Three of the favorites for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar recorded their penultimate works Oct. 23 for the 1 1/4-mile race, with Hot Rod Charlie breezing at Santa Anita Park and Knicks Go and Essential Quality at Churchill Downs.
Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and Bill Strauss, zipped seven furlongs in 1:26 3/5 under regular rider Flavien Prat. Though the 3-year-old son of Oxbow utilized his speed to win his last start in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing, he breezed Saturday behind horses.
"Today he sat off a workmate, and there were a couple others out there from other barns. So he kind of sat in behind three horses, split 'em turning for home, and finished up good," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "He had a taste of what the Classic could look like."
Hot Rod Charlie working this morning. Prat aboard, white cap. @BoatRacingLLC @BreedersCup @DougONeill1 pic.twitter.com/1Myb51CfUF
— Shane O’Neill (@ShanesPicks) October 23, 2021
Knicks Go, Medina Spirit, and Art Collector are other horses with speed in the anticipated Classic lineup.
"He galloped out good, and we're feeling good," said O'Neill said of Hot Rod Charlie. "He'll ship Wednesday to Del Mar, where he'll have his final work."
Also breezing Saturday at Santa Anita was Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Idol (Curlin ), a Classic longshot following a comeback sixth in the Oct. 2 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) in his first start since March. The Richard Baltas trainee owned by Calvin Nguyen went six furlongs in 1:14 2/5.
The two horses expected to attract the most wagering support in the Classic, Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go and Godolphin's Essential Quality, worked hours apart at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox. The former traveled six furlongs in 1:12 2/5, the latter six furlongs in 1:13, while in company. Both horses are leading Horse of the Year candidates.
Cox said Knicks Go's breeze was "as good as he's ever worked."
WATCH 🎥 @BreedersCup Classic contender Knicks Go took to the track and breezed 6 furlongs in 1:12.40. #BC21 pic.twitter.com/jyCTGohIup
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) October 23, 2021
"I guess really the only thing new we're gonna throw at him is a the mile and a quarter," Cox said, assessing the Classic. "He's able to ship."
Knicks Go (Paynter) has traveled outside his principal training base of Kentucky to win this summer's Prairie Meadows Cornhusker (G3) and Whitney Stakes (G1). He is now riding a three-race win streak after a home-track victory at Churchill Downs in the Lukas Classic Stakes (G3).
Essential Quality, the most accomplished 3-year-old in the country, also goes for his fourth straight win in the Classic after triumphs in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). Working under the lights early Saturday morning, he settled a length off workmate and older graded stakes winner Night Ops, poked his head in front near the finish line, and galloped out past the wire.
WATCH 🎥 With @flothejock up, Essential Quality breezed 6 furlongs in 1:13 outside Night Ops (1:13.2) in preparation for the @BreedersCup Classic. #BC21 pic.twitter.com/V55V7hN7sT
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) October 23, 2021
Afterward, Cox marveled out how little energy the Tapit colt seemed to expend.
"Following the work, he just didn't act like it took much out of him at all," Cox said. "We were hoping to get a blow out of it for him, but I didn't really look like it took much out of him at all. He has a tremendous amount of stamina and fitness, and he's a good horse."
The deadline to pre-enter horses to the Breeders' Cup Classic and other Breeders' Cup races is Oct. 25. Final entries are due the morning of Nov. 1, with post positions drawn later that afternoon.
A comprehensive list of Saturday workouts from possible Breeders' Cup contenders appears below.
