Rags-to-riches California-bred Caracortado, prepping for the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II) at Churchill Downs, worked five furlongs on Santa Anita Park’s main track Oct. 23 in a minute under regular rider Joe Talamo.
Caracortado worked in company with Wild Revenge, who was clocked in 1:02 2/5 under Martin Pedroza.
“I just gave him a little target for a little ways,” said trainer Mike Machowsky, who bred the 4-year-old gelding. “But everything’s perfect. Joe said he never moved on him.”
Owned by Blahut Racing and Lo Hi Racing, Caracortado will enter the Turf Sprint off a career record of 8-2-3 from 17 starts, for earnings of $774,105.
Another Turf Sprint contender, California Flag, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I), went four furlongs on the main track in :48 for trainer Brian Koriner.
“We’ll see how he pulls up,” Koriner said of the 7-year-old son of Avenue of Flags. “We’ll pay the pre-entry (fee of $10,000) and then go from there. The only reason he wouldn’t go would be if there was a physical problem, and for that you would get your money back, so we’ll pre-enter and see.”
California Flag, a homebred for Hi Card Ranch, has a record of 10-0-2 from 24 starts, including a victory in the Oct. 10 Morvich Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita Park.
Secret Circle , a hopeful for the Juvenile Sprint, worked four furlongs in company with Lady Hokulea in :46 2/5 for trainer Bob Baffert. Lady Hokulea was timed in :47 2/5.
“He looked good,” Baffert said of Secret Circle. “He was just cruising.”
Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, Secret Circle won the Oct. 10 Jack Goodman Stakes at Santa Anita in his stakes debut.