Breeders’ Cup: Prayer for Relief has big work

ARCADIA, Calif. – Former jockey Tammy Fox is considered one of the sharpest work riders going, with an insightful opinion of the horse underneath her. Which bodes well for Zayat Stables’ Prayer for Relief in Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The 6-year-old horse was one of a plethora of Breeders’ Cup horses working at Santa Anita Park Saturday morning, with Prayer for Relief powering the half-mile in 47 2/5 seconds under Fox.

“Prayer worked really, really well,” Fox said. “He galloped out well. … It’s like he’s floating over it. I mean, he just has a big fluid stride on him… The way he’s training, you’ve got to like him.”

Prayer for Relief was sent from Churchill Downs to California to see how he trained, with trainer Dale Romans leaving it up to Ahmed Zayat and his son and racing manager, Justin, if they wanted to run in the Classic. Prayer for Relief – a $1.9 million-earner who was third in Saratoga’s Woodward in his last start, cast his vote with his second sparkling workout at Santa Anita, following last week’s five-eighths of mile in 59 seconds.

The Romans-trained Cristina’s Journey, Churchill’s Pocahontas winner owned by Louisville anesthesiologist Tim Newcomer and partners, worked five-eighths in a minute for the $2 million Juvenile Fillies. Danny Boy, pre-entered in both the $2 million Juvenile and $1 million Juvenile Turf, worked five-eighths on turf in 59 3/5 with Romans and Donegal Racing founder Jerry Crawford watching.

“Cristina, I had my feet on the dashboard the whole way around there,” Fox said. “I never asked her. They all worked the way Dale wanted them to…. The week before we worked Danny on the dirt, and he worked really well, too. I couldn’t tell the difference; a lot of times they’ll give you an indication they like one surface or the other. Like I told Dale and Jerry, ‘You guys just have to handicap the races. I can’t help you out.’”

The fastest half-mile work of the morning went to Keeneland’s Thoroughbred Club of America third-place finisher Stonetastic, who zipped the distance in 46 flat in preparation for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Stonetastic, winner of Saratoga’s Grade II Prioress by 8 ½ lengths, is owned by James Stone of Louisville and trained by Kelly Breen.

Also at The Great Race Place: Classic contender Candy boy worked seven-eighths of a mile in 1:25 in company; the Kenny McPeek-trained Golden Ticket, last year’s $1 million Dirt Mile runner-up went five-eighths in 59 flat.

• At Los Alamitos: Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome had his final major prep for the Classic, going five-eighths in 59 3/5 under jockey Victor Espinoza. Alan Sherman, son and assistant to trainer Art Sherman, called the move “unbelievable.”

LosAl head clocker Russ Hudak told Santa Anita’s media department: “California Chrome has really moved forward. This was a step up, the best he’s done since coming back from Philadelphia,” where he finished sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby.

• At Keeneland: Southern Honey, second in Keeneland’s TCA, worked a half-mile in 49 seconds for the Filly & Mare Sprint. And trainer Rusty Arnold didn’t want anything faster, after the 3-year-old filly scorched the distance in 46 4/5 a week earlier.

• At Belmont: Tonalist, winner of the Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup, worked five-eighths for the Classic in 1:01.75.

• Rule change for 2015: The Breeders’ Cup board unanimously voted to modify its Convicted Trainer Rule that prohibits the pre-entry or entry by a trainer of any horse found to have tested positive for any Class I or II drugs in the highest penalty category in the 12 months preceding the Breeders’ Cup. Starting next year, when the event is at Keeneland for the first time, such trainers will not be allowed to turn their horses over to assistant trainers and other employees.

The move appears to be a reaction to Doug O’Neill -- the first trainer denied pre-entering horses under the rule and who is serving a 45-day suspension for a medication violation -- turning his horses over to top assistant Leandro Mora. Those include defending Dirt Mile winner Goldencents.