| Horse | Track | Distance | Time | Division |
| American Sanctuary | Keeneland | 4F | :48 2/5 | Juvenile |
| Averly Jane | Keeneland | 5F (Turf) | 1:03 2/5 | Turf Sprint |
| Blowout | Keeneland | 4F (Turf) | :50 4/5 | Mile |
| Bubble Rock | Belmont Park | 4F (Turf) | :48.22 | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| C Z Rocket | San Luis Rey | 4F | :48 4/5 | Sprint |
| Channel Cat | Keeneland | 5F (Turf) | 1:02 1/5 | Turf |
| Charmaine's Mia | Santa Anita Park | 5F (Training Track) | :57 3/5 | Turf Sprint |
| Commander | San Luis Rey | 4F | :50 2/5 | Turf Sprint |
| Corniche | Santa Anita Park | 5F | 1:00 3/5 | Juvenile |
| Domestic Spending | Belmont Park | 5F (Turf) | 1:01.55 | Turf |
| Dr. Schivel | Santa Anita Park | 5F | 1:00 4/5 | Sprint |
| Dunbar Road | Keeneland | 4F | :49 | Distaff |
| Eight Rings | Santa Anita Park | 5F | :58 2/5 | Dirt Mile |
| Essential Quality | Churchill Downs | 6F | 1:13 | Classic |
| Firenze Fire | Belmont Park | 5F (Training Track) | 1:03.69 | Sprint |
| Gamine | Santa Anita Park | 5F | :59 1/5 | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| Giant Game | Churchill Downs | 4F | :48 | Juvenile |
| Ginobili | San Luis Rey | 6F | 1:13 | Dirt Mile |
| Going Global | Santa Anita Park | 5F (Training Track) | :59 1/5 | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Going to Vegas | Santa Anita Park | 5F (Training Track) | 1:00 | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Golden Pal | Keeneland | 5F (Turf) | 1:00 4/5 | Turf Sprint |
| Got Stormy | Churchill Downs | 4F | :48 2/5 | Mile |
| Gufo | Belmont Park | 4F (Turf) | :48.66 | Turf |
| Hot Rod Charlie | Santa Anita Park | 7F | 1:26 3/5 | Classic |
| Idol | Santa Anita Park | 6F | 1:14 2/5 | Classic |
| In Love | The Thoroughbred Center | 4F | :51 | Mile |
| Independence Hall | Churchill Downs | 5F | 1:01 1/5 | Dirt Mile |
| Ivar | The Thoroughbred Center | 4F | :51 | Mile |
| Jack Christopher | Belmont Park | 5F | 1:00.85 | Juvenile |
| Jackie's Warrior | Santa Anita Park | 5F | 1:01 | Sprint |
| Kaufymaker | Keeneland | 5F (Turf) | 1:03 4/5 | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| Kinchen | Belmont Park | 5F (Turf) | 1:02.25 | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| Knicks Go | Churchill Downs | 6F | 1:12 2/5 | Classic |
| Lane Way | Santa Anita Park | 4F | :48 2/5 | Turf Sprint |
| Lexitonian | Keeneland | 5F | 1:00 3/5 | Sprint |
| Luck | Santa Anita Park | 5F (Training Track) | 1:01 3/5 | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Makin My Move | Belmont Park | 4F (Training Track) | :49.59 | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| Mo Forza | San Luis Rey | 5F | 1:01 3/5 | Mile |
| My Sister Nat | Belmont Park | 5F (Turf) | 1:02.02 | Filly & Mare Turf |
| On Deck | Santa Anita Park | 5F | :59 1/5 | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| Oviatt Class | Santa Anita Park | 5F | 1:00 2/5 | Juvenile |
| Pocket Square | Belmont Park | 5F (Turf) | 1:02.02 | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Portfolio Company | Belmont Park | 5F (Turf) | 1:01.40 | Juvenile Turf |
| Rattle N Roll | Churchill Downs | 4F | :48 | Juvenile |
| Ready to Purrform | Churchill Downs | 5F | 1:02 | Juvenile Turf |
| Reina de Mollendo | Keeneland | 5F (Turf) | 1:06 2/5 | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Restrainedvengence | Santa Anita Park | 4F | :48 1/5 | Dirt Mile |
| Rockemperor | Belmont Park | 4F (Turf) | :50 | Turf |
| Royal Flag | Belmont Park | 4F | :48.66 | Distaff |
| Shedaresthedevil | Churchill Downs | 5F | 1:00 3/5 | Distaff |
| Silver State | Santa Anita Park | 5F | 1:00 3/5 | Dirt Mile |
| Slipstream | Belmont Park | 4F (Turf) | :51.14 | Juvenile Turf/Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| Somelikeithotbrown | Churchill Downs Trackside | 5F | 1:00 2/5 | Mile |
| Special Reserve | Churchill Downs Trackside | 4F | :49 1/5 | Sprint |
| Tiz the Bomb | Keeneland | 5F (Turf) | 1:01 4/5 | Juvenile Turf |
| Tribhuvan | Belmont Park | 5F (Turf) | 1:01.55 | Turf |
| Turnerloose | Churchill Downs | 4F | :50 1/5 | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| Verbal | Belmont Park | 4F | :49.05 | Juvenile Turf |
| Yin Yang | Churchill Downs | 5F | 1:03 1/5 | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
