nov 2 - henny reaching peak

Areyoutalkintome/Thor's Echo: - In his first look at Areyoutalkintome, trainer Doug O'Neill expressed enthusiasm for how he is coming up to Saturday's TVG Sprint.

The 5yo gelded son of Smokester covered 1 ½ m over the Churchill Downs strip Thursday morning, much to the satisfaction of the trainer. "I think he looks really well," he said. "That's a credit to my staff here, headed by my assistant, Leandro (Mora)."

As for Thor's Echo, even the No. 1 post couldn't dampen O'Neill's enthusiasm as he watched the Cal-bred 4yo gallop 1 ½ m over Churchill Downs' main track.

"He'll be able to get out of there well," the trainer said of the post. "He has the speed to get himself a good spot after the break."

Attila's Storm: - Attila's Storm jogged at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning for trainer Richard Schosberg. The 4yo colt will be making just his third start of the year when he goes to gate for the Sprint.

"I was worried about the Vosburgh knocking him out," said Schosberg. "Coming back in 30 days is not ideal, but he has been moving forward after that race. He has been galloping out strong after his workouts and didn't used to do that.

"His fitness level is better now. He went into last year's Sprint off one race, in which he just cruised. As a 4-year-old, he has been more mature physically. I believe he is more apt to fun a faster race than last year. "I'm really discounting the injury; it's not even a factor."

Schosberg refers to ankle surgery performed on Attila's Storm after suffering an injury in the Palos Verdes Handicap on Jan. 21 at Santa Anita.

The colt had two screws inserted in his left hind ankle to repair the fracture, and then took eight months off before returning in the Vosburgh, in which he finished third.

Attila's Storm is the only horse returning to the Sprint from last year's Breeders' Cup. He finished fourth last year at odds of 45-to-1.

Bordonaro: - Fred Carrillo and Daniel Cassella's Bordonaro galloped 1 ½ m under regular exercise rider Chris Aplin before the renovation break Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Bill Spawr had been giving Bordonaro some paddock and gate schooling during the week, but none was required Thursday.

"I might do something with him in the morning, but I will probably leave him alone for now," Spawr said.

Bordonaro, who will be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, will break from post position six in the 14-horse Sprint field. Bordonaro is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.

"I like the post, especially with the fact that Henny Hughes is inside of us," Spawr said. "I'd like to have been further out, but the six is better than the one. We might have to use him a little more than we want than if we were further outside. I'd have preferred the 11 or 12. But I'm not riding him; that's P Val."

Friendly Island: - A 5yo Crafty Friend colt, Friendly Island will be making his 17th career start on Saturday. "He hasn't won much this year, but you can look at his record and make the case that he is consistent and that in a wide-open race, he could come through," said trainer Todd Pletcher, who had Friendly Island jog this morning.

Henny Hughes: - "Feeling too good to just jog," according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Henny Hughes was sent to the track under Barry Downs to gallop 1 3/8 m Thursday morning.

The 3yo son of Hennessy, who is the morning line favorite for the Sprint, arrived at Churchill Downs Wednesday afternoon following a flight from New York.

Henny Hughes, who finished a solid 2005 campaign with a second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, has been unchallenged this year while winning all three of his races by open lengths.

"He was a boy last year," McLaughlin said. "This year, he's a man."

Purchased by Sheikh Rashid al Maktoum's Zabeel Racing International prior to last year's Juvenile, Henny Hughes wintered in Dubai before being reunited with McLaughlin, whose only concern seems to be centered on his No. 4 post position, inside those of Pomeroy and Too Much Bling.

"I'd really rather have post nine and have the speed inside him," McLaughlin said. "He'll have to cross over behind the heels of the speed to get position, but Johnny (Velazquez) will work it out."

Kelly's Landing: - The Churchill Downs record holder for 6f, Kelly's Landing drew the outside post of 14 in the Sprint.

"It's not what we were hoping for," said trainer Eddie Kenneally. "I guess we'll be running mid-pack. He's got speed, but doesn't need to use it. He's versatile."

The Summerplace Farm homebred jogged at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning.

Lewis Michael: - Frank Calabrese's Lewis Michael galloped a mile before the renovation break Thursday at Churchill Downs under exercise rider Carlos Alicea.

To be ridden by Rene Douglas, Lewis Michael will break from post position three as a 30-1 morning line proposition in the Sprint.

Trainer Wayne Catalano said Lewis Michael would school in the paddock either this afternoon or in the morning.

"He tends to get a little excited in the paddock," Catalano said as the reason for the schooling session.

Malibu Mint: - The only filly in the Sprint this year, Malibu Mint continued her training at Turfway Park for trainer James Chapman with a gallop over the track's Polytrack surface Thursday.

She will ship to Churchill Downs on Friday; all Breeders' Cup horses are required to be on the grounds by noon Friday.

Chapman gave the return call to jockey Kyle Kaenel to ride Malibu Mint. The 18-year-old rider is 2-for-2 with the 4yo filly.

