No Works at Belmont; Contenders Breeze in Kentucky, Californnia

With the New York area receiving more than an inch of rain Saturday night, there were a paucity of works at Belmont Park Sunday morning, none of which were by horses pointing toward the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

While there were no Belmont workouts, some Breeders' Cup contenders were in action at other tracks in California and Kentucky.

Suave, pointing to the Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I), breezed five furlongs over Churchill Downs' 'good' main track in 1:01.60, the seventh fastest of 39 moves at the distance. Suave, second in the grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup earlier this month, is scheduled to fly to New York on Tuesday. Jockey Edgar Prado has the call for the Classic. Suave will be stabled in barn 27.

"I thought he worked really well," McGee said. "He's ready."

Suave won the Saratoga Breeders' Cup wire to wire, but showed a different dimension when rallying from off the pace to finish second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

"It's nice having a horse that can adapt to any scenario, but I think he's a little better when he makes the lead," McGee said. "Not too many horses have passed him. His heart gets pretty big when he's on the lead."

Owned by Jay Em Ess Stable, the son of A.P. Indy has five wins, five seconds, and two thirds in 19 career starts.

Undefeated 2-year-old Sorcerer's Stone, owned by Robert Shepard, breezed five furlongs in 1:03 over a good track at Churchill Downs, with Joe Deegan up. The son of Gulch will try to give trainer Patrick Byrne his second win in the $1.5 million Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at 1 1/16 miles. Byrne scored a 1997 victory in the Juvenile with Favorite Trick, who was named that season's Horse of the Year.

"He just went an easy five-eighths this morning," Byrne said of Sorcerer's Stone. "It was just a maintenance breeze and he's trained forwardly."

After breaking his maiden at Churchill in July, the colt went on to win the Honest Pleasure and Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (gr. III) at Arlington Park.

"He definitely belongs and there's still some more there," Byrne said. "I think he's going to run well. Whether he's good enough remains to be seen."

Plans call for Sorcerer's Stone to ship to New York Tuesday.

Also breezing at Churchill Sunday was Battle Won, pre-entered in the TVG Sprint (gr. I) for trainer Chuck Simon. With Jordan Charkudian up, Battle Won breezed a half-mile in :47.

"He worked great and finished up strong," Simon said. "The track was good and it started raining about 10 to 15 minutes before he worked, so we got it in in the nick of time."

Battle Won, a son of Honour and Glory owned by Jay and Gretchen Manoogian, won the grade II Churchill Downs Handicap at seven furlongs and was second in his next three dirt starts -- including the grade I Forego at Saratoga. The 5-year-old gelding will arrive in New York Wednesday afternoon.

On the West Coast, Singletary, the defending NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) champion, breezed five furlongs over Hollywood Park's 'fast' main track in 1:02.60 this morning.

"I'm very happy with him," said trainer Don Chatlos Jr. "He's flying on Tuesday morning to New York."

Chatlos says Singletary enters the 2005 Mile in the best shape of his life.

"The only reason I say that is because we've really monitored his weight," Chatlos said. "He's leaner than he was a year ago and because of that, he's much stronger. He's never looked this good."

Singletary steps into the Mile on the heels of a comfortable 1 1/2-length victory in Santa Anita's Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile.

"That might have been his second-best race next to the (2004) Mile," Chatlos said. "With that long backstretch run at Belmont he needed to relax and he did. He didn't move until (jockey David Flores) asked him to go. He's going to need to settle going that one-turn mile at Belmont."

Another Sprint contender, Taste of Paradise, breezed five furlongs at Hollywood Park in 1:00 4/5. Winner of Belmont Park's grade I Vosburgh earlier this month, Taste of Paradise is flying to New York on Tuesday for trainer Gary Mandella. Jockey Garrett Gomez has the mount in the Sprint.

"I wasn't looking for much over a minute," Mandella said. "The race is six days out. I didn't want to empty the tank. I got his last quarter in :23 and 1/5."

A son of Conquistador Cielo, Taste of Paradise races for David N. Bloom.

In other Sunday works: Mike Mitchell-trained Leprechaun Kid, pre-entered in the $2 million John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), breezed five furlongs at Hollywood Park in 1:03 4/5... Capeside Lady and Silverfoot breezed at Churchill Downs. Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) longshot Capeside Lady went four furlongs in :50 2/5 while Turf longshot Silverfoot also went a half-mile, covering the distance in :48.