(Trainer Tom Proctor conditions Cambodia / Photo Courtesy of Keeneland)

Every day, we scour the work tabs at racetracks all over the country.  We are looking for workouts that may be of interest and helpful to you — as both race fans and handicappers.  Some of the horses we will be tracking, you will know.  Some of them, you may not know — as of yet.  We will keep a keen eye and stopwatch to see who may be working well:

  1. Sadler’s Joy, a 5YO horse by Kitten’s Joy and trained by Tom Albertrani, has won nearly $1.8 million in his racing life, and is still going strong. In late September, he ran third in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park. Earlier this year, he won the G2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulstream Park; was 2nd in the G1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont; was second in the G1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes; and was third in the G2 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga. The “grass warrior” worked at Belmont Park this morning, breezing an easy half mile in :51.88. That was 26th best out of the 32 to go the distance. Can’t wait to see him back in action.
  2. Vertical Oak, a 4YO Giant Oak filly trained by Steve Asmussen, worked at Churchill Downs this morning. the filly went an easy half mile under the Twin Spires in :51.40. That was 8th of 10 make the distance over a wet racing surface. This year, Vertical Oak has raced 6 times. She has 2 wins, 1 second, and three thirds. The last out was a third in the G2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland. The time before, she won the Open Mind Stakes at Churchill Downs. Gritty filly.
  3. Carrizo, a 2YO filly by Paynter and trained by Asmussen, as well, worked this morning in Louisville. This one, who is a perfect 1-for-1 on the track, went 5 furlongs in 1:01.60. That was the 5th best time out of 14 to go that far. This filly is owned by Mike Rutherford, who attempted to sell her at the Keeneland September Sale of 2017. She RNA’d for $50,000. May turn out to be a good “non sale.”
  4. Limonite, a 2YO son of Lemon Drop Kid and another talented juvenile in the Asmussen barn, worked this morning, as well. This one, who ran 3rd on debut at Saratoga in September before breaking the maiden last out at Keeneland on Oct. 6, went 5 furlongs in the bullet time of 1:01.20. That was best of the 14. Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing purchased this one for $115,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale. Good be a good buy, too.
  5. Done Deal, a 5YO son of Macho Uno and trained by Ian Wilkes, ripped off an impressive half mile over the sloppy track at Keeneland this morning. He went a half mile in :46.60 — which was the bullet move out of 4 to go that far. This one showed a lot of promise this summer when he won the Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows in July. Since then, he has run off the board in three straight Graded Stakes events. If he drops back not a notch, watch out for this speed freak.
  6. Cambodia, a 6YO mare by War Front and trained by Tom Proctor, has hit the board in three straight Graded Stakes events on the West Coast this Summer & Fall. Most recently, she ran third in the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita. Before that, though, she was second in the G2 John C. Mabee, and won the G2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar. Today, she stretched her legs at “The Great Race Place,” going an easy half mile over the dirt track in :49.40. That was the 4th best time out of 8 to go the distance. Steady as they come.