Kaenel will be riding in his first Breeders' Cup on Saturday. He just became a journeyman rider in March after a successful winter as an apprentice at Aqueduct. He scored the first graded stakes victory of his career when he piloted Malibu Mint to victory in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 14.

"He may be 18 in age, but not in experience," said Chapman of Kaenel, who was just 7 years old when he rode in mule races in southern Illinois and later rode bulls as a teenager. "He is way ahead of his age and it was never even a question of which rider to use."

Kaenel could become the youngest jockey to win a Breeders' Cup race. The youngest is Walter Guerra, who at age 22 rode Outstandingly to win the 1984 Juvenile Fillies.

Nightmare Affair: - Timber Side Stable's Nightmare Affair jogged at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning after blowing out 3f in 36 on Wednesday. He drew the seven post in the full field of 14.

Trainer Manuel Azpurua said, "I was hoping for a post of seven out. He'll be more comfortable. He's not going to be out there (on the lead) the first quarter. He's never had that speed. He won't have to get out of the one hole and use himself like he did at Saratoga.

"Everyone here is a contender, no matter what he looks like on paper," said Azpurua.

Timber Side owner Ron Borgese is supplementing his horse to the Sprint at a cost of $180,000.

"I'm never about the money," said Borgese, "but for a $2 million purse, well, I've taken worse risks than this. And I think he can win. So it's not so crazy.

"This horse has meant so much to everyone around him. I would have used my last dime (to supplement) if I had to.

"My wife, Jeanne, she's the most supportive woman in the world. She said to me, 'This is your dream. I'm with you win, lose or draw.' I don't think there are too many women like that," Borgese said.

Borgese recently made another investment directly related to Nightmare Affair. "I bought his half-sister, Memorable Affair. She is in-foal to Zavata."

Pomeroy: - Silverleaf Farms' 5yo sprinter Pomeroy galloped 1 3/8 m at Churchill Downs on Thursday with exercise rider Jody Giorgio aboard. Trainer Marty Wolfson is traveling Thursday from south Florida to Louisville.

Winner of the Forego Handicap last out, Pomeroy has only had two starts in 2006. David Hutson of Silverleaf purchased Pomeroy last year as a stallion prospect, but kept him in training after having chips in an ankle removed.

"When I bought him I fully intended to do the physical and then continue racing him," said Hutson. "The plan all along was to run in these three races. Getting to the Breeders' Cup was the goal and we're real happy to make it here. I've been in the business for 15 years and this is my first Breeders' Cup."

Hutson's plans call for Pomeroy to stand at Cloverleaf Farms II near Reddick, Fla., for the 2007 season.

"I intend the Breeders' Cup to be his last race, but never say never," said Hutson. "If he did extremely well on Saturday, there's the possibility of continuing to run him."

Siren Lure: - Stuart Kesselman and Tony Melkonian's Siren Lure galloped 1 ¾ m after the renovation break under exercise rider Saul Velasco at Churchill Downs.

"Everything is on schedule," said trainer Art Sherman, who scheduled a paddock schooling session for Thursday afternoon's third race just to familiarize Siren Lure with the surroundings.

Siren Lure will break from post position 11 in the Sprint under Alex Solis and is listed at 10-1 on the morning line.

Sherman has had Siren Lure at Churchill Downs since Oct. 24 during which time temperatures have fluctuated more than 40 degrees with several days of rain.

"I always worry about that," Sherman said of changing conditions. "I know you need to get acclimated like humans do when you are coming in from 80 degrees and then it drops down to the 30s. I didn't want to chance it."

Too Much Bling: - Trainer Bob Baffert said the Rubiano colt is ready to return from a 3 ½-month layoff in the Sprint.

Too Much Bling has won five of his 10 starts, but has not raced since he won the Carry Back Stakes at Calder on July 15. Baffert said Too Much Bling deserved a break after five starts in the first seven months of the year.

"Sprinters need to be fresh," Baffert said. "He looks the best he ever has. He's one of these horses that doesn't really impress in the morning, but if you watch him in the afternoon he's a different horse. He's training great. He's ready. He's going to have to step it up."

War Front: - War Front walked the shedrow with Winston Ellis aboard Thursday morning after arriving at Churchill Downs from New York Wednesday afternoon.

"We didn't want to do too much with him," said Fernando Abreu, assistant to trainer Allen Jerkens. "He's all settled in."

Abreu, who has worked for Jerkens the past 10 years, will oversee the training of War Front at Churchill Downs while keeping in close contact with his Hall of Fame boss in New York. However, War Front won't be the first horse he's saddled for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

"I saddled Society Selection and Bowman's Band the past few years," said the 27-year-old Dominican Republic native who began as a groom for Jerkens before taking over as assistant trainer six years ago.

War Front, who has won once and finished second in his other five starts this year, will be retired to Claiborne Farm after the Sprint to start his stallion career next year.