Four years ago, when the Breeders’ Cup was last held in Arcadia, Calif., at Santa Anita Park, trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable took home the event’s largest prize when Vino Rosso captured the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
On Nov. 4, these same connections will aim for more Breeders’ Cup and Santa Anita glory when Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Bright Future represents them in the latest renewal of the prestigious, 1 1/4-mile dirt race. The 4-year-old colt was part of a large group of Breeders’ Cup horses that breezed Oct. 27 for the Hall of Fame trainer at Keeneland, timed covering a half-mile in company with stablemate and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) runner-up Dreamlike in :48 4/5.
Another 7:30 am set from @PletcherRacing. They send out DREAMLIKE and BRIGHT FUTURE to stretch their legs.
Watch Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup Oct 27-Nov 2 on FanDuel Racing, FanDuel TV, and FanDuel TV+ pic.twitter.com/s07QLIjZtC
— TVG (@TVG) October 27, 2023
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Pletcher’s horses travel by plane to Southern California Oct. 28.
Pletcher said similarities between Vino Rosso and Bright Future can be drawn, including the two being by Curlin .
Speaking of Bright Future, Pletcher said: “We’ve always had really high hopes for, sort of put it together at Saratoga this summer with an impressive allowance win followed up by a jockey Club Gold Cup. He’s trained great since then and like I think everyone else (believes) leading into this, (in) what appears to be kind of an open classic, I think if he can make another step forward, it puts him in the mix.”
The chestnut is 4-0-2 in seven starts with earnings of $716,940. The Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course, where he outlasted Godolphin’s Proxy by a nose, was his first stakes win. Proxy is also expected in the Classic for trainer Mike Stidham.
Bright Future is one of three horses Pletcher pre-entered in the Classic, along with Charge It and Dreamlike, who were also pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Dreamlike is expected to compete in the latter race.
Whisper Hill Farm’s Charge It went a half-mile in :48 3/5 Friday at Keeneland.
Discussing his horses who breezed, Pletcher said his group had a “great morning” of training.
“We kind of went a half-mile with everyone, various gallop-outs,” he said. “I thought Locked was very good coming off his win here in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1). Candied was very good coming off her win in the Alcibiades (G1). Up to the Mark had his second good breeze. Overall, I think the group did exceptionally well this morning.”
Locked , pointed for the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), was timed with four furlongs in :48. Candied , racing in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), was clocked in :49 1/5; and Up to the Mark —pre-entered with first preference in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) and second preference in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) on the same card—went a half-mile in :48 4/5.
Some of the other trainers to work horses Friday at Keeneland included Ignacio Correas, who breezed Le Da Vida a half-mile in :49 for the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), and Cherie DeVaux, who gave She Feels Pretty a four-furlong workout in :47 4/5 for the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).
Other trainers breezed their Breeders Cup horses Friday all around North America, from Woodbine in Canada to Churchill Downs in Kentucky and Gulfstream Park in Florida.
Working at Santa Anita early Friday morning in a breeze postponed from earlier in the week was C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa’s White Abarrio , who covered five furlongs in :59 4/5 toward the Classic for trainer Rick Dutrow. Like Bright Future, he earned a paid, automatic berth into the Classic with a top-level stakes victory this summer at Saratoga. The gray son of Race Day rolled by 6 1/4 lengths in the Whitney Stakes (G1) this summer.
WHITE ABARRIO worked for the @BreedersCup Classic earlier this morning. 5 furlongs in :59.4 for the G1 Whitney winner. pic.twitter.com/pPKFhZefTD
— TVG (@TVG) October 27, 2023
This story will be updated.
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