Works

Seeking The Lead is still a maiden after nine races, but I think that will change soon. He worked a sharp five furlongs Thursday at Lone Star in 59.80, shaving 24 seconds for the final quarter-mile. He certainly looks like a horse that can win races. And he has flashed talent in the afternoon from time to time, finishing second last year, for example, in the Remington Mile.

Clocking horses in the morning, looking for  hints of talent in young horses, leaving myself open and receptive to intimations of inconspicuous or unknown abilities – that’s one of the most rewarding and interesting things I do while covering the sport. Covering it, I’d like to think, in a unique way. The workouts at Lone Star this year, however, have been, for the most, underwhelming. And for me, that’s a disturbing indicator of slipping quality. Anyway, I’m still looking for this year’s Euroears, but losing hope that he’s going to appear.

But some workouts over the last two days have been worth noting, in addition to Seeking The Lead’s. Cole Bear outworked stablemate Classic Actress by about five lengths Thursday, when they went five furlongs together from the gate. They began alertly, with an opening half in 48.48, and then Cole Bear just drew clear, completing the distance in 1:01.62.

Cheese Factory, an unraced son of City Street, turned in another good workout, the second I’ve seen. He left the gate slowly, in hand, but then gained momentum, with three furlongs in 36.17 and a half-mile in 47.89, until completing the five furlongs in 1:00.62. He galloped out rather weakly, however, in 1:16.67. Still, keep an eye on this one.

Friday morning, Kinetic Spirit turned in a sharp half-mile in 47.20, and I liked the five-furlong move of Bonnie’s Prospect. He worked five furlongs, but he started at the half-mile pole, running a modest quarter in 24.53 around the turn and going, without being asked, a half-mile in 49.59 and then finishing strongly, to the seven-furlong marker, in 1:01.82, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.30.

K D King flashed his usual speed with a half-mile in 48.06. Brahms Dynasty finished strongly, with a final quarter in about 24.60, to complete five furlongs in 1:01. Aka Kim Floyd and Aka  Scatmantoo worked together, or at least they started together. Aka Kim Floyd came down the lane with good energy and was more than 15 lengths ahead of her stablemate at the finish, completing five furlongs in 1:00.60.