(Abel Tasman nips Elate)

Every day, we scour the work tabs at racetracks and training facilities all over North America. We are searching for those horses that appear to be peaking at just the right time and may be sitting on a top performance in the afternoons. Some of the horses that we watch and track, you will know. Others, though, you may not recognize — yet. Here is a closer look at some of today’s morning glories:

  1. War Heroine, winner of the Sweet Life Stakes on the downhill grass course at Santa Anita in her last start, worked at Del Mar this morning for trainer Peter Miller. The Lonhro filly, bred in Australia, went an easy half-mile in :36.60, which was the bullet work of three to go the distance. Keep an eye on this talented filly. She is now 2-for-3 in her brief career, and there appears to be a lot of upside on the grass courses.
  2. Prolific, a 3YO colt by Bernardini who is owned by Godolphin Racing, worked this morning at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans for trainer Michael Stidham. The colt breezed  5-furlongs in a brisk 1:00 flat, which was the 2nd best time out of 20 to go that far. This guy broke his maiden at first asking at Belmont Park last September. Now, he has four published works since Feb. 6. And, he appears to be gearing up nicely for his 2018 debut. May not be ready to challenge the heavy hitters early this spring, but this one has talent. He broke the maiden at 61/2 furlongs on the dirt and won every step of the way to finish up a length ahead at the wire. Talented.
  3. Caledonia Road, winner of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the 2017 Champ for her age group, was back on the track at Palm Meadows Training Facility in South Florida this morning. The 3YO Quality Road filly breezed a half mile in an easy :50.60, which was the 4th best time out of 12 to go that distance. It was just her second published workout since the Breeders’ Cup, and the first one came just a week ago. She is still aways to go before race time, but she figures to be a top contender for the Kentucky Oaks if she can crank it back up within the next month for trainer Ralph Nicks. In her brief career to date, she has tallied two wins and a second in the G1 Frizette Stakes.
  4. Abel Tasman, winner of the 2017 Kentucky Oaks, trained this morning at Santa Anita for conditioner Bob Baffert. The filly went 5-furlongs in 1:00.40, which was the 9th best time out of 39 to work that distance. Today’s exercise marked the fifth work for the daughter of Quality Road since Feb. 1. She is tuning up fast for a return to the races soon.
  5. Ax Man, who blew a gasket in the early going of the G2 San Vicente Stakes while running suicide fractions, was back on the track at Santa Anita for Baffert today. He went 5-furlongs in :59.20, which was the second best time out of 39 to go that far. This lightning fast son of Misremembered may turn out to be a sprinter, but he could be a real talented one, still.
  6. Curley’s Rocket, a talented son of Into Mischief who broke his maiden the last time out at Santa Anita, worked for Baffert this morning. He went 5-furlongs in 1:00.80, which was 12th best. This guy could show up in a Stakes event for Team Baffert next, but the farthest he has been is 6-furlongs, as well, and he loves the front end. The question is whether he can sustain that run.
  7. Ike, a son of Paynter and trained by Baffert, was brilliant this morning at Santa Anita. He went 5-furlongs in :59.20, which was the second best time out of 39 to go. This one broke his maiden on debut Feb. 11 going 61/2 furlongs on the dirt. Unlike the two above him in his listing, this one appears to have the ability to stalk the pace a bit. He he fast, though, and that’s something that all the Baffert horses seem to have in common. The question is “what’s next?”