Wise Dan turns in spirited gallop at Keeneland

Reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan put in a strong gallop early Saturday

morning on the Polytrack as the Keeneland phase of his preparations for the

Breeders' Cup Mile began to wind down.

With regular exercise rider Damien Rock up, Wise Dan came on the track

shortly before 6:30 a.m. (EDT) on the chilly morning, stood by the finish for

about five minutes and then galloped 1 1/2 miles.

"I did not put the watch on him until the eighth pole and I got him in :11

and change to the wire and then another :11 and change to an eighth after the

wire," trainer Charlie LoPresti said. "That was just what I wanted. Damien had

him well out in the middle of the track and I told him to ease him down toward

the rail at the three-eighths pole and let him run through the lane."

A homebred campaigned by Morton Fink, Wise Dan is scheduled to ship to Santa

Anita on Tuesday in advance of his Mile title defense.

Second in the off-the-turf Shadwell Mile on October 5, Wise Dan returned to

the worktab last Saturday with a half-mile work in :47 2/5.

"We are doing just what we did last year here," LoPresti said of Breeders'

Cup preparations. "He couldn't be doing any better."

The Breeders' Cup World Championships also mark the next stop for two other

horses that worked at Keeneland Saturday, two-time Phoenix

winner Sum of the Parts and Breeders' Futurity runner-up Smarty's

Echo.

With jockey Leandro Goncalves up, Sum of the Parts worked a half-mile in :47

early in the morning on the Polytrack. Keeneland clockers got Sum of the Parts

with a :23 2/5 first quarter-mile and a five-furlong gallop out of 1:00 3/5.

"I'm very pleased with the work and the strong gallop-out," trainer Tom Amoss

said. "He will go to Churchill Downs Sunday or Monday and fly to California on

Tuesday."

Owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, Sum of the Parts finished

fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint after winning the Phoenix.

"I had no expectations last year," Amoss said of the Breeders' Cup. "It was the

end of the year and I was surprised he made the lead.

"This year, he is a fresh, sharp horse. In the Phoenix, he used his speed to

control the race. I would love to see it set up like that, but I understand that

the Breeders' Cup horses are a lot quicker."

A four-year-old son of Speightstown, Sum of the Parts has compiled a record of

15-6-2-0. Goncalves had been aboard five times and accounted for three of the

victories.

After the renovation break, Smarty's Echo worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 with

regular rider E.T. Baird aboard. Click

here for video of the move.

Anne Smith trains the Smarty

Jones colt, who is owned by Pete and Scott Reiman's Windy Hill Farm and was

pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with second preference in the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Clockers caught Smarty's Echo in fractions of :12 4/5, :24 3/5 and :36 2/5,

and a six-furlong gallop-out in 1:13 4/5.

"We feel prepared as best as we can be at this point," Smith said, who watched

the work near the finish from atop her pony, Debaser.

"Each time, he's still

figuring more and more out, learning more cues from the rider. He worked alone

today, so it was just a little bit different. Each time E.T.'s on him, he

figures out a little more about him. As far as feeling good physically, (Baird)

felt an improvement from last week."

Last Saturday, Smarty's Echo worked five furlongs in company in 1:00 4/5.

Smarty's Echo has one win in three starts. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile will mark

the colt's first start on dirt, but Smith said he has experience on the surface.

"We did a lot of training at Arlington on the dirt (training) track there, so

he's been on the dirt quite a bit," Smith said. "I made sure to get him over

that quite a bit this summer. A breeze with dirt in his face and getting all

that practice would have been ideal, but we'll see what we can do out there

getting him ready next week."

Smith said Smarty's Echo would gallop up to the race, but said, "There might be

a day where I sharpen him up a bit."

Smarty's Echo is

to fly to California on Sunday morning.

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