With jockey Calvin Borel up, Hurricane Ike tuned up for his engagement in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) by working six furlongs at Churchill Downs in 1:12 2/5 after the renovation break Oct. 23.
Also on the work tab for trainer John Sadler was Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) hopeful Tell a Kelly, who turned in a five-furlong drill in 1:00 4/5. Both Hurricane Ike and Tell a Kelly are owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash.
“He worked super this morning,” Sadler said of 3-year-old Hurricane Ike, who also worked a bullet five-eighths in :59 at Churchill Oct. 17. “He might be a horse for course. He worked okay on it here in the spring, but he also won on it (in the Grade III Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial).”
Fractions for the move, which was the fastest of five at the distance, were :12 1/5, :24, :35 4/5, :47 4/5, and :59 4/5 with a seven-furlong gallop-out time of 1:27 4/5.
Hurricane Ike, a son of Graeme Hall, and workmate Third Dawn started off together with Hurricane Ike on the inside. At the head of the stretch, Hurricane Ike began to steadily pull away, finishing eight lengths in front of his workmate at the wire.
Prior to the Hurricane Ike work, Borel was aboard Tell a Kelly, a Florida-bred daughter of Tapit , for the fifth fastest of 34 at the distance.
Fractions on the work were :12 3/5, :24 2/5, :36, :48 and out six furlongs in 1:15 2/5.
“They both went well,” Borel said. “That Hurricane Ike, he really likes this track.”
Sadler said he will head back to California on the night of Oct. 24 to supervise TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) hopeful Sidney's Candy the following morning.
“Sidney’s Candy will fly here on the next Tex Sutton flight,” Sadler said. “And, we have to make up our minds on (Gary and Cecil Barber’s) Cost of Freedom (for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint). We will bring in a couple more horses for the (Breeders’ Cup) undercard races.”
Hurricane Ike (right) worked six furlongs at Churchill Downs in 1:12 2/5.
Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography