O’Brien horses make first workout appearance

DEL MAR, Calif. – After seeing an endless stream of Chad Brown and Bob Bafferttrained Breeders’ Cup contenders out on the track at Del Mar the previous couple of mornings, along came Team O’Brien to join them on Thursday. The O’Brien horses made

their first local appearance since being released from quarantine and all had relatively busy mornings, jogging approximately 1 1/4 miles before reversing direction to gallop another mile or so over the main track. Among the notables was HIGHLAND REEL, who boiled over as usual by the time he’d completed a routine jog, a positive sign considering he did the same prior to his impressive victory in the 2016 Turf.

O’Brien’s two Classic hopefuls, CHURCHILL and WAR DECREE, were also on the track here for the first time. Churchill got pretty warm himself. I don’t know if that is in character because I had never seen him train prior to this morning. War Decree, on the other hand, looked cool and collected, although he clearly has the type of action befitting a horse who’d prefer turf to dirt.

GUN RUNNER and ARROGATE were both on the track at the same time as dawn broke shortly after 6:30 a.m. Gun Runner schooled at the gate and got a bit hot himself this morning. Arrogate had his first gallop over the strip since arriving on Tuesday and couldn’t have made a more favorable impression.

The starting gate was a very busy place on Thursday, with dozens of Breeders’ Cup runners getting in last-minute schooling sessions. UNIQUE BELLA visited the gate for a second consecutive morning. An alert start is key to her success as the favorite in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Many of the Europeans were finally given a chance to really stretch their legs over the turf course during a very busy 7:15 a.m. session. The best of the bunch was Turf favorite ULYSSES, who looked extremely sharp blowing out three furlongs in 38.06 while really extending himself under late urging to complete a final quarter in 24.35. SENGA, who was allowed to do relatively little training over the main track the previous two mornings, also got down to some serious business on the grass, flying down the stretch in a sharp 24.95 before continuing out with nice energy both into and around the turn. SUEDOIS and DECORATED KNIGHT also looked good blowing out from the three-eighths pole.

Others who caught the eye today were WAR FLAG (Filly and Mare Turf), who has been full of energy galloping over the main track on a daily basis; BAR OF GOLD, a big, powerful mare who will need to be at her very best to contend in the deep Filly and Mare Sprint; LADY ELI, who really got to open up this morning, galloping at close to a two-minute clip and looking in peak form coming into the Filly and Mare Turf; IMPERIAL HINT, who dragged his rider around for well over a mile at better than a two-minute lick himself; and OM, who was feeling so good he pulled his rider from the five-eighths pole to the wire in 1:07 after first spending time schooling at the gate.

The following are impressions of some of the key contenders on Saturday’s card that I’ve seen work here and at Belmont Park in the weeks leading up to the Breeders’ Cup.

Juvenile Fillies

MOONSHINE MEMORIES showed her affinity for the local strip breezing a very easy four furlongs in 48.09 on Oct. 29.

SEPARATIONOFPOWERS was hard held going four furlongs in 48.03 in company at Belmont Park with a big gallopout on Oct. 22.

Turf Sprint

LADY AURELIA was well held late inside Master Merion (won a restricted stakes here Wednesday) completing a solid half-mile breeze over the Del Mar turf on Sunday.

Filly and Mare Sprint

PAULASSILVERLINING completed her last four furlongs in 47.14 going very easily over a dull track at Belmont on Oct. 21 while besting Grade 2-placed Jamyson ‘n Ginger.

Filly and Mare Turf

WUHEIDA has looked terrific, punctuating her local stay with a visually impressive five furlongs around the dogs in 1:01.86 on Tuesday.

LADY ELI couldn’t be doing any better. Caught her at Belmont on Oct. 21 finishing full of run down the stretch with plenty left in the tank in company with stakes winner Elysea’s World.

Sprint

AMERICAN PASTIME flew from the half-mile pole here on Oct. 27, shading 34 for his final three-eighths while still well within himself.

ROY H was under a big hold throughout, shading 24 down the stretch in a move where the visual impression was far better than the final time suggests.

Mile

ZELZAL and SUEDOIS are a couple of Euro contenders who have caught the eye here this week. Zelzal was especially full of run both in his gallops and when allowed to stretch out down the lane on Wednesday.

Juvenile

FREE DROP BILLY couldn’t be doing any better. Loved his local drill, an easy-as-can-be and visually outstanding five furlongs in 1:00.86 on Saturday.

GOLDEN DRAGON is probably a bit overmatched in this spot trying dirt for the first time, but he is an imposinglooking 2-year-old who looked terrific zipping five furlongs in 58.91 without urging here on Oct. 31.

Turf

BEACH PATROL and FANCIFUL ANGEL have been regular workmates at Belmont, both putting in a very good showing finishing full of run under big holds,and galloping out with great energy over the Belmont turf on Oct. 21.

Classic

GUN RUNNER made a routine half-mile maintenance work look spectacular, just cruising in 49.62 to put an exclamation mark on a series of huge works leading up to the Classic.