(Mother Mother winning at Churchill Downs / Photo Courtesy of Churchill Downs)

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. Go For a Ride, a 2YO Candy Ride colt purchased for $525,000 at the OBS April 2YO Sale this year, is back in training for Mark Casse. The colt turned in his 4th published workout since Oct. 27 at the Casse Training Center in Central Florida on Wednesday morning, going a half mile in :49.80. That was the best time of the day. Keep an eye on this one. Obviously, the connections loved the way he looked back in the Spring.
  2. Flameway, runner-up to Quip in the Tampa Bay Derby and to the talented Good Magic in the G2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes this Spring, has not run since finishing 7th in the G3 Smarty Jones Stakes over the funky dirt track at Parx Racing back in August. But he got his first published workout since then this morning at the Casse Training Center. The 3YO son of Scat Daddy went an easy 3 furlongs in :37.20, which was the second best time of the day. It will be great to have this talented runner back in the afternoons later.
  3. Ax Man, a rapid fire 3YO son of Misremembered and trained by Bob Baffert, worked at Santa Anita on Tuesday. He last ran back in July when third in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby. That was on the heels of a third place finish in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in June. He got his 8th published work since Sept. 29 on Tuesday at the “Great Race Place,” going 5 furlongs in 1:00.40. That was the bullet move out of 35 to go the distance. Looks ready. Should aim and fire soon.
  4. Kanthaka, a 3YO son of Jimmy Creed and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, also worked at Santa  Anita on Tuesday. He’s been off even longer than Ax Man, having not raced since May when winning the G3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita. That marked the 3rd win in 6 starts for this one, who impressed with a win in the G2 San Vicente Stakes back in February. The work on Tuesday was his 6th published workout since Oct. 26 and the second straight 5 furlong test. He went the distance in 1:01.40, which was the 12th best time out of the 35. Could shape up to be a great December at Santa Anita, and one heckuva G1 Malibu Stakes the day after Christmas.
  5. Chasing Yesterday and Mother Mother, two really nice 2YO fillies in the barn of Team Bafferet, worked 6 furlongs on Tuesday, as well. Chasing Yesterday, the half-sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and by Tapit, went the distance in 1:13.80 — which was the bullet move. Chasing Yesterday is 3 for 4 lifetime with her only loss coming in the G1 Spinaway at Saratoga back in September. She most recently won the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 12. Mother Mother, who was shipped East to win at Churchill Downs in her last race in the Rags to Riches Stakes on Oct. 28, went the same distance in 1:14.20. That was the second best time. She is by Pioneerof the Nile and has won 2 of 3 starts, with one second.  Looks like Baffert is stocked for the KY Oaks, too.