BREEDERS’ CUP NOTEBOOK HALLANDALE, Fla. – Several horses had their final preps yesterday at Gulfstream for tomorrow’s Breeders’ Cup.
Dixie Union, one of the favorites for the Juvenile, blew out three furlongs in :36 1/5 under jockey Alex Solis, with trainer Dick Mandella catching him the final furlong in a blazing :11 and change.
Although the colt’s post 12 is considered a death sentence by many because Dixie Union will get hung wide on the first turn, Solis said, “I like it. On paper, there’s plenty of speed in the race, and Forest Camp is inside me. I can just follow him over and see what’s going on the first quarter-mile.”
After being closed for several days, the spongy turf course – which is slowly drying under the partially cloudy skies and brisk wind – was opened again for training, with the “dogs” (traffic cones) set far out from the rail to protect the inner part of the course.
Trainer Ron McAnally sent out his three Cup horses, Bonapartiste and Dark Moondancer for the Turf and Brave Act for the Mile, to work on the grass.
Breezing in company, Bonapartiste and Dark Moondancer, a recent arrival from Europe, went four furlongs in :52 2/5.
“They say the turf course is soft, but I didn’t see any clods being kicked up,” McAnally said.
Trainer Bobby Frankel worked Kirkwall on turf under jockey Victor Espinoza. The official clockers timed the move in :38 for three furlongs while Frankel caught him going a half-mile in :50.
“He didn’t look like he went that fast,” he said. “He’s a horrible work horse on the main track, but he works well on turf. He likes a little cut in the ground.”
The clockers caught Middlesex Drive, who drew the rail for the Mile, breezing four furlongs in :50 2/5.
“He actually went three-eighths in about :36 or :37,” trainer Phil Hauswald said. “He galloped out fine and finished well.”
European invader Jim and Tonic breezed a half in :52 3/5 over the turf.
“It was a good work,” French trainer Francois Doumen said. “He proved he can handle the turns in Toronto [the Atto Mile at Woodbine] but that’s a bigger track than this one.
“He’s had a lighter campaign this year with this race in mind. The Toronto race was bad luck [Jim and Tonic finished fourth, beaten a half length, but was moved up to third because he was struck in the face with another rider’s whip]. But it also was good news because he showed he could beat those horses.”
