California Breeders' Cup hopefuls out in force

Undefeated Juvenile Fillies contender Weemissfrankie led a phalanx of

Breeders' Cup workers at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Weemissfrankie, heroine of the Grade 1 Oak Leaf and Grade 1 Del Mar

Debutante, worked five furlongs in :59 2/5 on the fast main track for Peter

Eurton. Tom Mitchell of Santa Anita's crack clockers' team said the filly

galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.

"I'm very happy," Eurton said, "especially with the way she pulled up."

Del Mar Debutante runner-up Self Preservation, under consideration for both

the Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf, traveled six panels in 1:15. The

Ben Cecil trainee tired to fifth after setting the pace in the Oak Leaf.

Grade 1 Ancient Title winner Amazombie tuned up for the Sprint by sizzling a

half-mile in :46 3/5 before the crack of dawn.

"He breezed fantastic," said Chris Asplin, trainer Bill Spawr's aide de camp

since 1980. "Bill said he's getting better than he's ever been."

Exercise rider Nacho Vasquez was aboard for the 5 a.m. (PDT) drill.

Fractional times were :12 3/5, :23 3/5 and :36, with a gallop-out time of 1:00

1/5.

Mile candidate Jeranimo, coming off a score in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile,

sped in :47.

"Jeramino came out of his race in stellar shape and just breezed a nice

little :46 and one this morning," trainer Mike Pender said of his clocking.

"He's given us every indication barring anything unforeseen to get on that plane

to Kentucky.

"The Mile has the best horses in the world. I might be a little bit biased of

course, but of all the races at the Breeders' Cup, pound for pound I think the

majority of people are looking forward to that race. It does have the three-time

defending champ Goldikova."

Filly & Mare Turf contender Dubawi Heights, most recently victorious in the

Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon, drilled five furlongs in :59 4/5.

Multiple Grade 2 queen Malibu Pier, a subpar eighth in the Yellow Ribbon,

motored in :59 2/5 ahead of her retrieval mission.

Rounding out the Filly & Mare Turf workers, Grade 1 American Oaks dead-heater

Cambina rattled off five-eighths in 1:00 1/5 on the firm turf. The Jeff Bonde

sophomore exits a fifth in the Yellow Ribbon.

Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship hero Majestic City took a test spin

on the grass and came through with flying colors, ripping a half-mile in a sharp

:47 3/5 around the "dogs." The move might have solidified his status for the

Juvenile Turf, rather than the Juvenile.

The Peter Miller pupil has been beaten narrowly in his past two. Demoted from

second to third in a rodeo finish to the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, he was just

caught by Dullahan in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity in his two-turn debut.

At Hollywood Park, Dirt Mile candidate Tres Borrachos covered five Cushion

Track furlongs in 1:01 2/5. The multiple Grade 2 veteran will be shortening up

off a pair of unplaced efforts in the Grade 1 Goodwood and the Grade 1 Pacific

Classic.

Turf Sprint hopeful Unzip Me completed her move in 1:02 4/5 for Marty Jones.

The multiple Grade 3-winning mare was only fourth as the 4-5 choice in her title

defense in the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy, but hopes to improve in the Turf Sprint,

where she finished third last year.

Brian Koriner reports that California Flag, winner of the 2009 Turf Sprint,

is scheduled to work a half-mile Sunday on Santa Anita's main track, after which

the trainer will have a better line on whether the seven-year-old will make his

fourth straight appearance in the race.

"We'll see how he comes out of the work before deciding," Koriner said.