Art Collector © Eclipse Sportswire / Breeders' Cup
Bruce Lunsford’s Art Collector, who figures to be one of the leading candidates for Saturday’s $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), worked a half-mile in :48.40 Sunday morning to highlight a work tab that featured 20 pre-entrants to the World Championships slated for Friday and Saturday at Del Mar.
Art Collector was one of three horses to work for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Neil Poznansky was aboard the trio that included Casa Creed (Mile) going 4f in :47.60 and War Like Goddess (Filly & Mare Turf) going a half-mile in :48.20.
“They were all useful works, nothing blazing fast,” said Mott, who has won 10 Breeders’ Cup races. “I never have a problem working good grass horses on dirt and this track looks safe and very forgiving.”
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez was aboard Bella Sofia as she covered a half-mile in :48.40 in preparation for the Filly & Mare Sprint.
“She’s a happy girl and she loves to just go about her business,” Rodriguez said of Bella Sofia who has won four of five career starts and features daylight victories in the Test (G1) and Gallant Bloom (G2) in her past two outings. “She handled the track well and was very comfortable on it.”
In all, 14 pre-entrants worked on the fast main track and six more were on the firm Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen worked four of his six pre-entrants headlined by probable Qatar Racing Sprint favorite Jackie’s Warrior who covered 3f in :36.80. Also working half-miles for Asmussen were Clairiere (Longines Distaff) in :49.20, Echo Zulu (NetJets Juvenile Fillies) in :50.40 and Silver State (Dirt Mile) in :48.60.
Other dirt workers included C Z Rocket (Qatar Racing Sprint) going 3f in :35.80, Commander (Turf Sprint also-eligible) a half-mile in :48.80, Giant Game (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance) a half-mile in :48.60, and the Richard Mandella-trained duo of Dogtag (Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf) and Bombard (Turf Sprint also-eligible) working 5f in :58.20 and :58.40, respectively, in company.
Idol worked 5f in company in 1:02.40 but after the work trainer Richard Baltas notified Breeders’ Cup officials that he did not feel Idol was 100 percent and withdrew him from the Classic.
Two other horses were withdrawn from Breeders’ Cup consideration by their connections Sunday morning: Flagstaff from the Qatar Racing Sprint and Reina de Mollendo (ARG) from the Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf.
Highlighting the six pack of grass workers were two California standouts in Mo Forza and Going to Vegas.
Mo Forza, a two-time winner of the Del Mar Mile (G2), worked a half-mile in :49.40 for the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF for trainer Peter Miller. Shortly after Mo Forza finished his work, Going to Vegas worked a half-mile in :49.20 for Baltas in preparation for the Maker’s Mark Filly & Mare Turf.
Also working on the turf we’re Time to Party (Juvenile Turf Sprint) going 3f in :38.20, Charmaine’s Mia (Turf Sprint) going a half-mile in :50.20, Extravagant Kid (Turf Sprint) a half-mile in :49.40 in company with Zofelle (IRE) and Cairo Memories (Juvenile Fillies Turf) going 5f in 1:04.40.
