Saint Liam, working at Aqueduct Monday.
Saint Liam, the probable favorite for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I), had his final work before the $4 million race Monday morning at Aqueduct.Most of the horses are stabled at Belmont, site of the World Thoroughbred Championships, but Rick Dutrow, who trains Saint Liam, regularly has his horses at Aqueduct.The 5-year-old Saint Ballado horse worked five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 and galloped out in 1:14 1/5. With Rudy Rodriguez aboard, he went to the track at 8:40 a.m. and had splits of :13 2/5, :26 2/5, and :38."This is all he needed," Dutrow said. "If I wanted him to breeze fast I would have breezed him in company but he doesn't need that. He finished up good and that is what he is going to do in the race."Owned by William and Suzanne Warren, Saint Liam won the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) in his last start Sept. 10 at Belmont. That was the first time he was ridden by Jerry Bailey, who will be aboard in the Classic."The work couldn't have been better," Dutrow said. "He does everything so effortlessly."The trainer said Saint Liam will walk Tuesday and jog on Wednesday, then gallop into the race.He has to be on the grounds of Belmont Friday, the day before the race. Dutrow said he would prefer to go right into the stall he will run out of in the detention barn -- -where he must be Saturday -- -rather than be in a stall for one night and then move the morning of the race.Another Dutrow Cup-bound horse working at Aqueduct was Buckram Oak Farm's Silver Train, who was timed in :58 2/5 for five furlongs.Working a mile at Aqueduct in 1:45 2/5 was West Point Thoroughbreds' 3-year-old filly Yolanda B. Too, who will be ridden by Eibar Coa in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I)
