(from Emerald Downs release)
In his final workout prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Emerald Downs’ prodigy Gallant Son smoked six furlongs in 1:12 on the Pro-Ride synthetic surface Oct. 19 at Santa Anita Park.
The 2-year-old's work was best of 14 at the distance and a tick faster than Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) winner Midshipman , the Bob Baffert-trained colt who Gallant Son could face in the $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) on Oct. 25.
Trainer Frank Lucarelli was pleased with the drill, and said Gallant Son should be at his peak for the Breeders’ Cup, whether its the $2 million Juvenile or the $1 million Juvenile Turf.
“He worked good and he looked good,” Lucarelli said. “Leslie (jockey Mawing) was really happy, too.”
Lucarelli will remain at Santa Anita through the Breeders’ Cup. Mawing returned to the Bay Area to ride at Golden Gate Fields in the afternoon.
Gallant Son (5-4-0-0-$113,038), a Kentucky-bred by Malabar Gold, has won three stakes at Emerald Downs including a six-length victory in the $100,000 Gottstein Futurity on Sept. 27.
With Gallant Son’s major work done, it’s now mainly a waiting game for Lucarelli and owners Chris and Dianna Randall. Gallant Son will have a day off, then jog Oct. 21 and have easy gallops Oct. 22 and 23. A blowout is scheduled for the day before the race.
Gallant Son’s connections hope their colt will be in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile on the synthetic surface when entries are taken Oct. 21. However, they still need one defection from the main body of 14 runners to get into the race.
If not, they’ll make do with the one-mile Juvenile Turf. The two races are 40 minutes apart.
Lucarelli had the option to work Gallant Son on turf, but he elected to go full-bore toward the Juvenile.
“We worked him on (the synthetic) and we want to have him ready to run on that surface,” Lucarelli said. “We really want to run in that race, and not the turf race.
“But if we end up on turf, that’s the way it goes. I’ve had a lot of horses run on turf in Northern California, and they either take to it or they don’t.”
Asked what it would take to make him happy, the fledgling Breeders’ Cup trainer said it’s a thrill simply to be at Santa Anita and partake in the festivities.
“But I must say, if I see his number on the board (top three) after the race, we’ll get excited,” Lucarelli said.