Each day, we scour the work tabs at racetracks all over the country to see what horses may be practicing with a real purpose for a race coming up soon.  Some of the horses, you will recognize.  Some of them, you will not. But we hope to keep you updated on both.  Here is a closer look at those prepping this morning:

  1. Practical Joke, who won the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga in his last effort and remains undefeated at one-turn races, was back on the track this morning at Belmont Park.  He worked 4Fs in :47.63 for trainer Chad Brown, which was the 2nd best time out of 86 to go that distance.  He looks to be a prime candidate for either the Breeders’ Cup Sprint or the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.  This one is all guts and has run very well all year, even at distances that challenge his stamina.
  2. Battle of Midway, another talented 3YO colt who ran 3rd in this year’s Kentucky Derby, worked this morning at Santa Anita, going 5Fs in a brisk 1:00.80. That was the 2nd best time out of 21 to go that far this morning.  He got the blinkers from trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in his last race and ran away to an easy and impressive victory at Del Mar, after a rough and tough run in the G1 Haskell Invitational.  Looks to be on the improve.
  3. Senior Investment, who rallied to run a game third behind Cloud Computing and Classic Empire in the Preakness Stakes earlier this year, worked this morn at Churchill Downs. He went 4Fs in :49.20 for assistant trainer Jeff Hiles, who oversees the Kenny McPeek barn operation in Louisville. That was the 28th best out of 50 to go that distance this morning.
  4. Watch Your Words is another 3YO colt that you may want to keep an eye on. He covered 4Fs in :50.20 breezing at Monmouth Park.  He went on the dirt and that was 37th best out of 62 to work that long.  I have watched this one all spring and will keep a keen eye on his return to the afternoon.