(Trainer Todd Pletcher conditions Bal Harbour / Photo by Gene McLean)

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. Bal Harbour, a 3YO son of First Samurai who was firmly on the Triple Crown trail in the Spring for trainer Todd Pletcher, came back to the races in style on Oct. 21 at Keeneland. The colt ran down the front runners to win by a nose in a tough allowance event in his first race in over 7 months. That victory runs his record to 4-2-0 in just 10 career starts, and his earnings past $200,000 to date. This morning, the new gelding was back in action at Churchill Downs breezing a half mile in :49.40. That was the 13th best time out of 36 to go the distance this morning.
  2. Blamed, a tremendously talented 3YO filly by Blame and trained by Bill Mott, worked this morning at Churchill Downs, as well. The filly went a nice half mile in :49.40, which was tied for the 13th best time. So far in her career, she has raced 7 times, with 5 wins and 2 seconds. Already, she has nearly $300,000 in career earnings. In her last race out, she ran second in the G2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes — where she was beaten by Shamrock Rose. And, that winner? Well, she just came back this weekend. And, she won in the Breeders’ Cup. Watch for Blamed next time out. She only lost to that BC winner by 21/2 lengths. Not bad for a filly that didn’t meet her reserve price and was brought home for $77,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2016.
  3. Chase Greatness, a Maryland-bred gelding who broke his maiden at Churchill Downs this summer and has since run 7th in both the G3 Sanford Stakes and the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga, worked this morning for new trainer Stanley Hough. Hough came out of retirement to take over the training duties of Sagamore Farm, and this one ran third in his first start for the new conditioner in Louisville on Sept. 30. Worked this morning under the Twin Spires, going a nice half mile in :48.60. That was the 5th best time out of the 36 for the 2yO son of More Than Ready.
  4. Chaos Theory, a 3YO son of Curlin and trained by Mark Casse for Stonestreet Stables, worked this morning at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. That is the exact location where he broke his maiden on debut in February. Ran fourth at Keeneland in April, but was off until October when he came back to run sixth in Lexington. This morning, he looked good — going an easy half mile in :50.60. That was the 26th best time out of 31, but keep an eye on this one. He is talented. He brought $260,000 as a weanling at the 2015 November Breeding Stock Sale at Keeneland.
  5. Valadorna, a 4YO daughter of Curlin and also owned by Stonestreet Farm, is a G3 Stakes winner this year of the Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland and multiple Graded Stakes-placed. She worked at the Fair Grounds this morning, as well, for trainer Mark Casse. She went an easy half mile, too, in the same time as the colt. Two starts ago, this one ran second in the G3 KY Downs Ladies Turf Stakes, and was fifth in the G1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland in her last out.
  6. Mucho Gusto, a 2YO son of Mucho Macho Man and trained by Bob Baffert, won on debut at Los Alamitos on Sept. 20. Since that victory lap, the colt has gotten three published works — including a 5-furlong move this morning at Santa Anita. He went the distance in 1:00.20, which was the bullet move of the day out of 18 to go that distance. Bears watching.