Alex G. Campbell Jr.’s homebred It's Tea Time worked at Keeneland on Oct. 29 in preparation for her next start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. Ridden by Julien Leparoux, the 3-year-old Dynaformer filly worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 after a brief delay caused by a loose horse.
"She’s very smart," trainer Rusty Arnold said of It’s Tea Time, who was fourth in the Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) on Oct. 10,. "(Leparoux) backed her up to the eighth pole; she stood through the whole thing. It was about 10 minutes and it didn’t seem to affect anything. She worked well. (Clockers) got her in (1:01 1/5) and three-quarters in (1:13 2/5), so we’re very happy with it."
Clockers caught It’s Tea Time in fractions of :13, :25, :37 1/5; 49 1/5 and 1:01 1/5 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5.
Unraced at two, It’s Tea Time has won three of eight races and has earned $267,397. On Aug. 22, she took the 1 1/8-mile Woodford Reserve Lake Placid (gr. III) on a sloppy track at Saratoga.
It’s Tea Time has raced on the dirt at Churchill, where she was ninth behind Blind Luck in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). Arnold is confident in how the filly, who is to ship to Churchill on Monday, will perform in the Breeders’ Cup.
"I know everybody looks at her--she’s a Dynaformer--(and says) she’s a grass horse because she’s had some good grass races," he said. "She trained exceptional on the dirt at Churchill. We drew the one hole in the Oaks. We don’t feel like we got a really fair chance, so I’m not concerned about the dirt. I think she’ll handle it fine."
