Europeans visit Santa Anita

Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani's Breeders' Cup Classic contender Planteur

stretched his legs for the first time on Santa Anita's track early Tuesday

morning with a canter around one and a half circuits of the dirt before

returning to the barn. The Marco Botti trainee was accompanied by stable

companion Al Thakhira (Juvenile Fillies Turf) with the trainer's wife Lucie on

board who said afterward, "everything was good this morning I just wanted them

to have a look at their surroundings."

Coolmore's Declaration of War arrived with the rest of the Aidan

O'Brien-trained Ballydoyle contingent just after midnight after an uneventful

flight from Ireland and they are expected to clear quarantine in time for track

work on Thursday morning.

Andrew Lloyd-Webber's The Fugue, with regular work rider Gary Forster in the

saddle, took to the main track shortly after 6:45 a.m. (PT) and trotted one

circuit of the dirt before returning through the paddock back to the barn. The

four-year-old filly is the 3-1 morning line favorite in the Turf.

Les Reynolds, traveling head lad for trainer John Gosden, reported that the

daughter of Dansili was in good shape.

"She traveled over really well and was really perky last night, and she is in

good form and Gary is pleased with her," Reynolds said. "We followed the same

routine just to get some exercise into her and did not want to do too much with

her first time of asking."

Magician the second European challenger for the Turf was part of the

Ballydoyle contingent that arrived in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Dank, trainer Michael Stoute's representative in the Filly & Mare Turf, got

her first experience of the Santa Anita turf track Tuesday. She trotted half a

circuit of the course before breaking into a canter down the home stretch. She

also went back to the barn via the paddock to get used to the surroundings.

France's representative in the race, Juddmonte Farm's Romantica trained by

Andre Fabre, also stretched her legs out on the main track.

Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani's Olympic Glory had his first experience on

the dirt when jogging two circuits of the track for trainer Richard Hannon. The

son of Choisir comes to Santa Anita off a win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

(British Champion's Mile at Ascot) on October 19 and will be ridden by champion

jockey Richard Hughes in Saturday's event.

Chriselliam, Vorda (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Outstrip and Shamshon (Juvenile

Turf) were out on the track for routine exercise. Chriselliam cantered one

circuit of the turf track before returning via the tunnel and the paddock to the

barn.

Outstrip trotted two laps of the training track before doing a slightly

faster spin than Monday round one circuit of the main track.

Traveling head lad Andrea Mascolo said, "He did a little more than yesterday.

He is fresh and well I hope the flat track and fast ground will suit him better

than the undulations and softer track at Newmarket last time."

Shamshon followed his stable companion Olympic Glory and trotted two circuits

of the main track.

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