Godolphin Racing will have a strong hand in the Breeders’
Cup on Friday and Saturday as Girolamo, Sara Louise, Gayego,
and Vineyard Haven are bound for Louisville
after breezing at Belmont
Park this weekend.
Godolphin’s contenders for the Dirt Mile, Vineyard Haven and
Gayego, turned in separate breezes on Sunday.
Gayego, who in his most recent start defeated yesterday’s
Grade 2 Fayette winner Successful Dan in the Presque Isle Mile on September 10,
breezed four furlongs in 48.88.
“He finished up great and galloped out good, and he’s
another one we’re real happy with,” said Mettee. “That Presque Isle race looks
pretty good now that Successful Dan has come back and won two starts. The
one-turn mile should be perfect for him.”
Vineyard Haven, most recently third in the Grade 1 Forego at
Saratoga Race Course on September 24, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.42.
“He went in 1:01 2/5 and went out in 1:13 4/5,” said Mettee.
“Hopefully he can get outside draw. Like Gayego, he seems to like being outside
horses a little more. You just have to hope that with a big field and a
one-turn mile that they both get good draws and aren’t tucked down along the
inside because that field is loaded with horses like Tizway and Crown of Thorns
and Here Comes Ben.”
Breeders’ Cup Sprint entrant Girolamo earned a bullet on
Saturday for his 1:00.06 five-furlong breeze, his third official workout since
winning the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont
Park on October 2.
“Girolamo went really well – he went especially well
yesterday,” said Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “After a
big race like the Vosburgh, you never know how they’ll handle it, but he seems
to have thrived since then.”
Sara Louise, who will be making her second start of 2010
when she competes in the Filly & Mare Sprint, turned in a 47.67
four-furlong breeze in the second quickest of 23 moves at the distance on
Saturday.
“She went back to the track today and trotted, and we’re
real happy with the way she’s coming up to the race,” said Mettee. “We’d like
to have another race in her, but we didn’t have that luxury. At least we got a
race into her, and she’s healthy, sound, and fresh. She’s run at Churchill
before, and seven furlongs should be a good distance for her.”
Mettee said all four horses will depart Belmont by van tomorrow, arrive at Churchill
Downs on Tuesday, and will take to the track on Wednesday.
“All of them have shipped before and Belmont
is such a good place to prepare a horse,” said Mettee of the decision to have
Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup contenders make their final breezes at in New York. “We’re away
from all the hustle and bustle of things and we’re not huge believers in
needing a race or a work over the track. Sometimes shipping is good for horses;
it gets them up on their toes.”
Mettee added that Tahitian Warrior exited his
fourth-place finish in yesterday’s Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap in good shape.
“He broke a little flat-footed and probably just got outrun
by some hard-knocking older horses,” said Mettee. “The real Bribon showed up
yesterday, and there’s no question Bribon is a better horse than Tahitian
Warrior right now. He got beat by 2 ½ lengths, not bad for a 3-year-old making
his seventh start, so at least we know he can run against good horses, and he
still has a condition.”