Fort Larned turns in final pre-Classic breeze

The move was the third by Fort Larned since October 19 and trainer Ian Wilkes

said the defending Classic winner was happy with both the work and the condition

of his star heading into Saturday's renewal.

"Today was not to squeeze the lemon dry -- it was to get the horse coming off

the track wanting to do more," Wilkes said. "Today he walked off like he was

wanting to do more, so I was happy."

"He worked great this morning," Hernandez said. "He went just like Ian wanted

him to. He cruised right around there to five-eighths and it looks like he's

going into the Classic like he did last year."

Fort Larned led from the start and edged Mucho Macho Man by a half-length in

last year's Classic. He's had an up-and-down 2013 season with two victories in

five races and both of those were at Churchill Downs in the $536,300 Stephen

Foster Handicap and the $191,275 Homecoming Classic.

He set the pace in both of his 2013 victories, which has led some to question

if his running style fits in this year's 1 1/4-mile Classic, a race populated by

speedy horses like Horse of the Year frontrunner Game On Dude, who has not lost

in six races since a disappointing run in the 2012 Classic, and Moreno, the

runner-up in the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby.

But Wilkes is confident that Fort Larned is where he needs to be and has the

ability to adapt to any tactical scenario the Classic might present.

"He can do whatever you want with him," Wilkes said. "He can lay off, he can

sit behind or he can go to the lead. Last year he ran along (the half-mile) in

:46. When you run along at that sort of pace -- that's racehorse time -- and if

someone wants to go with him, go with him. But he can sit behind, it doesn't

matter. I'm not concerned about that."

With Monday's breeze, the serious work for the Classic is completed. The next

step is a Tuesday flight to Southern California and then light training over the

Santa Anita course prior to Saturday's bid to equal the feat of Tiznow, who won

the Classic in 2000 and 2001 and remains the only horse to win the race twice

and in back-to-back years.

"I'm very excited," Hernandez said. "This is what we get up in the morning

for, to compete in big races like this and to go in there with the defending

champion is very exciting."

"I feel good," Wilkes said. "The horse is right where you want him. He's

doing really well. I'm very pleased with him."

Wilkes, who has a 6:40 a.m. flight to Los Angeles on Tuesday, said Fort

Larned may walk the shedrow in the morning with his flight to California

scheduled "around lunch time," Wilkes said.

Also working in Kentucky Monday morning was  Judy the Beauty,

who is entered in the Filly & Mare Sprint. With Kent Desormeaux up and working

on Polytrack at Keeneland, Judy the Beauty went five furlongs in :59 4/5 in company. Judy

the Beauty started three lengths in back of her workmate and finished 12 in

front while posting fractions of :12, :23 3/5, :35 3/5 and out six furlongs in 1:13 3/5.

Reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan will be among the seven horses that will

accompany Fort Larned on the flight to California for the Breeders' Cup races.

The Charles LoPresti-trained gelding will bid for a second consecutive victory

in the Mile.

"He will train in the morning and then van to Louisville to catch the plane

to California," said LoPresti, who is scheduled to leave Lexington at 7

a.m. and be at Santa

Anita when Wise Dan arrives.

The Sutton Forwarding Company flight will originate in New York with a stop

scheduled in Louisville before it heads on to its final destination in Southern

California.

Others scheduled to board the flight in Louisville are Dimension (Turf

Sprint), Havelock (Turf Sprint), Judy the Beauty (Filly & Mare Sprint), Medal

Count (Juvenile), Starship Truffles (Filly & Mare Sprint), and Sum of the Parts

(Sprint).

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