Colonel John Works Over New 'Anita Track

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edited September 2008 in Horse Racing Forum
Colonel John Works Over New 'Anita Track
Email Print RSS by Jon White
Date Posted: September 14, 2008
Last Updated: September 14, 2008

WinStar Farm’s Colonel John, winner of the $1 million Travers Stakes (gr. I) by a nose at Saratoga Aug. 23, worked four furlongs Sept. 14 on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface in :48 4/5 for trainer Eoin Harty. The colt is headed for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 25 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet.

"I thought it was great," Harty said when asked for his evaluation of Colonel John’s drill. "He did it very easily. He looks fantastic. He had such a hard race in the Travers that I gave him just a little break, a little freshening, after that. This was his first work since the (Aug. 23) Travers. Iggy Puglisi was on him."

Colonel John will not go in the Goodwood Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Sept. 27, according to Harty. The trainer said he does not want to run the colt again before the Classic because of "his very hard race" in the Travers.

"If he were to give 110 percent in the Goodwood, he could then be a little bit flat in the Breeders’ Cup," Harty said. "I want him to bring his best effort in the Breeders’ Cup."

Colonel John, a Kentucky homebred son of Tiznow--Sweet Damsel, by Turkoman, won both the Sham Stakes (gr. III) and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) on Santa Anita’s main track earlier this year. However, those races were run on a hybrid synthetic track consisting of both Pro-Ride and Cushion Track materials.

"I thought he handled this surface very well," Harty said of Colonel John’s first workout on Santa Anita’s new Pro-Ride track. "I think this surface is just better than the one we had here before. I thought Ian Pearce (of Pro-Ride) did a marvelous job when he came in and fixed the track (by mixing Pro-Ride with Cushion Track last winter). But I think this surface is even better."

While Colonel John will pass the Goodwood, the Harty barn is to be represented in that race by a different son of Tiznow. That would be WinStar Farm’s Well Armed, runner-up in the $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar Aug. 24.

"He’s doing super," Harty said. "I’m planning to work him Tuesday, probably either five-eighths or three-quarters."

Well Armed won Santa Anita’s San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II) last Feb. 9 and Del Mar’s San Diego Handicap (gr. II) Aug. 24. In between those victories, he finished third behind Curlin and Asiatic Boy in the $6 million Dubai World Cup – Sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I) March 29.
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