Godolphin Stable’s Vineyard Haven and Gayego
continued their preparations for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile this morning at Belmont Park, working five furlongs in 1:01.90
and 1:00.56, respectively, while Filly & Mare Sprint candidate Sara
Louise zipped a half-mile in 48.15.
The trio, along with Sprint hopeful Girolamo, who
went three furlongs Thursday morning in his first timed move since his Grade 1
Vosburgh victory, will have two more works at Belmont before departing for Churchill Downs,
according to Godolphin assistant Rick Mettee.
“None of the races are easy, but our hopes are higher this
year than last year, with the races on dirt instead of synthetic,” he said.
“Last year, we had a lot of horses going, but we knew we were up against it,
especially with the way some of them worked out there [Santa Anita]. You could
see going into it with Seventh
Street and Pyro that it was going to be a long day
for them. We only had two horses that had proven themselves on synthetics,
Midshipman and Gayego, and they both ran pretty well.”
Vineyard Haven, who will be supplemented to the Breeders’
Cup, and Gayego should appreciate both the conventional dirt and the one-turn
mile, said Mettee.
“They both have a lot of speed; it should be a good race for
both of them,” he said. “Then you have Sara Louise going seven furlongs – her
comeback race was good, not great, but she’s done well since then and worked
well this morning. You’d like to think Girolamo will run well in the Sprint;
it’s a much tougher race than he won, but at least you know it’s a dirt track.”