Kentucky West Racing and Clark Cooper's Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) is on target for the Nov. 27 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs following a five-furlong work in :59.40 (2/59) in Louisville Saturday. The chestnut colt, an eye-catching 6 1/2-length debut winner at Saratoga in September, set the pace before finishing third as the favorite in the Oct. 9 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland last time out.
“He's always been a horse that breaks sharp from the gate,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “We knew that going into the debut, so it didn't really surprise us he broke on top like he did, but it's always a pleasant surprise to see them win that impressively.”
Lynch continued, “Last out in the Breeders' Futurity, he was hung wide from the gate and he battled pretty hard on the lead through fast fractions. I thought he gamely held on for third after the field closed in on him.”
Lynch is looking for Classic Causeway to be less on the muscle early next Saturday.
“Going into this start, I've been trying to get him to relax a little bit in his training,” Lynch said. “I've worked him behind horses and in company, so he doesn't have to be on the engine.”
The Kentucky Jockey Club will offer the top four finishers points (10-4-2-1) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The field will be drawn Wednesday.
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