga before a troubled third in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in Canada.

Since his Knickerbocker triumph, Lucullan has settled into McLaughlin's base at Greentree Training Center in Saratoga.

Currently on the outside looking in, Lucullan is 17th on the list of pre-entries for the Mile and would need three defections in order to draw into the race. Four-time Grade 1 winner Bricks and Mortar also is pre-entered to the Mile but has the Turf as first preference.

"Lucullan is doing great. It's a little quick back for me - just 19 days, but we decided to pre-enter and see," McLaughlin said. "He's number 17 on the list and needs a couple things to happen. We will go if he gets in. If he doesn't we'll look for something in Florida for him. He's a really nice horse and unlucky not to be 4-for-4 this year. He's a real serious horse with a bright future."

McLaughlin will at least have one other Breeders' Cup starter when he saddles Dawn the Destroyer for the Filly and Mare Sprint. Owned by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Farm, the 5-year-old daughter of Speightstown arrives at the prestigious seven furlong event off of dual runner-up efforts against graded stakes company, most recently finishing second in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America on October 6 at Keeneland. She will seek her first win since taking her 2019 debut in the Interborough on January 25 at Aqueduct.

"Dawn the Destroyer was beat a head at Keeneland in the "Win and You're In" Thoroughbred Club of America and she's come back and worked real well," McLaughlin said. "She'll go seven-eighths in the Filly and Mare Sprint which is a good distance for her. She's in good form right now after finishing second at Saratoga in a Grade 1 [Ketel One Ballerina] and second at Keeneland in a Grade 1. She won a stake earlier this year in January [the Interborough at Aqueduct], but it would be nice to win a Grade 1."

*      *     *

McGaughey skips Breeders' Cup with Alandra, points to G2 Demoiselle

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who is slated to saddle Code of Honor for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, will not have Alandra accompany the dual Grade 1 winner on the plane ride to California and will skip the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Instead, he is targeting the Grade 2, $300,000 Demoiselle on December 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack for the daughter of Blame.

Owned by Helen C. Alexander and Helen K. Groves, Alandra was third as the lukewarm favorite in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland last out after an impressive debut graduation on September 1 at Saratoga.

"We plan on going to the Demoiselle. She's been doing well," McGaughey said.

McGaughey will be seeking a second triumph in the 1 1/8-mile event for 2-year-old fillies after winning the 2006 edition with Boca Grande.

A Kentucky homebred, Alandra is out of the graded stakes winning A.P. Indy broodmare Alteese who is out of Grade 1 winner Aldiza.

McGaughey was pleased with Code of Honor's October 21 breeze on the Belmont main where he covered five furlongs in 1:00.20.

"I thought his work was excellent. It was just what I asked for," said McGaughey. "It couldn't have been any better and he seemed to come out of it well. He had a day off and has been back to the track the last few days. Everything seems to be going well."

McGaughey, who will be targeting his 10th Breeders' Cup win, said Code of Honor will log his final work in preparation for the Classic on Sunday morning at Belmont.

*      *     *

Instagrand, Complexity make comeback in Sunday allowance

Accomplished graded stakes winners Instagrand and Complexity will square off in Closing Day Sunday's third race, an allowance event going 6 ½ furlongs over the Belmont main track.

Instagrand, an Into Mischief bay owned by Larry Best's OXO Equine, has not raced since finishing eighth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile on May 4 at Churchill Downs which was his only off-the-board effort. Following a 10-length romp in his career debut last summer at Los Alamitos, he won the Grade 3 Best Pal but did not race again until seven months later when running third to Haikal in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct.

The National Weather Service calls for a 90% chance of rain for the Elmont, New York area on Sunday, troubling trainer Don Chatlos.

"I feel good other than the weather. We're keeping an eye on that," Chatlos said. "It's the only negative. If it rains, what are we going to do? We waited this whole time to run him, but we'll make a decision close to race time if it's as bad as it looks."

Since August, Instagrand has consistently been on the work tab for Chatlos. Most recently, going a half-mile in 47.22 seconds over the Belmont main track on October 20.

"He had a really good work out of the gate with [jockey Joel] Rosario once and I did a three-quarter work [four works back on September 27] and galloped out really strong," said Chatlos. "He's done everything right leading up to this point and he hasn't missed a beat since then."

Chatlos said that the plan is for Instagrand to remain in training at age 4.

"Mr. Best's plan is to run him next year so we'll get him through this first and then make a plan from there," said Chatlos.

Bred in Kentucky by Stoneway Farm, Instagrand is out of the Lawyer Ron broodmare Assets of War and was purchased for $1.2 million from last year's Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Making his first start since running 11th in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens in June is Complexity, who won the 2018 Grade 1 Champagne at Big Sandy.

Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, the son of Maclean's Music remained at Saratoga for trainer Chad Brown all through the month of September and has worked three times at Belmont heading into Sunday's race. Most recently, he worked five furlongs in 1:01.66. Complexity will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

*      *     *

Mandatory payouts for Empire 6, Early Pick 5 and Late Pick 5 slated for Sunday's Closing Day card

Closing Day of the Belmont Park fall meet on Sunday will feature mandatory payouts for the Empire 6, Early Pick 5 and Late Pick 5 wagers. The nine-race card, with a first post time of 12:20 p.m. Eastern, will close the curtain on the 38-day fall meet.

The Empire 6, which featured a $199,696 jackpot entering Friday's card, will start with Race 4 at 2:01 p.m. and include all three stakes on the Belmont fall finale's slate, starting with the $100,000 Chelsey Flower in the opening leg, along with the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie in Race 7 and the $125,000 Zagora in Race 8.

The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100% of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75% of the day's net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

The Early Pick 5 will start with the first race and the Late Pick 5 will commence with Race 5 at 2:39 p.m. The Late Pick 5 will feature the final two stakes, with fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going seven furlongs on the main track in the Pumpkin Pie and fillies and mares 3-years-old and up contesting the Zagora at 1 ½ miles on the Widener turf course.

With the conclusion of the fall meet, Belmont Park, including the Belmont Café, will be closed to the public for the remainder of the year. Live racing will shift to Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York starting Friday, November 1.

The Aqueduct fall meet will offer 27 stakes worth $5 million in purses. Highlights include the inaugural four-day NYRA Thanksgiving Racing Festival offering 11 stakes worth $1.9 million in purse money from November 28 through December 1. The Cigar Mile Racing Festival, which starts Thursday, December 5 and runs through December 8, will feature four graded stakes worth $1.5 million in purse money, anchoring the fall meet's final weekend.