Here Comes Ben turns heads in Keeneland drill

Forego S. (G1) hero HERE COMES BEN (Street Cry [Ire]), aiming for the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), impressed a number of observers, including trainer

Charlie Lopresti, when he breezed six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 on the Keeneland

Polytrack Thursday. Enrique Pacheco was aboard the four-year-old colt, who

worked at about 6:30 a.m. (EDT).

Clockers caught Here Comes Ben in splits of :25, :49 1/5 and 1:12 1/5. He

galloped out seven furlongs in 1:24 and the mile in 1:38 2/5.

"Unbelievable," said Lopresti, who is based year-round at The Keeneland

Training Center across Rice Road from the racecourse. "He did it very easy.

Enrique said (he would) go off easy and punch him a little bit, ask him down the

lane. He said he just kicked on."

Here Comes Ben is on a four-race win streak that includes the seven-furlong

Kelly's Landing S. at Churchill Downs in June and the Forego at Saratoga on

September 4.

On October 14 at Keeneland, Here Comes Ben worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5

and let Lopresti know he was ready for more.

"He's been begging to work all week," the trainer said.

Lopresti said that Here Comes Ben will work again in a week and that his

stablemate WISE DAN (Wiseman's Ferry), winner of the October 8 Phoenix S. (G3)

at Keeneland, is to work again on Wednesday, a week after his most recent move.

The three-year-old gelding is headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

The Lopresti horses are to ship to Churchill on November 3.

Several other Breeders' Cup hopefuls also posted Thursday works at Keeneland.

Sprint contender CASH REFUND (Petionville) breezed five-eighths out of the

gate in :58 4/5, third-best of 37 works at the distance. With Brian Hernandez

up, the Steve Margolis charge posted fractions of :23 and :46, and he galloped

out six furlongs in 1:13.

"I thought he went very good; he did it very easy," Margolis said. "Brian

didn't even really ask him. He just kind of went on his own."

Third in his last two starts, the May 29 Aristides S. (G3) at Churchill Downs

and the June 25 Iowa Sprint H. at Prairie Meadows, Cash Refund will pick up the

services of John Velazquez.

Also for Margolis, Turf Sprint (G2) candidate DUE DATE (El Prado [Ire]), most

recently third in the October 9 Woodford (G3), worked a half-mile in :47 1/5

with longtime Margolis assistant Loren Diego aboard. The gray got his first

quarter in :24.

Margolis described Due Date's work as a "real positive move."

On Monday, October 25, Margolis plans to ship both horses to Churchill Downs,

where they will have their final Breeders' Cup works. 

Breeders' Cup-bound juveniles WILLCOX INN (Harlan's Holiday) and MAJOR GAIN

(More Than Ready) breezed together on the firm Keeneland turf course, and both

were clocked in 1:03 3/5 for five furlongs.

Both Willcox Inn, trained by Michael Stidham, and Major Gain, trained by

Wayne Catalano, are pointing toward the Juvenile Turf (G2), though Catalano said

Major Gain also will be cross-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). The

colts finished third and fifth, respectively, in their last start, the October 9

Breeders' Futurity (G1).

"Major Gain has never been on the turf and his (Stidham's) horse has never

been on the turf, so it's good to have a little company out there," Catalano

said. "Make sure the babies aren't out there wandering all over the place."

Both Stidham and Catalano were pleased with each colt's maiden move over the

grass.

"We wanted to give him (Willcox Inn) a little test run over the grass and

they went the last quarter in :23 and change, so we were pleased with that and a

good gallop-out," Stidham said. "I think we accomplished what we were looking

for."

Stidham said Willcox Inn would most likely have one more breeze at Keeneland

on the Polytrack on October 30, before heading to Churchill Downs the following

day.

Jockey Michael Baze was aboard Major Gain, who had previously captured the

Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3), for the Thursday work. Catalano said that

Major Gain will have his final Breeders' Cup work at Churchill Downs.

Fellow Juvenile Turf prospect COZY KITTEN (Kitten's Joy), runner-up in the

October 10 Bourbon S. (G3), breezed in company with three-year-old allowance

winner Great Attack (Greatness) on the turf, and each went five furlongs in 1:04

1/5.

"(Cozy Kitten) had a fantastic work against a very fast horse in Great

Attack," trainer Wesley Ward said. "I was very excited and we're looking forward

to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with him."

Ward said that Cozy Kitten is improving.

"I think he's developing mentally and physically, I find even today, to show

that he can even be, keep up remotely close to Great Attack, who is an

exceptional sprinter, showed a tremendous effort," the trainer noted.

Great Attack, sixth in the Woodford, is being pointed to an allowance race

here on Wednesday.