Trainer Dan Blacker's grade 1 winner Hit the Road and the Richard Baltas-conditioned grade 2 winner Bodhicitta both worked over the Santa Anita Park turf Jan. 16 in preparation for future engagements at Gulfstream Park on Pegasus World Cup Day.
Hit the Road and Bodhicitta came onto Santa Anita's main track via the quarter mile chute at 11:42 a.m. PT and back-tracked around to the finish line, where they then came onto the turf and proceeded to the clubhouse turn to begin their works.
Hit The Road prepping for the @PegasusWorldCup turf . . full work coming up on @TVG pic.twitter.com/zpkobdpS9U
— Christina Blacker (@ChristinaFDTV) January 16, 2022
The 5-year-old Hit the Road, partnered by jockey Umberto Rispoli for the breeze, was timed by Santa Anita clocker Dane Nelson in :36 1/5 for the first three furlongs with a final time of :58 2/5 for five furlongs.
"I asked Umberto to give (Hit the Road) a good work today and visually I was really pleased," Blacker told TVG. "I thought he worked great. Regardless of the time I was just really happy with the way he looked and I'm just thankful to The Stronach Group for letting us work on the turf. It really makes a big difference for a horse like this. His dirt works are good but when you see him work on the turf you realize that's where his forte is."
Owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski, and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road hasn't started since finishing a close third in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita in October. The son of More Than Ready was preparing for a start in the Nov. 6 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) before he spiked a fever the day before the race and was forced to scratch.
A winner of last year's Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) and Thunder Road (G3T) stakes, Hit the Road is being pointed to the Jan. 29 $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T).
"We'll see how he comes out of the work," said Blacker. "He has one more work next week and everything needs to go perfect. Obviously it's a long ship and I don't want to go (to the Pegasus Turf) unless he's really ready to fire his 'A' game. Hopefully everything goes well over the next two weeks and we can take a shot."
Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta was clocked in :24 for her first quarter and finished up the half-mile drill in a final of time :47. Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. was aboard the 6-year-old mare for the breeze. The daughter of Showcasing is aiming toward the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G3T) on Pegasus Day.
Bodhicitta has yet to find the winner's circle since taking the 2020 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar, although last year she earned graded placings in the Gamely (G1T) and John C. Mabee (G2T) stakes on the Southern California circuit. In her most recent start, she closed to get up for second behind Luck and ahead of grade 1 winner Mucho Unusual in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) on New Year's Day. Sunday's work was her first since the Frankel.
