Preston Stables LLC’s Flat Out
showed his readiness for next Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup
Classic (GI) by working a bullet half-mile in :46.60 on Sunday morning
with jockey Greta Kuntzweiler aboard.
Fractions for the work accomplished shortly after 7 o’clock over a
fast track were :12.20, :23.80, :35.20 and out five furlongs in :58.80
and six furlongs in 1:12.40. The half-mile time was the best of 58 for
the morning.
“I’m flat-out pleased,” trainer Scooter Dickey said
with a laugh. “I told Greta to let him do what he wants to do, then
cluck to him at the eighth pole and have him gallop out strong. We’re
ready.”
Dickey said that Flat Out would gallop up to the Classic with jockey Alex Solis
slated to get aboard for Friday morning’s activity. Solis has ridden
Flat Out in his past four starts resulting in victories in the Suburban
(GII) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) and runner-up finishes in the
Whitney Invitational Handicap (GI) and Woodward (GI).
Sunday’s work was the second bullet move at Churchill Downs for Flat
Out since winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at the Breeders’ Cup Classic
distance of 1 ¼ miles. Flat Out has run twice here, finishing sixth both
times.
“He had a bad trip the first time he ran here when he was a
2-year-old,” Dickey said. “In the Stephen Foster (Handicap), that was
not a bad race. He was trapped down on the inside and couldn’t get out.
All the others (that finished in front of him) came down the middle of
the track. He made a good move, but the rail was dead that day.”