- HOT ROD CHARLIE BREEZES FOR BC CLASSIC
- FLASHIEST IS HOME FOR THE TWILIGHT DERBY
- MILE OF AUTUMN MISS SUITS BURGOO ALLEY
- IDOL IS AMONG BREEDERS’ CUP WORKERS
O’NEILL FEELS GOOD AFTER HOT ROD’S CLASSIC WORK
Hot Rod Charlie had his penultimate workout this morning for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6, going seven furlongs under regular rider Flavien Prat in 1:26 and change, according to Doug O’Neill.
The son of Oxbow’s time on Santa Anita’s official work tab was 1:26.80.
“He galloped out good and we’re feeling good,” said Santa Anita’s leading trainer. “He’ll ship Wednesday to Del Mar where he’ll have his final work.”
With the likes of committed speedsters Medina Spirit, Knicks Go and Art Collector pointing to the Classic, it could prove beneficial for Hot Rod Charlie’s stalking style, although he has speed should he choose to use it early on.
“Today he sat off a workmate and there were a couple others out there from other barns, so he kind of sat in behind three horses, split ’em turning for home and finished up good,” O’Neill said. “He had a taste of what the Classic could look like.
“He’s versatile, so we have options.”
FLASHIEST ‘COMFY’ BACK HOME FOR TWILIGHT DERBY
Flashiest, who has outrun his odds in almost all six of his career starts, could continue that pattern in the Grade II Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on closing day next Sunday, Oct. 31.
A son of Mizzen Mast conditioned by Leonard Powell, Flashiest has three wins and two seconds, his lone disappointing performance an eventful 11th in the Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational last Aug. 7.
“When we shipped to Saratoga, the experience was too much for him,” the trainer explained. “He got really hot in the paddock and he got to be a handful for the jockey. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming.
“He had his first race in April of this year, so he’s still quite immature. But once we got back to Del Mar and into his routine, he’s been just fine.”
A three-year-old gelding, Flashiest has a win and a second over Santa Anita’s turf course, and the mile and an eighth of the Twilight Derby should suit his strong stretch-running style.
“That should be the right distance for him,” Powell said, “and Abel (Cedillo) will ride him back.”.
Cedillo was aboard last out on Sept. 4 when second by three-quarters of a length at odds of nearly 13-1 in the Grade II Del Mar Derby, and at nearly the same odds on July 16 when he guided him to victory by a head in the restricted Oceanside.
Flashiest worked four furlongs this morning in 50.40.
BURGOO ALLEY STRETCHES OUT IN AUTUMN MISS
Burgoo Alley, beaten favorite in the restricted Unzip Me Stakes Oct. 3 when she stumbled breaking from the rail but still rallied to finish third, is out to make amends in Saturday’s Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes for three-year-old fillies at a mile on turf.
“She wants to go two turns,” trainer Phil D’Amato said of the Irish-bred daughter of the Giant’s Causeway stallion Footstepsinthesand, “and she’ll do that in the Autumn Miss,” he added in reference to the right-handed bend early in the hillside journey.
Burgoo Alley worked five furlongs on the training track this morning in 59.80.
The Autumn Miss drew 21 nominations, including those from accomplished out-of-town trainers Michael Maker, Graham Motion, Brad Cox, Brendan Walsh and Mark Casse, so it could be a very salty edition of the $100,000 race.
FINISH LINES: Among the 222 recorded workouts at Santa Anita this morning were several by Breeders’ Cup candidates among them Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol (Classic, six furlongs in 1:14.40 for Richard Baltas); Restrainedvengence (Dirt Mile, four furlongs in 48.20 for Val Brinkerhoff); Dr. Schivel, Sprint, five furlongs in 1:00.80 for Mark Glatt); and Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint, five furlongs in 59.20 for Bob Baffert) . . . Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, pointing to next Sunday’s Twilight Derby, worked five furlongs this morning in 1:00.60 for John Sadler . . . Doug O’Neill won two races Friday including the $63,000 allowance feature with So Very Smart to draw closer to another Santa Anita training title. With five racing days left, the 53-year-old Michigan native has 12 wins, three more than runners-up Bob Baffert and Peter Miller. O’Neill captured his first Santa Anita crown in 2004-05 with 54 wins, followed by additional Winter/Spring titles in 2005-06 (50), 2006-07 (56) and 2018-19 (29)…Tom Quigley’s pre-race handicapping guest today is Scott Blasi, assistant to HOF trainer Steve Asmussen. Quigley’s guest Sunday morning is Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable. Seminars begin at 70 minutes to first post time at 11:50 a.m. PT.
LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:
FEATURES:
Eddie Olczyk’s Hat Trick at Santa Anita Park 10-22-21
Preview of The Lure Stakes 10-23-21
WORKOUTS:
Hot Rod Charlie (Outside) and Nothngoodcomseasy (O’Neill) 10-23-21
Grace Adler (Outside) and Portsmouth (Baffert) 10-22-21
She’s Got A Way (Eurton) 10-22-21
Medina Spirit (Inside) and Ax Man (Baffert) 10-22-21
Lieutenant Dan (Miyadi) 10-21-21
Triple Tap (Outside) and Wesleyan (Baffert) 10-21-21
Lady Macarena (Outside) and Endless Sunset (McCarthy) 10-21-21
Cotopaxi (Mullins) 10-20-21
Dogtag (Mandella) 10-20-21
Cordiality (Yakteen) 10-20-21
Midcourt (Shirreffs) 10-18-21
Algeria (Knapp) 10-18-21
Subconscious (Mandella) 10-18-21
Frost Alert (Sadler) 10-18-21
Pinehurst (Outside) and Classier (Baffert) 10-18-21
Tripoli (Outside) and Back Ring Luck (Sadler) 10-17-21
Hit the Road (Blacker) 10-17-21
Max Player (Inside) and Clairiere (Outside) (Asmussen) 10-17-21
