Espoir City posts first move under the Twin Spires

ESPOIR CITY (Jpn) (Gold Allure), Japan's hope for the November 6

Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs, had the first of his

planned two works beneath the Twin Spires on Sunday morning, covering

six furlongs over the fast track in 1:18 1/5 under jockey Tetsuzo Sato.

Espoir City spent about 20 minutes loosening up in the mile chute

before beginning his work that consisted of fractions in :14 1/5, :28

2/5, :41 3/5, :54 1/5 and 1:06 2/5 before galloping out seven furlongs

in 1:33 3/5. After the work, Espoir City walked around outside Barn 42

in the grassy area of the quarantine section for another 20 minutes

under exercise rider Toshiyuki Abematsu.

"We are coming to this race with the image of a mile and a quarter

race and today was a step in that direction," Sato said through an

interpreter. "The work this morning went as planned. We are not here to

pursue speed, just conditioning."

Espoir City switched leads several times in the stretch, but Sato was

not concerned.

"He is up front in most of his races and sometimes he loses a little focus

and fools around a bit because he knows he has no competition," Sato explained.

Trainer Akio Adachi is scheduled to return to Louisville, Kentucky, from

Japan for Espoir City's final work, the day of which has not been determined.

Sato, who also has been getting on horses for trainers Dale Romans and Todd

Pletcher, was scheduled to return to Japan on Monday but would return for the

final work.

Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) hero HAYNESFIELD (Speightstown) also readied for

the Classic on Sunday morning, working six furlongs in

company with dual Grade 2 victor Kensei (Mr. Greeley) after the renovation break at Churchill.

Under exercise rider Ceasar Garcia, the four-year-old chestnut clocked

three-quarters in 1:13 3/5 for trainer Steve Asmussen. The two worked on

even terms, with Haynesfield on the outside, through fractions of :12 3/5, :25,

:37 1/5 and :49 1/5. They galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27 2/5, with Haynesfield

kicking clear of his workmate.

ACOMA (Empire Maker) had her first work since winning Keeneland's Spinster S. (G1)

on October 10, covering five furlongs at Churchill in

1:01 3/5, the 11th fastest of 32 at the distance.

Working on her own before the

renovation break under jockey Tony Farina, Acoma carved out fractions of :12 3/5,

:24 4/5 and :37 1/5 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15 2/5.

"It was a nice work and she did it

well within herself," trainer David Carroll said. "I was going to work her a

half, but she went five-eighths to get the edge off. Tony knows her and will

give me good feedback."

The November 5 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic

(G1) will be the final race for Acoma, who has spent a good portion of her

career at Churchill Downs. She has competed under the Twin Spires seven times, going

two-for-two on the dirt and winning three graded stakes on the grass.

"It's huge," Carroll said of what

amounts to Acoma's home-field advantage in the Breeders' Cup. "If it were

anywhere else, we would not be running. She has trained here, had a lot of

success here and is very happy here. She has never had a bad race here. She was

fourth once (in this summer's Locust Grove H. [G3]), but she was right there at the

wire (beaten only a neck)."

SWITCH (Quiet American) will face older rivals in the Breeders' Cup Filly &

Mare Sprint (G1) on November 5, but in her first try against older fillies and mares,

she turned in a performance that was nearly one for the record books. In the Lady's Secret S. (G1) at Hollywood Park on October 2, the

three-year-old lass cut the corner at the top of the stretch, opening a

daylight lead on a field of five that included the undefeated Zenyatta (Streety

Cry [Ire]).

"It is etched in my mind," trainer John Sadler said with a laugh

Sunday morning. "The thing about it was the place went quiet for a few

seconds when Switch spurted clear. And then Zenyatta came on and the

place erupted."

Zenyatta is scheduled to come to Churchill Downs on November 2, in a

bid to complete her career 20-for-20 with a run in the Breeders' Cup

Classic, a race she won last year against males on the synthetic

Pro-Ride at Santa Anita.

Switch will not get a second shot at the supermare as she is readying

for the Filly & Mare Sprint, posting five-eighths in

her most recent move Sunday in 1:00 1/5 at Churchill under exercise

rider Lupillo Alferez.

Working on her own after the

renovation break, Switch recorded fractions of :12 1/5, :23 4/5, :35 2/5 and :47

2/5 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 4/5. The five-furlong time was the second

fastest of 32 at the distance and comes on the heels of a bullet half-mile move

in :47 last Sunday.

"It was nice and smooth and she

looked good doing it," Sadler said. "I told him to go in a minute, so that was

fine."