(From track report)
Mary and Gary West's Clark Handicap (gr. II) contender Dollar Bill turned in a sharp five furlong work Friday, leading a parade of horses that turned in solid preps for next week's stakes races that will close out the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.The 4-year-old son of Peaks and Valleys, runner-up in the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) at Churchill Downs, breezed five furlongs on a "sloppy" track in 1:01.80. Exercise rider Frederic Colmache was aboard for the move, which came during intermittent snow on a blustery morning. The work by the Dallas Stewart-trained colt was the sixth-fastest of 18 at the distance."He's on a roll," said Stewart. "He's doing good."Dollar Bill is coming off a race that Stewart views as the lone disappointment of his 4-year-old campaign: a sixth-place finish behind Volponi in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Arlington Park. Stewart said he plans to change the colt's equipment for his run in the 1 1/8-mile Clark Nov. 29."We're going to take the blinkers off of him and see if it wakes him up a little bit," Stewart said. "But other than that last Breeders' Cup race he's been running good all year."Stewart said Dollar Bill would also get a new rider in the Clark. Mark Guidry will replace Pat Day. Guidry was aboard the colt in his runner-up finishes to Street Cry in the Stephen Foster and Hail The Chief in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II).Stewart said Dollar Bill would campaign at five and will train over the winter at the Fair Grounds.In other developments at Churchill Friday:Pocahontas runner-up and Golden Rod (gr. II Nov. 30) contender Star of Atticus breezed a solid seven furlongs in 1:27 under jockey Lonnie Meche. The move by the Bobby Barnett-trained daughter of Atticus was the best of just two works on the day at that distance."She started out slow and finished up well," said Barnett. "I didn't see what she did the last quarter in, but it had to be pretty good because she galloped very, very strong."The daughter of Atticus figures to be prominent from the opening bell in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod, a race that will mark her debut at a two-turn distance. Barnett said he and jockey Lonnie Meche had that in mind in Friday's stamina-building move.Pocahontas winner Belle of Perintown, who is also aiming toward the Golden Rod, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.40 for trainer Eddie Kenneally.Churchill Downs Distaff (gr. II) winner Softly tuned up for the $250,000-added Falls City Handicap (gr. II) on Thanksgiving Day with a five furlong breeze in 1:02.20.Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) contender Desert Warrior fired a "bullet" in his final prep for the 1 1/16-mile race on Nov. 30. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained son of Deputy Minister breezed five furlongs in 1:00.20, the fastest of 18 moves at the distance.