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Workouts

Chrome Works

David Grening on California Chrome’s breeze this morning (DRF+):

With regular rider Victor Espinoza up, California Chrome went his first quarter in 24.14 seconds and his second quarter in 23.30, according to DRF clocker Mike Welsch. It only got better from there, as he galloped out five furlongs in 59.59 seconds, six furlongs in 1:12.61, seven furlongs in 1:26.34, and pulled up a mile in 1:40.92.

That’s a sharp move. His official time for the four-furlong breeze was :47.69.

“I’m not a clocker but California Chrome looked full of run and seemed to have plenty left in the tank,” tweeted Jerry Bossert.

Here’s video of the work:

More on California Chrome’s work, as well as the other Belmont starters’ workouts this morning, at the Blood-Horse.

General a Rod, fourth in the Preakness and 11th in the Kentucky Derby, has joined the list of Belmont Stakes probables, bringing the number to 12.

6/1/14 Addendum: Welsch weighs in (DRF+). “The best part of the work came after the wire, as California Chrome galloped out with tremendous energy, even with Espinoza rising up in the saddle shortly past the finish line …”

Posted in Racing on May 31, 2014 / Tagged Belmont Stakes, California Chrome, General a Rod, Triple Crown, Workouts

Ride of a Lifetime, In the Morning

Spare a few moments in praise of the exercise riders who gallop Kentucky Derby contenders, often from the start of their racing careers:

As is the case with grooms and hot walkers, these individuals are not listed on the official race chart, or in the program, or in most of the media coverage leading up to or following the big event. There will be no trophy or postrace TV interview on a national network for the one whose horse wins the Derby. Ask how they feel as they gallop their charges beneath the Twin Spires, however, and every one of them will tell you — in the days leading up to the big event, there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.

Posted in Racing on May 2, 2013 / Tagged Backstretch, Derby Contenders, Exercise Riders, Kentucky Derby, Training, Workouts

Caviar Aging Well

After dashing through the second half of an 800 meter work in less than :22, trainer Peter Moody couldn’t help gushing about 6-year-old Black Caviar:

“She’s the complete package now, stupid as it sounds. She could work like that when she was a three-year-old, but it was rushed, not like today.”

Black Caviar starts next (depending on the ground at Randwick) on Saturday in the T.J. Smith Stakes, which is the second 2013 Breeders’ Cup Challenge race on this year’s schedule, released on Monday. Not getting a lot of attention is that this year’s Win and You’re In series is slightly reduced from 2012, going from 73 races to 67, and that among the 15 races dropped are the Met Mile (Belmont, Dirt Mile division), Delaware Handicap (Delaware Park, ~~Distaff~~ Ladies’ Classic), and the Canadian International (Woodbine, Turf).

Posted in Racing on April 9, 2013 / Tagged Australia, Black Caviar, Breeders' Cup, Great Horses, International, Workouts

Frankel Gallops

Have a look:

Of course, the footage is not terrific and we don’t know much more than that Frankel is still alive and a bit faster than Midsummer Sun. Still, you have now seen as much as those gallop-watchers who fell out of bed at 5.30am, which is pretty satisfying. Plus, you get to watch it while glugging coffee and munching donuts, instead of being exposed to Siberian winds across the blasted heath.

The video: