Private Zone (Macho Uno), who figures to vie for favoritism with Runhappy (Super Saver) in the GI TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint, arrived in Lexington this past Tuesday from Monmouth Park and was out for a Thursday morning jog at Keeneland.
“The plan was to come in early,” trainer Jorge Navarro said of Private Zone. “We shipped up to Saratoga 10 days before his last race and he ran his biggest race. I talked with [former jockey] Rene Douglas [of owners Good Friends] and he said, 'Let's take him down early' for the Breeders' Cup.”
Based in Panama early in his career, the Ontario-bred gelding will be making his third straight appearance in the Sprint, having finished 10th at odds of 3-1 at Santa Anita in 2013 before improving to be third to Work All Week (City Zip) last year. The 6-year-old was last seen annexing the GI Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 31. In his two previous BC appearances, he won the GI Vosburgh S. as a lead-up race.
Private Zone is scheduled to work Sunday at Keeneland and is likely to have a maintenance breeze the following Saturday, Navarro said.
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