Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Strong work in blinkers may send Double Thunder to BC
ELMONT, N.Y. – An equipment change may have helped Double Thunder work his way into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Double Thunder, a two-time stakes winner who finished second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland two weeks ago, was equipped with blinkers Thursday morning when he worked four furlongs in 49.81 seconds at Belmont Park. Double Thunder worked in company with the debut-winning 2-year-old filly Sweet as Pie, getting his last quarter in 24.54 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:03.06 and six furlongs in 1:15.85 over a relatively slowplaying training track.
Afterward, trainer Todd Pletcher said he liked the effect the blinkers had on Double Thunder and he would have discussions with the principals of Phoenix Thoroughbred, which owns Double Thunder, to determine whether to run in the Breeders’ Cup or perhaps await something like the Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.
“We thought we saw some improvement, a little more focus with the blinkers on,” Pletcher said. “We’ll see how he bounces out of it and get with the connections and see. He moved himself in that direction a bit more.”
Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup are due Monday and will be announced Wednesday.
Double Thunder, who won the Bashford Manor at Churchill and the Sapling at Monmouth, was away slowly from the gate under Paco Lopez in the Breeders’ Futurity. He weaved his way through traffic, rallying four wide into the lane, and finished second, 4 1/4 lengths behind Rattle N Roll.
“He seemed a little distracted in his last race, he kind of ran in spots,” Pletcher said. “I was watching the race and thinking to myself this horse needs blinkers. Paco came back and said he acts like he needs blinkers.”
Pletcher’s confirmed Juvenile starter Commandperformance worked five furlongs in 1:01.06 on Friday with the maiden colt Misbehaved. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Commandperformance started just off the flank of Misbehaved, drew on even terms by the quarter pole after threeeighths in 36.76, and came home in 24.30, finishing two lengths in front of his mate at the wire. Commandperformance galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.63, seven-eighths in 1:28.26, and pulled up a mile in 1:43.09.
“I thought he went really well, finished up strong, galloped out with good energy,” Pletcher said.
Annapolis, the Pilgrim winner who is pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for Pletcher, worked five furlongs in 1:01.89 over the Belmont training track. He got his last quarter in 24.61 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.57. Annapolis, with Ortiz up, worked outside the debut-winning filly Nest, who is pointing to the Tempted Stakes here on Nov. 5.
“He’s a horse that has gotten better in his dirt works,” Pletcher said of Annapolis. “I think today’s track was a little more demanding, and he’d probably prefer a little harder dirt surface than we got today. From a conditioning standpoint we got what we wanted, he got a good blow out of it.”
NYRA releases 2022 schedule
The New York Racing Association has scheduled 202 days of racing for 2022, with a schedule that is very much in line with what was run in 2021, the company announced Thursday.
The January-through-March portion of the Aqueduct winter meet will consist of 46 days from Jan. 1 through March 27. Racing will be conducted four days a week in January and February and three days a week in March. The only notable change is there will not be live racing on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 17).
The Aqueduct spring meet will consist of 15 days from March 31 to April 24 before Belmont Park opens its spring/summer meet, which lasts 44 days from April 28 through July 10.
The opening day of the Belmont spring meet coincides with the final regular season game for the NHL’s New York Islanders, a 7 p.m. match against the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Islanders are scheduled to begin playing in the UBS Arena at Belmont Park next month.
The 40-day Saratoga meet runs from July 14 through Sept. 5, followed by the Belmont fall meet (Sept. 15 through Oct. 30), Aqueduct fall meet (Nov. 4 through Dec. 4), and the start of the Aqueduct 2022-23 winter meet on Dec. 8.
The stakes schedule for 2022 will be announced at a later date, though it’s obvious the Belmont Stakes will be held June 11.
◗ For those planning to attend the races at Belmont on Sunday, be advised that the Cross Island Parkway will be closed beginning 10 p.m. Saturday night through 8 p.m. Sunday to allow for the installation of steel girders over the parkway to support platforms for the future Elmont train station.