 Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Curalina continued preparations for her start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), turning in a half-mile bullet work on the Belmont Park training track in company with 2016 Fountain of Youth (gr. II) runner-up Zulu.
The 4-year-old Curlin filly, who has been training up to the Nov. 4 Distaff since her runner-up finish in the Personal Ensign (gr. I) Aug. 27, breezed five furlongs in :59.59, the fastest of 15 at the distance on the day.
"She's always been a good workhorse," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "A lot of times, we don't work her in company because she does things pretty willingly on her own, but for today's work we wanted to make sure we got a good, solid work. This is her most significant breeze leading into it and we wanted to make sure she got a good one and she certainly did."
Curalina galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27, according to Pletcher's watch, finally pulling up after a mile in 1:44 and change. Third in last year's Distaff, Curalina will be pre-entered in the Distaff as well as the seven-furlong Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).
"It gave me confidence that she's in excellent form," Pletcher said, "and it puts her in a position that we can feel comfortable that she's ready to go a mile and an eighth off a little bit of freshening and sharp enough that, if we decide to go seven-eighths, she could do that as well."
Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) hopeful Syndergaard made his first appearance on the worktab since finishing a close second to Practical Joke in the Champagne (gr. I) Oct. 8 at Belmont.
A son of Majesticperfection , Syndergaard breezed five furlongs with John Velazquez aboard in company with 2-year-old maiden Kahramani, covering the distance over the training track in 1:00 4/5. Pletcher said Syndergaard will be joined by Futurity Stakes (gr. III) winner Theory as a pre-entry in the Juvenile.
Rounding out Pletcher's Breeders' Cup workers Oct. 23 were Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) dead-heat winner Sweet Loretta, who is pointed toward the Breeders' Cup 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), and breezed five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in her first local work since arriving from Saratoga last week; Made You Look and J. S. Choice, both headed to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT), worked four furlongs in company on the dirt in :50.22; and First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) heroine Photo Call, who will be pre-entered in both the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) and Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), worked a half-mile in :49.23. |
