Proviso breezes on the Keeneland turf

Proviso is the top female turf horse in North America (Keeneland/Coady Photography) At Keeneland, Juddmonte Farms' homebred PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]), who will make her next start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), worked Saturday morning for the first time since her win in the October 9 First Lady (G1), her fourth consecutive Grade 1 victory on grass. With Kent Desormeaux aboard, Proviso worked around the dogs on the firm turf course and was timed in 1:02 2/5. Trainer Bill Mott was pleased with the performance. "She finished up well enough," Mott said. "She was out in the middle of the racetrack so consequently the time wasn't real fast. I thought visually it was a good work. Kent said she galloped out strong." "She moved beautifully and got plenty out of the work. That's all we needed," Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke said. "She galloped out beautifully, and all systems are go." Mott said Proviso would ship to Churchill Downs at the beginning of the coming week and have one more work at Churchill in preparation for the Breeders' Cup. Mike Smith, who has ridden the five-year-old mare during her four-race streak, will be aboard Proviso again in the Breeders' Cup.

Grade 1 winner HOT CHA CHA (Cactus Ridge), who exits a third in the Spinster

S. (G1), breezed five furlongs in 1:00 on Polytrack with regular jockey

James Graham in advance of the Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

"It was a good work," trainer Phil Sims said. "It was a minute, a little

faster than what we thought she would really do."

Sims caught Hot Cha Cha in fractions of :24 and :48 2/5, before she

picked up her pace in the last furlong.

"She finished up really well the last eighth of a mile, galloped out strong,

and (we're) just trying to put some endurance in her right now," the conditioner

explained.

Hot Cha Cha is scheduled to breeze at Keeneland next weekend before shipping

to Churchill Downs the week of the Breeders' Cup.

Graham has been aboard Hot Cha Cha for her last nine races, posting a 3-2-3

record with her.

"She likes him a whole lot, so it just kind of makes her happier," Sims said

about Graham breezing Hot Cha Cha. "Get a little lighter weight, too."

Trainer Ken McPeek worked Bourbon (G3) winner ROGUE ROMANCE (Smarty Jones)

and Alcibiades (G1) runner-up HARLAN'S RUBY (Harlan's Holiday) together Saturday

morning, with the duo going five furlongs in a bullet :58 2/5.

Clockers caught the pair in splits of :23 1/5, :35, :47, :58 1/5 and out six

furlongs in 1:10 2/5. Julien Leparoux, who will ride both horses in the Breeders'

Cup, was aboard Rogue Romance for the work. Dean Mernagh was on Harlan's Ruby.

"This was just a maintenance work, but they worked super," McPeek said. "They

are similar both in talent and work patterns. The timing was right and they were

fantastic. Both Julien and Dean were real pleased with the way they felt."

Rogue Romance earned an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

(G2) with his victory in the October 10 Bourbon, a "Win and You're In"

Challenge race. However, whether the colt would be pre-entered in that race or

the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) remains undetermined. The son of Smarty Jones

has won twice in three career starts on the grass.

Harlan's Ruby is slated to go postward in the Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Both horses are scheduled to work together again next weekend at Churchill

Downs.

SILVER TIMBER (Prime Timber), who established himself as a leading contender

for the Turf Sprint (G2) with his recent victory in the Woodford S. (G3), worked Saturday at Keeneland with Leparoux. The seven-year-old gelding turned a half-mile in :49

4/5 in company with stablemate Unaccountable (Fusaichi Pegasus).

"I wanted him to go in :49, and that's what they did," trainer Chad Brown

said. "Just a nice easy maintenance work."

Silver Timber won the 5 1/2-furlong Woodford for the second consecutive year

and captured the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (G3) earlier this season on the Kentucky

Oaks (G1) undercard.

"He had a subpar performance in the race prior (to the Woodford) at

Saratoga," Brown commented. "We thought he was maybe feeling off, but he seems

to be rounding back into form. He loves Keeneland."

Brown said Silver Timber probably will breeze again at Keeneland on October

30 and ship to Churchill the following day.

In other Breeders' Cup news:

Undefeated dual champion ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) enjoyed a leisurely

Saturday morning, just walking around the shedrow of trainer John Shirreffs'

barn at Hollywood Park. The rest was well deserved after working seven furlongs

in 1:27 1/5 over the Cushion Track on Friday.

Zenyatta's final workout before

she leaves California to defend her title in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) will

be October 30. The dark bay six-year-old will leave California on a Tex Sutton

chartered flight on November 2.

COURAGEOUS CAT (Storm Cat), who exits a third in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1)

on October 9, no longer is under consideration for the Breeders' Cup Mile, Mott

said Saturday morning.

Trainer Tom Amoss reports that FALLING KNIFE (Cozzene) will not be pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Marathon

(G3).

Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) contender SWITCH (Quiet American), who exits a

half-length second to Zenyatta in the October 2 Lady's Secret (G1), is scheduled to work

at Churchill Downs on Sunday after the break for Sadler.

Sadler will head back to California on Sunday night to supervise a Monday

work at Hollywood Park for Breeders' Cup Mile hopeful SIDNEY'S CANDY (Candy

Ride [Arg]).

"Sidney's Candy will fly here on the next Tex Sutton flight," Sadler said.

"And, we have to make up our minds on COST OF FREEDOM (Cee's Tizzy) (for the Breeders' Cup Sprint

[G1]). We will bring in a couple more horses for the

(Breeders' Cup) undercard races."

Breeders' Cup candidates expected to work Sunday morning in addition to

Switch are ACOMA (Empire Maker) (Ladies' Classic [G1]), ESPOIR CITY (Jpn) (Gold

Allure) (Classic) and PLUCK (More Than Ready) (Juvenile Turf).

Espoir City, who will have jockey Tetsuzo Sato up, is scheduled

to work after the renovation break.

BLAME (Arch), one of the leading contenders for the

Classic, is scheduled to work Sunday morning around 7:30 a.m. at Keeneland for

trainer Al Stall Jr.

The McPeek-trained KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat), who exits a victory in October

14 Jessamine S., had "a strong gallop" on Saturday, and will work next weekend

either at Keeneland or at Churchill on the grass in preparation for the Juvenile

Fillies Turf (G2).

Turf Sprint prospect BRIDGETOWN (Speightstown) is scheduled to work at

Keeneland next Friday or Saturday, according to McPeek. The three-year-old colt

ran second in last year's Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, and finished fifth in

the Nearctic (Can-G1) at Woodbine on October 16 in his last start.

Trainer Michelle Nihei said Jamaica H. (G1) winner PRINCE WILL I AM (Victory

Gallop) would be pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Marathon instead of the Breeders' Cup

Turf (G1). Prince Will I Am, who worked five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 on Friday, is

scheduled to work next Saturday.

Nihei also said that SILENT JOY (Kitten's Joy), fifth in the

Miss Grillo (G3) at Belmont Park in her most recent start, would be

pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Frank Bernis, agent for jockey Jamie Theriot who has been the regular rider

of Filly & Mare Sprint hopefuls DUBAI MAJESTY (Essence of Dubai) and SECRET

GYPSY (Sea of Secrets), said that Theriot would ride Dubai Majesty in

the Breeders' Cup. Robby Albarado will

have the mount on Secret Gypsy, according to his agent, Lenny Pike.