Azeri breezes at Churchill Downs

Azeri breezes at Churchill Downs

AZERI (Jade Hunter) breezed six furlongs in a bullet 1:13 2/5

over a fast track at Churchill Downs on Wednesday. The move was

easily the fastest of four works at the distance. Trained by D.

Wayne Lukas, Azeri is pre-entered for both the Breeders' Cup

Classic (G1) and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on October 30 at Lone

Star Park. She has first preference in the Distaff.

Azeri, who was voted 2002 Horse of the Year in the same year

she won the Distaff at Arlington Park, is scheduled to travel to

Grand Prairie, Texas, on Tuesday.

Two other Lukas-trained runners -- CONSOLIDATOR (Storm Cat), pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and

STELLAR JAYNE (Wild Rush), pre-entered in the

Distaff, will accompany the six-year-old mare, who exits a

powerful three-length victory in the October 10 Spinster S. (G1)

at Keeneland.

To date, Azeri has won 11 Grade 1 races and owns a record of

23-17-4-0, $3,959,820.

A victory in the Distaff would propel Azeri into contention

for her third consecutive Eclipse Award for champion older

female.

In other Breeders' Cup news:

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who has ridden in 92

Breeders' Cup races, winning eight, will not ride in this year's

edition at Lone Star Park, agent Craig O'Bryan said. Stevens is

reportedly unhappy with the workers' compensation insurance

coverage for injured jockeys in Texas and other states, including

Kentucky and Florida.

Kerwin John, meanwhile, will ride in his first Breeders' Cup,

piloting multiple Grade 1 winner ISLAND FASHION (Petionville),

winner of the Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup H. (G2) in her last

start, in the Distaff.

"He's been riding for our stable and doing well and he

rode Island Fashion well. He deserves the chance," trainer

Marcelo Polanco said.