It's good news, bad news for Mike Machowsky concerning the Breeders' Cup. The bad news: Caracortado will not make the Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on November 3. The good: Worth Repeating is on course for the Marathon at 1 3/4 miles on dirt on November 2.
Caracortado had not raced since winning the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita on January 8, after which he suffered a burn on the frog of his right front foot. Despite prolonged healing efforts after nine months, the 47-year-old trainer came to the realization that Caracortado would not make the Turf Sprint.
"Too much time has passed and it's getting too close," Machowsky said. The unrelenting ailment, in lay terms, is on 'an integral component of the hoof.' You have to give horses proper time to get over things.
"Now, there's no rush at all. I'm just going to try and get him right and ready for the big meet, somewhere around there," referring to Santa Anita's winter/spring session that starts December 26.
"We shod him Friday and the foot actually looks pretty good. But too much time has passed to make the Breeders' Cup with him."
Not so with Worth Repeating.
"He's doing good," said Machowsky, whose lone previous Breeders' Cup starter was the California-bred Caracortado, who finished fifth in last year's Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.
At Fairplex Park on September 23, Worth Repeating captured the Ralph M. Hinds at about 1 1/8 miles. Last year, Worth Repeating won the 1 1/2-mile Tokyo City Cup, a Grade 3 event at Santa Anita.
Worth Repeating worked six furlongs on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track Saturday morning in a bullet 1:13 1/5 under Martin Pedroza, who has the Marathon mount.
"He galloped out (seven furlongs) in 1:27 and a mile in 1:42," Machowsky said. "It went great."
In other Breeders' Cup news, Classic favorite Game on Dude will work "either tomorrow or Monday," Bob Baffert said. "It depends on the track."
The Hall of Fame trainer plans to work the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes winner a half-mile or five furlongs.
Breeders' Cup hopefuls Beholder and Jimmy Creed "are back galloping and doing great," Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said.
Beholder is under consideration for the Juvenile Fillies or the Juvenile Sprint, while Jimmy Creed is set for the Sprint.