Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Improbable glides through half-mile work for BC Classic
ARCADIA, Calif. – An allstar team of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls worked at Santa Anita over the weekend led by Sunday appearances from top older horses Improbable and Maximum Security.
Improbable, the winner of three consecutive Grade 1 races since early June, worked a halfmile in 47.20 seconds, a time slightly faster than Maximum Security’s clocking of 47.80 seconds.
Improbable and Maximum Security were first and second in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 26, their final prep races for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
Improbable left trainer Bob Baffert impressed with his workout.
“He just glides,” Baffert said. “He’s an unbelievably moving horse. He bounced out of it very well.”
Maximum Security, the champion 3-year-old male of 2019, won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 22.
“Max looked great,” Baffert said.
Baffert plans to have three runners in the BC Classic, a group that will include Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, a close second to the filly Swiss Skydiver in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Oct. 3.
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Improbable in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1, will have the mount in the BC Classic, Baffert said. Drayden Van Dyke rode Improbable in the Awesome Again.
“Drayden rides him here,” Baffert said.
The 3-year-old sprinter Collusion Illusion worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds Sunday for the BC Sprint on Nov. 7. Trained by Mark Glatt, Collusion Illusion won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1 and was third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 27.
On Saturday, eight prospective runners for Breeders’ Cup races were given workouts, notably the Baffert-trained 2-year-old filly Princess Noor, who worked a half-mile in 47.40 seconds for the BC Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 6. Princess Noor is unbeaten in three starts, including the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 26.
Among 3-year-old fillies, Gamine worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 7, while Harvest Moon worked a half-mile in 49.20 for the BC Distaff the same day.
Gamine was third in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4. Harvest Moon won the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes on Sept. 27 for her fourth consecutive win.
Mucho Unusual, the winner of the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares on turf on Sept. 26, worked a halfmile in 49 seconds for the BC Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 7.
Among males, Wildman Jack, a prospect for the BC Turf Sprint, worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds. He was second in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on Sept. 25. United, the winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 26, worked a half-mile in 51.80 seconds for the BC Turf on Nov. 7.
Spielberg, a maiden who was third as the even-money favorite in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes on Sept. 26, worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds for the BC Juvenile on Nov. 6. A $1 million yearling purchase, Spielberg is winless in three starts for Baffert.
Boulanger suspended 3 days
Brandon Boulanger was suspended three days and three riders were fined $100 to $200 for recent violations of strict whip rules that went into effect Oct. 1 in California. The riders were cited for instances in races at Santa Anita on Oct. 4, and on Friday and Saturday.
Riders are limited to six under-handed strikes per race and no more than two strikes in succession without giving a horse a chance to respond. The rules were approved by the California Horse Racing Board in June.
Boulanger is suspended Oct. 16-18 for excessive use of the whip on August Indy, who finished last of seven in a maiden race on Oct. 4. According to a ruling issued by Santa Anita stewards Ron Church, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer, Boulanger was cited for using the whip when his mount had achieved its maximum placing, and for using the whip more than twice in succession and more than six times in the race.
Boulanger is the first rider to be suspended under the new rule.
Jockey Edwin Maldonado was fined $100 for using the whip more than six times in the fifth race on Friday aboard runner-up Principe Carlo.
Jose Velez was fined $300 for two instances of using the whip more than six times – aboard Sorriso, who finished 10th in the ninth race on Friday, and aboard Chollima, who finished fourth in the third race on Saturday. Velez was fined $100 for the first instance of excessive use and $200 for the second instance.
Heriberto Figueroa was fined $200 for his second offense of using the whip more than six times, aboard third-place finisher Lady On Ice in Saturday’s seventh race.