(October 23, 2004)- Six Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships contenders completed their serious preparations for the Oct. 30 races with official workouts at Lone Star Park. The main track was labeled “fast” and the turf course was “soft” with the dogs up and the rail out 20 feet. Here’s what the connections had to say:.

Trainer Dale Romans (Roses in May, five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 breezing at 8:30 a.m.): “Perfect. I don’t think he could’ve worked any better. He did enough and still had a lot of energy afterwards. It was the last big hurdle and now we just jog and gallop the rest of the time. I thought today was as good as he’s ever looked. He was just waiting for Faustino [Orantes, exercise rider] to ask him. He said the last 10 jumps he smooched at him and he got down to a new gear and then he didn’t want to pull up.

“He hasn’t missed a beat since the Kentucky Cup races. He’s gotten better with every race and trains better into the next race every step of the way.

“They did a great job with the track. Yesterday when it rained I was concerned.

“We’ll school in the paddock on Wednesday and Friday probably. He’s trained well.”

Romans (Kitten’s Joy, five furlongs on turf in 1:06 3/5 breezing at 10 a.m.): “He got everything he needed. He got to stretch his legs, he finished good, got a feel for the racetrack. I was very pleased. I’m glad to have it over for both of them (Kitten’s Joy and Roses in May).

“When you’re going around the dogs like that, the time isn’t the most important thing. It’s how much horse he has and how he feels. I watched Magistretti work and they were in the same ballpark. They’ve been on the same course ever since the Joe Hirsch. They ran against each other, they worked at Keeneland last Saturday and they both worked here today.

“This time of the year I don’t think it’s a big deal [for a 3-year-old to face older horses]. If you look at this race the 3-year-olds have been pretty successful.”

Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement (Dynever, four furlongs in :48 3/5 breezing at 8:45 a.m.): “I was very happy with his work. When I started by the gap there was somebody that came on the outside of me galloping and right away he took the bit. We were expecting :48 and change and he went :48 3/5. I let him gallop out and he probably went about 1:01 and change. It was a routine work, nothing special. We’re a week out so now we take it from there.

“I worked him before we came here in New York last week and he went in :48. He did it quite easily last time so we were looking for the same kind of work. Nothing too aggressive. He doesn’t need much. He ran 2 ½ weeks ago so he doesn’t need much. That set us up where we needed to be at that point.

“He’ll probably be off tomorrow and back to the track the next day. I’ll gallop into the race.

“I thought it was better after the break than before with not as much moisture.”

Trainer Patrick Biancone (Magistretti, six furlongs on turf in 1:20 breezing at 10 a.m.): “I think it was his normal work. It was an easy work just to see how he handles the track. He seems to be doing very well and I’m very pleased.

“The track is lovely. It wasn’t fast because of the rain last night, but he handled it very well and I would say it’s fast and kind. He worked beautiful on it and it’s what we were looking for.”

Manu Davy, exercise rider and assistant to trainer J.J. Toner (Wonder Again, five furlongs on turf in 1:1:04 4/5 breezing at 10 a.m.): “When I came off the track they gave me 1:04 1/5 and I thought, ‘Oops, I made a mistake here.’ We wanted to go 1:01, but if she was faster than anyone else that’s good. The fact she breezed a second-and-a-half faster than anybody else shows she shipped in well, she’s on target and she’s training well to the race. Now we just have to play with her the rest of the week.

“She was moving so well, just floating over the track. It’s a great surface. The water is retained on top so it’s spongy and very good. She just floated the whole way and at the eighth pole J.J. said to let her skip a little bit and see if she responded good. She switched leads and took it away from me and off she went.

“That should set her up perfect for the race. That’s the kind of breeze she had just before the New York Handicap, the first time she ran a mile-and-a-quarter.”

Trainer Michael Stidham (Culinary, five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 breezing at 8:30 a.m. in company with 2-year-old filly Lone Star maiden special weight winner Delusion): “It was basically just what was ordered. The instructions were to set off a couple lengths and just let her run a little bit through the lane. We weren’t looking for anything too strenuous, just a confidence builder going into the race and that’s exactly what we got. Carlos [Marquez] was happy and if he’s happy then I’m happy.

“I don’t think in either of her races she’s ever really been pushed to her limit. In the first race when she won by 11, she galloped around there. In the second race she basically drug Carlos up to the leaders even before he was ready to go and put herself in position and just went by those horses.

“I’m a big Ragozin believer. She ran a 10 in her second start as a 2-year-old filly, which is a major number to run. To see her move forward again before the Breeders’ Cup I think would have been detrimental more than helpful. We’re hoping that now with the rest she can go forward to another top and maybe some of the other ones go backwards.

“Realistically, there are about four horses that legitimately should be favored over her. Sense of Style has been running in the best races and Sweet Catomine, those races in California were amazing, so visually impressive. I don’t think we’ll be overlooked. I think we’ll be where we deserve to be – probably fourth, fifth or sixth choice. We were thrilled to see Runway Model win [the Alcibiades]. But I also watched Sense of Style have the worst trip possible in that same race. With 2-year-old fillies, anything can happen.

“She’ll just gallop up to the race now. She’ll do some paddock schooling.”

Jockey Marquez (Culinary): “She worked super. I know she’s only run twice but she’s more mature than she was when she ran before. She’s more mature mentally. You can tell by the way she’s acting. Before she was playing around and not concentrating in her works. Now she’s more focused than she was. Everything you want her to do, she’s been doing.

“I’m very thankful for them keeping me on her. I’m pretty sure they had some big-name riders calling.”

DOWN THE STRETCH

Enduring Will, winner of the $100,000 Silver Spur Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Lone Star Park, will not make the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies due to a case of the flu, according to trainer Al Stall Jr. “She’s a scratch,” Stall said. “We’re very upset. It stings. We officially took her out about [10:30 a.m.]. She’ll be over it in about 24 or 48 hours, but we’re not going to compromise her in any way by taking any chances.” Enduring Will is owned by Michael Rainier of Dallas...Saturday’s flight from Albany, New York carrying trainer Nick Zito’s pair of Breeders’ Cup contenders, Birdstone and Sun King, as well as Lone Star Derby hopeful Pies Prospect, is expected to arrive into Dallas Love Field at 1:30 p.m. CT. The horses will van to Lone Star Park and are expected to arrive in Grand Prairie around 2:30 p.m. CT.