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With co-owner and trainer Buff Bradley looking on for the first time this week, Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint favorite Groupie Doll jogged three-quarters of a mile and then galloped one mile under exercise rider Jada Schlenk. "She shipped good and everything has gone so well, it will make it easy to come back," said Bradley, who was fighting a virus back home in Kentucky this week before flying to Los Angeles on Thursday. Groupie Doll was scheduled to school with horses in the 1ST race on Friday's program and that will conclude the major preparations for Saturday. "I am looking forward to it," said Bradley, who will be saddling his first Breeders' Cup starter. "I'm pretty confident, but I know she is going against great horses. She has to get the right trip, but she knows what to do." |
"The right trip" will begin in post position 9 in the 10-horse field with jockey Rajiv Maragh at the controls
"I am glad we are in the nine," Bradley said. "Rajiv can sit outside and watch what the others are doing. In a lot of her races, she will be six or seven lengths off the lead early and by the time she gets to the half-mile pole she will be only a couple of lengths back."
Janis Whitham's Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap winner Fort Larned galloped one under exercise rider Kate Merritt as he continued his preparation for Saturday's Classic. Fort Larned passed a paddock schooling session to the satisfaction of trainer Ian Wilkes, who said the four-year-old son of E Dubai would not have another session on Friday.
"He was ornery yesterday, but that is just him," Wilkes said. "If he wasn't ornery, I'd be worried."
Wilkes said the key to the race for Fort Larned would be jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
"There are just so many possible scenarios for this race, so it is all up to Brian," Wilkes said. "He has to read the race and let the horse do the rest."
Morton Fink's Wise Dan, the morning-line favorite for Saturday's Mile, jogged a mile on the main track under exercise rider Damien Rock on Friday. Trainer Charles Loprestri was pleased with a paddock schooling session Thursday afternoon that he termed "great."
"He will probably walk Saturday morning," Lopresti said. "He's ready to go. All I have to do is keep him happy."
In other Breeders' Cup news:
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The Japanese Breeders' Cup Turf challenger, Trailblazer, trained by Yasutoshi Ikee was forced to abandon a scheduled workout on the Santa Anita turf track Friday morning after kicking out in the barn area and sustaining a minor abrasion to his right hind leg. The injury will be monitored over the next 24 hours but at present it is not expected to hinder the Zenno Rob Roy five-year-old's participation in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf. Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was scheduled to take Nonios and Chosen Miracle for schooling in the paddock during the 2ND race on Friday at Santa Anita. Nonios will run in the Classic and Chosen Miracle in the Turf Sprint, both on Saturday. Peter Miller will also take advantage of Friday's Breeders' Cup crowd and has Kindergarden Kid, a Turf prospect, and Reneesgotzip, headed for the Turf Sprint, set to school in the paddock in the 3RD race. Both runners will compete on Saturday. |