Decision on Well Armed (Classic or Dirt Mile) due Tuesday
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from Oak Tree Racing:
Well Armeds reputation as a speed horse may be over-emphasized, in the opinion of Aaron Gryder, who is the regular rider of and who exercises the gelded son of Tiznow. Gryder has ridden Well Armed in the 5-year-olds last eight races, including a distant third behind Curlin in the Dubai World Cup last March 29.
Ive worked him forever, too, the 38-year-old native of West Covina said. Ive been getting on him a year and a half, anyway. Ive always said he doesnt have to be in front to win. Everybody thought he had to, but hes a big, long-striding horse and has such a high gait to him that hes faster than most horses.
Finally, the last two races, there was some speed in there and I said, Thats fine. I took him back and let him find his stride. If they want to outrun him, they can outrun him. I never thought he needed to be on the lead, but hes definitely become a better horse this year, because he has settled more in his gallops and his works. Hes matured a lot to where hes much handier for me.
Trainer Eoin Harty said he definitely concurred with Gryders analysis that Well Armed is not a pure speed horse. Harty said he would decide on Tuesday whether Well Armed runs in the Classic or the Dirt Mile.
Well Armeds reputation as a speed horse may be over-emphasized, in the opinion of Aaron Gryder, who is the regular rider of and who exercises the gelded son of Tiznow. Gryder has ridden Well Armed in the 5-year-olds last eight races, including a distant third behind Curlin in the Dubai World Cup last March 29.
Ive worked him forever, too, the 38-year-old native of West Covina said. Ive been getting on him a year and a half, anyway. Ive always said he doesnt have to be in front to win. Everybody thought he had to, but hes a big, long-striding horse and has such a high gait to him that hes faster than most horses.
Finally, the last two races, there was some speed in there and I said, Thats fine. I took him back and let him find his stride. If they want to outrun him, they can outrun him. I never thought he needed to be on the lead, but hes definitely become a better horse this year, because he has settled more in his gallops and his works. Hes matured a lot to where hes much handier for me.
Trainer Eoin Harty said he definitely concurred with Gryders analysis that Well Armed is not a pure speed horse. Harty said he would decide on Tuesday whether Well Armed runs in the Classic or the Dirt Mile.
Comments
Stablemates Colonel John and Well Armed, both pre-entered for the Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), turned in final works at Santa Anita Oct. 20 for trainer Eoin Harty, who reported he was pleased with both efforts. Both horses are owned by WinStar Farms.
Colonel John, winner of the Travers (gr. I) last out, breezed four furlongs in :49 1/5, while Well Armed, who will enter off a victory in the Goodwood Stakes (gr. I), was clocked at :46 4/5. Well Armed is cross-entered in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and has first preference in that race. Harty said no decision has been made as to which event Well Armed will ultimately opt for.
“They both worked very well,” Harty said from his barn. “They are both plenty fit and didn’t need to do a whole lot. They are both sharp and ready to run.
“We haven’t made a decision on Well Armed yet. We’ll go through the Form again today and figure out what the best spot for him is.”
In regards to possibly entering the speedy Well Armed in the Classic, which on paper does not possess a lot of early pace, Harty said “that certainly weighs in on our decision somewhat, but it’s not the crux of our final decision.”
Colonel John, a 3-year-old son of Tiznow, has notched three wins from five starts this season including two victories at Santa Anita. This will be his first race on the newly-installed Pro-Ride, although he turned in two bullet works over the surface earlier this month. Harty is unconcerned that Colonel John will have more than two months off since winning the Travers Aug. 23.
“He’s an easy horse to keep fit,” Harty said. “The layoff is not a problem, it’s just a matter of whether he is good enough. It’s a very deep field this year, everybody has to be respected. There are an awful lot of group I winners coming over (from Europe). I think they will adapt to this surface just fine."
Well Armed, also a son of Tiznow, will be one of the few horses with a victory over the Pro-Ride – no matter which race he starts in. He won the Sept. 27 Goodwood by a length under Aaron Gryder. The 5-year-old gelding is 3-2-1 from six starts this season.
The post position draw will be held at Santa Anita Oct. 21.
I do suspect he'll go in the Dirt Mile, but i'm hoping he goes in the Classic.
from Daily Racing Form:
ARCADIA, Calif. - Neither Bobby Frankel, the owner and trainer of Mast Track, nor Eoin Harty, the trainer of Well Armed, were desirous of having their horses, who have similar front-running styles, compete against one another in the Breeders' Cup on Saturday at Santa Anita. By the end of the day Monday, it worked out much more favorably for Harty and Well Armed than for Frankel and Mast Track.
Well Armed, who was pre-entered in both the $1 million Dirt Mile and the $5 million Classic, was confirmed on Monday afternoon by Harty as a definite starter in the Dirt Mile. Well Armed will not have to deal with Mast Track's speed, because Frankel said Mast Track was found to have a quarter crack after training on Monday and was out of the Breeders' Cup.
"The barn called me after training and said he had a quarter crack," said Frankel, who was at Santa Anita earlier Monday during training hours. "I guess it wasn't meant to be."
Like Well Armed, Mast Track was pre-entered in both the Dirt Mile and the 1 1/4-mile Classic.
"If he was 6-5, it would be upsetting," Frankel said. "Maybe I saved myself some money."
Frankel last week said he wanted to run Mast Track in the Classic, but on Monday morning, he said he was thinking of going in the Dirt Mile. Well Armed was initially pointing to the Dirt Mile, but there had been some sentiment in his camp in recent days to go in the Classic. The connections of both horses were eyeing one another warily Monday, neither side apparently wishing to end up in the same race when final entries were taken Tuesday morning.
Well Armed signaled his readiness for the Dirt Mile with a strong half-mile work in 46.80 seconds on Monday morning at Santa Anita. He was ridden by Aaron Gryder, his regular jockey, and Harty remarked that Well Armed "was just dragging" Gryder around.
Harty trains Well Armed for the WinStar Farm of Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt. Harty and Casner met later in the morning, and agreed the Dirt Mile was the preferred race for Well Armed.
Contributing to their decision is that Harty and WinStar already have Colonel John, the Travers winner, in the Classic.
There were 14 horses pre-entered in the Dirt Mile. A maximum of 12 can start. But far fewer than that were expected to enter the race. First Defence was likely to go in the Sprint, Jonesboro and Mast Track are not running in the Breeders' Cup, Lord Admiral was a possibility for the Mile on turf, and Pyro was announced on Monday by trainer Steve Asmussen as a definite starter in the Classic.
Another front-running threat in the Dirt Mile, Two Step Salsa, worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Sunday under jockey Martin Pedroza for trainer Julio Canani.
winStar Farm’s homebred Well Armed will run in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, farm co-owner Bill Casner confirmed Monday morning at Santa Anita Park.
Well Armed is coming off a win in the 1 1/8-mile Goodwood Stakes (G1) on September 27 Santa Anita. WinStar had pre-entered Well Armed in both the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic and in the one-mile Dirt Mile.
WinStar will start Travers Stakes (G1) winner Colonel John in the Classic. Eoin Harty trains both horses for WinStar.
Well Armed has won one of three starts at the Classic distance, finishing third by eight lengths to Curlin in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) earlier this year and second to Go Between in the Pacific Classic (G1). He has never raced a two-turn mile.