Maximum Security, Improbable work for Awesome Again

ARCADIA, Calif. – Maximum Security and Improbable will see a lot of each other this fall, but trainer Bob Baffert kept them apart for key workouts Monday morning at Santa Anita as they prepare for their first of two autumn showdowns.

Although the country’s top older males worked five furlongs an hour apart on Monday, their autumn race schedule is the same. Maximum Security and Improbable both run Saturday in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, followed by the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“I hate to run those two together, but they’re both doing really well,” Baffert said, referring to the Awesome Again. “I wanted to split them up and run

Improbable in the Jockey Club Gold Cup [Oct. 10 at Belmont], but we figured the extra two weeks would [help].”

Improbable worked alone at 6:40 a.m., five furlongs in 1:01 over a tiring main track. “He went well, he’s ready to go,” Baffert said immediately after the work. Improbable scored convincing wins his last two starts, in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita and Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga.

Maximum Security worked at 7:55 a.m., five furlongs in 1:00.60. Maximum Security is a lazy worker by himself, therefore typically works in company. He had two workmates Monday, disposing of one before he rallied inside the other in deep stretch.

“It worked out nice,” Baffert said. “He was working with company, and then he hooked up with other company [staying] on the rail. The track is deep down there. The track is pretty demanding. He went well. He couldn’t be doing any better.”

Luis Saez will ride Maximum Security for the first time since he won the Saudi Cup in February; Abel Cedillo substituted for Saez in both summer starts, including his victory in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Drayden Van Dyke will ride Improbable.

Baffert also worked three other Grade 1-caliber horses for weekend stakes. The 4-year-old filly Fighting Mad worked by herself after the 6:30 a.m. break; she went five furlongs in 1:00.20. She wired the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch on Aug. 2 at Del Mar and is expected to be heavily favored Sunday in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes.

Princess Noor, the 2-year-old filly who won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante by more than six lengths Sept. 6, worked five furlongs by herself in 1:00.20. She is likely to start at odds-on when she stretches to two turns Saturday in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes. Sorrento Stakes winner My Girl Red, who pulled up in the Debutante, will not run.

Spielberg, runner-up in both his starts including the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, worked five furlongs in 1:02. The 2-year-old colt will vie for favoritism with maiden winner Superman Shaq in the Grade 1 American Pharoah on Saturday. Del Mar Futurity winner Dr. Schivel will not run in the American Pharoah.