Albarado Hopes Quick Start Carries Over To Breeders' Cup … One Caroline Ready for Churchill Return … Lenclud looks to Apple

Nov 05, 2009 Gary Yunt

ALBARADO HOPES FAST START CARRIES OVER TO BREEDERS’ CUP  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Jockey Robby Albarado closed out the month of October on a high note by winning the riding title at the 17-day Keeneland meet with 25 victories.

He did not cool off when the calendar turned to November as he won four races on Sunday’s initial card of the 21-day Fall Meet. Albarado, who won his first Churchill Downs riding title in the 2008 Spring Meet, will head to California after today’s 10-race card to ride three horses in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

His mounts on Friday are Tapitsfly in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf for trainer Dale Romans, Beautician in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) for trainer Ken McPeek and on Saturday he rides Court Vision in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) for trainer Rick Dutrow.

Albarado, whose one Breeders’ Cup victory came aboard two-time “Horse of the Year” Curlin in the 2007 Classic at Monmouth Park, shared his thoughts on his three runners at Santa Anita

Albarado has partnered Tapitsfly in four of her six starts and was aboard for her two wins, including the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga. Tapitsfly will break from post position 10 in the 1 1/16-mile race.

The 10-hole will not be a problem for her because she has tactical speed and will be forwardly placed in the race,” Albarado said. “She worked very well over the turf course out there. Dale (Romans) is a great horseman and he knows what it takes to win these kinds of races and she is doing good. I think she is better on the grass and has a bigger turn of foot.”

Albarado rode Beautician in her debut, which she won here in June.

“I rode her the one time and then she was well matched against Hot Dixie Chick, which is the horse that I rode in two stakes at Saratoga, and I think she is phenomenal,” Albarado said. “She got knocked around a little bit in her last race at Keeneland (a fifth-place finish in the Darley Alcibiades) and didn’t get a chance to show how good she is. Hopefully she will get a clean trip out there.”

Albarado rode Court Vision for the first time in the Shadwell Turf Mile (GI) at Keeneland and posted a nose victory over Karelian. It was Court Vision’s first start in more than three months.

“The Shadwell was a good race for him coming back off the longer races and cutting back in distance,” said Albarado of Court Vision, who will break from post position one in the Mile. “I thought he was great. He will be coming at the end, that’s for sure.”

ONE CAROLINE RETURNS TO CHURCHILL DOWNS ON FRIDAY – It has been more than six months since One Caroline was last seen at Churchill Downs, but she will return on Friday following a van ride from her home base at Keeneland for Saturday’s 24th running of the $150,000-added Chilukki.

“She’ll be here tomorrow to school and then run Saturday,” said Jack Bohannan, assistant to trainer Rusty Arnold.

Owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and the Louise Ireland Humphrey Revocable Trust-2008, One Caroline won her first two career starts during the 2008 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs and then started 2009 with three spectacular victories at Gulfstream Park, highlighted by a 6 ½-length score in the Grade II Rampart.

   The 4-year-old daughter of Unbridled’s Song suffered her only defeat when Miss Isella beat her by three-quarters of a length in the Louisville Distaff (GII) on May 1.

“She had a lung infection the day she lost,” Bohannan said. “She was one work away from the Fleur De Lis (on June 13) when she got hurt (chip). We were extremely disappointed because she had been training so well.”

One Caroline did not return to the track until September. She has had five works in preparation for the Chilukki with the most recent coming Sunday, a :49 half-mile move at Keeneland. 

“She has been working effortlessly and training as well as she ever has,” Bohannan said. “She does everything so easy.”

LENCLUD SETS HIS SIGHTS ON BIG APPLE IN WINTER – Apprentice Freddie Lenclud, who began riding in this country during this year’s Spring Meet at Churchill Downs, posted his first two victories beneath the Twin Spires on Wednesday afternoon.

“It was exciting,” said Lenclud, a 22-year-old native of France. “I really want to do well here because this is my home now.”

Lenclud won the first race on Talk to Nick ($16) and the ninth on Golden Country ($48.80).
After the Churchill Downs Fall Meet closes on Nov. 28, Lenclud is hoping to take his tack on the road to New York.

'I hope to go to Aqueduct when this meet ends,” Lenclud said. “They run five days a week there to only three days at Turfway Park. New York in the winter is a good place for a bug rider.”

WORK TAB – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again, winner of the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) in June and narrow loser to “Horse of the Year” front-runner Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward (GI), worked five furlongs over a “fast” track in 1:02 after the morning renovation break for trainer Dallas Stewart. The work was the third fastest of 25 at the distance. Macho Again is being pointed to the Nov. 27 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GII) at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. … Tom McCarthy’s General Quarters, winner of this spring’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) and 10th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), worked three furlongs in :37.80, his third three-eighths move since returning to the track after having surgery to remove a chip from his right front knee.