Raven's Pass to the Classic?
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from The Racing Post:
RAVEN'S PASS could be locking horns with US record prize-money winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby hero Big Brown next time out as the Breeders' Cup Classic, rather than the Mile, emerged on Sunday as the favoured objective for Europe's leading miler.
Santa Anita will be the next destination for the colt after he had gained his first success over old foe Henrythenavigator and France's top miler Tamayuz in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, but the layout of the turf track is likely to deter trainer John Gosden from contesting the Mile with Raven's Pass.
The plan is to go there with him and I wouldn't be frightened at this stage of going for the Classic, said Gosden, who previously trained in California.
I've never been a fan of the two-turn mile. It's an unusual race for America. You'll notice those races in America are usually a mile and sixteenth for the very simple reason that it's not the smartest thing to run straight onto a bend with 14 starters. The mile at Santa Anita is awful close to the bend.
The way he is finishing out his races now, there is absolutely no reason
whatsoever not to look at the Classic. There will be no decisions at this stage but those options are being looked at.
Raven's Pass is a top-priced 10-1 for the Classic with William Hill.
Henrythenavigator also has both Breeders' Cup races among his options, but Aidan O'Brien could have other horses to consider and will wait until after the Arc weekend before finalising targets.
He said: Henrythenavigator seems to be fine today and we have the choice of the Breeders' Cup Mile or the Classic for him. Obviously, we'll wait and see what happens with Duke Of Marmalade before any definite plans are made.
O'Brien indicated that the loose ground at Ascot had contributed to the defeat ofHenrythenavigator, conditions he would be unlikely to experience at
Santa Anita, while Tamayuz, who could finish only fourth, may have lost his race before it started.
As a result trainer Freddie Head, who had been considering a Breeders' Cupchallenge, is not thinking about other targets at the moment.
We don't know yet but Tamayuz has come back well, he reported yesterday. He got very excited before the race and I think he ran his race then, that's my explanation.
RAVEN'S PASS could be locking horns with US record prize-money winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby hero Big Brown next time out as the Breeders' Cup Classic, rather than the Mile, emerged on Sunday as the favoured objective for Europe's leading miler.
Santa Anita will be the next destination for the colt after he had gained his first success over old foe Henrythenavigator and France's top miler Tamayuz in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, but the layout of the turf track is likely to deter trainer John Gosden from contesting the Mile with Raven's Pass.
The plan is to go there with him and I wouldn't be frightened at this stage of going for the Classic, said Gosden, who previously trained in California.
I've never been a fan of the two-turn mile. It's an unusual race for America. You'll notice those races in America are usually a mile and sixteenth for the very simple reason that it's not the smartest thing to run straight onto a bend with 14 starters. The mile at Santa Anita is awful close to the bend.
The way he is finishing out his races now, there is absolutely no reason
whatsoever not to look at the Classic. There will be no decisions at this stage but those options are being looked at.
Raven's Pass is a top-priced 10-1 for the Classic with William Hill.
Henrythenavigator also has both Breeders' Cup races among his options, but Aidan O'Brien could have other horses to consider and will wait until after the Arc weekend before finalising targets.
He said: Henrythenavigator seems to be fine today and we have the choice of the Breeders' Cup Mile or the Classic for him. Obviously, we'll wait and see what happens with Duke Of Marmalade before any definite plans are made.
O'Brien indicated that the loose ground at Ascot had contributed to the defeat ofHenrythenavigator, conditions he would be unlikely to experience at
Santa Anita, while Tamayuz, who could finish only fourth, may have lost his race before it started.
As a result trainer Freddie Head, who had been considering a Breeders' Cupchallenge, is not thinking about other targets at the moment.
We don't know yet but Tamayuz has come back well, he reported yesterday. He got very excited before the race and I think he ran his race then, that's my explanation.