(Trainer Bob Baffert / Photo Courtesy of Santa Anita)

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. Term of Art, who was prepared for Stakes races all over the country by trainer Doug O’Neill a year ago, worked over the Keeneland dirt surface this morning in Lexington. The son of Tiznow, owned by Calumet Farm, worked 3-furlongs in :37.60. It was the colt’s first published work since he ran 9th in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby to West Coast.
  2. Warrior’s Club, one of the first horses to belong to the Churchill Downs’ Racing Club and is now Graded Stakes placed, worked at Oaklawn Park this morning for Coach D. Wayne Lukas. He went 3-furlongs in :36.20, which was the bullet of 7 to go that far. He won on Feb. 8 in Hot Springs, but ran 6th in the Hot Springs Stakes on March 10.
  3. Zulfikhar, a highly-touted son of Bodemeister who hails for the barn of Team Bob (Baffert), worked at Santa Anita today. To date, he has run only twice, winning on debut at Los Alamitos last July. He came back to run at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 19, but ran behind New York Central — a disappointment in the recent Sunland Derby. Today, Zulfikhar went 6 furlongs in 1:13.80, which was the second best time out of 8 to go that far. Worth watching.
  4. Ike, another promising 3YO in the barn of Baffert, worked this morning, as well. This one most recently ran third to Mitole in an allowance at Oaklawn Park on March 17. This son of Paynter has now run twice, with a win and a third under his girth. He went the 6-furlong distance today in 1:13.60, which was the bullet work of the day at the distance.
  5. Jehozacat, a homebred daughter of Tapit who is owned by the Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen Jackson, didn’t finish in her most recent start — the G3 Florida Oaks, won by Andina Del Sur in a 11/16-mile event over the grass. Prior to that one, though, she won an allowance at Tampa Bay Downs for trainer Arnaud Delacour. She breezed a half mile in a snappy :48 flat today — which was the bullet work of 48 to go that far. This one is OK.