Several horses posted their final workouts the weekend of Oct. 28-30 in preparation for the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II).
Caracortado was in top form when the 4-year-old gelding covered four furlongs over a fast track in a bullet :46 flat under Zoe Cadman at Santa Anita Park. The son of Cat Dreams—Mons Venus, by Maria's Mon, was the fastest of 59 horses at the same distance.
“It couldn’t have been more perfect,” said trainer Mike Machowsky, who bred Caracortado in California. “I wanted to know exactly where he’s at and wanted to sharpen him up a little bit. I wanted him to go :46 and change or :47. He went :11 2/5 the last eighth of a mile. He’s a little aggressive early, and I couldn’t have been happier about it. It couldn’t have gone any better, and he looks great back at the barn.”
Owned by Blahut Racing and Lo Hi Racing, Caracortado will enter the Turf Sprint off a record of 8-2-3 from 17 starts and earnings of $774,105. His biggest victories have come in this year’s Sunshine Millions Turf and the Del Mar Mile Handicap (gr. IIT).
Also on the Oct. 30 work tab at Santa Anita was Hi Card Ranch’s 7-year-old homebred gelding California Flag. The California-bred son of Avenue of Flags breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5 for trainer Brian Koriner.
“It was just a maintenance work…he worked a little faster than we wanted last week, so we didn’t do much with him today,” said Koriner. “Right now, we have no second thoughts. Everything is good.”
Out of the Afleet mare Ultrafleet, California Flag won the 2009 Turf Sprint when it was contested at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park. He was eighth by 4 3/4 lengths in the 2010 Turf Sprint in his lone start at Churchill Downs.
California Flag has won three of the last four runnings of the Morvich Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita, the most recent of which was Oct. 10 at Santa Anita. He holds an overall record of 10-0-2 from 24 starts, for earnings of $1,228,825.
Also working toward the Turf Sprint on the West Coast was Camp Victory, who covered five furlongs in :58 4/5 over a fast track at Hollywood Park Oct. 28. The 4-year-old gelding by Forest Camp—Victory Trick, by Clever Trick, is trained by Mike Mitchell for Jacobsen and Miller Featherston.
Camp Victory, who owns a career mark of 7-3-0 from 19 starts and earnings of $337,986, scored his big victory in the May 30 Los Angeles Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood. The Turf Sprint will mark the 4-year-old gelding’s first start outside California. He was bred in Virginia by Akins Homes.
In the Northeast, Hoofit, a New Zealand-bred gelding by Mossman—Chuckle, by Danehill, breezed four furlongs in :49 3/5 over a fast track at Fair Hill.
Trained by Graham Motion for Mrs. S. K. Johnston Jr., Hoofit holds a record of 4-3-1 from 18 starts, for earnings of $182,721. The 4-year-old enters the Turf Sprint off a victory in the Oct. 7 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (gr. III), which was just his second start in North America.
Bred by Ra and Je Ferguson Partnership Syndicate, Hoofit is also a stakes winner in his native New Zealand.