Quality Road probable for the BC Classic
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from Brisnet:
Trainer Todd Pletcher said that while he was also considering the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) for Grade 1 winner QUALITY ROAD (Elusive Quality), the bay colt's next start would probably be in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), both to be run on November 7 at Santa Anita.
"I'll discuss it further with his owner, Mr. (Edward) Evans, but the Classic is the most likely scenario," Pletcher said.
Quality Road returned from a four-month break to take the Amsterdam S. (G2) in track record time, then finished third in the Travers S. (G1). Last Saturday, the sophomore was second to Belmont S. (G1) and Travers hero SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone) in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) against older rivals.
Pletcher added that Evans' five-year-old NITE LIGHT (Thunder Gulch), a 5 3/4-length victor of the Turfway Park Fall Championship S. (G3) going 1 1/2 miles in September, would run in the Breeders' Cup Marathon on November 6.
Regarding his juveniles, Pletcher said that the races this weekend would clarify the picture for the Breeders' Cup.
"A lot depends on the races this weekend," he said. "We're hoping the two-year-olds step up."
Three-time Grade 1 scorer Summer Bird is scheduled to depart New York for the Breeders' Cup early Monday, but plans call for the colt to return for an extended stay at Belmont Park in April along with a number of his stablemates, according to trainer Tim Ice.
"After the meet at Oaklawn Park, the plan is to come to New York," said Ice, who previously has been based at Louisiana Downs. "I'd like to pick up some new owners; right now, I'm thinking of bringing 20-25 horses and trying to build from there."
Overall this year, Ice is 28-28-23 from 147 starts, with earnings of more than $2.6 million. In New York, Ice is four-for-four, with Independence War (Red Bullet) having won a claiming race at Belmont on October 3 to go along with Summer Bird's victories.
"Overall, New York is a great place to race during the summer and also to train," said Ice, 34. "(Summer Bird's owner) Dr. (Kalarikkal) Jayaraman and I were talking yesterday about Belmont Park. The main track has a great surface, and the horses have come off it in great shape."
Trainer Todd Pletcher said that while he was also considering the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) for Grade 1 winner QUALITY ROAD (Elusive Quality), the bay colt's next start would probably be in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), both to be run on November 7 at Santa Anita.
"I'll discuss it further with his owner, Mr. (Edward) Evans, but the Classic is the most likely scenario," Pletcher said.
Quality Road returned from a four-month break to take the Amsterdam S. (G2) in track record time, then finished third in the Travers S. (G1). Last Saturday, the sophomore was second to Belmont S. (G1) and Travers hero SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone) in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) against older rivals.
Pletcher added that Evans' five-year-old NITE LIGHT (Thunder Gulch), a 5 3/4-length victor of the Turfway Park Fall Championship S. (G3) going 1 1/2 miles in September, would run in the Breeders' Cup Marathon on November 6.
Regarding his juveniles, Pletcher said that the races this weekend would clarify the picture for the Breeders' Cup.
"A lot depends on the races this weekend," he said. "We're hoping the two-year-olds step up."
Three-time Grade 1 scorer Summer Bird is scheduled to depart New York for the Breeders' Cup early Monday, but plans call for the colt to return for an extended stay at Belmont Park in April along with a number of his stablemates, according to trainer Tim Ice.
"After the meet at Oaklawn Park, the plan is to come to New York," said Ice, who previously has been based at Louisiana Downs. "I'd like to pick up some new owners; right now, I'm thinking of bringing 20-25 horses and trying to build from there."
Overall this year, Ice is 28-28-23 from 147 starts, with earnings of more than $2.6 million. In New York, Ice is four-for-four, with Independence War (Red Bullet) having won a claiming race at Belmont on October 3 to go along with Summer Bird's victories.
"Overall, New York is a great place to race during the summer and also to train," said Ice, 34. "(Summer Bird's owner) Dr. (Kalarikkal) Jayaraman and I were talking yesterday about Belmont Park. The main track has a great surface, and the horses have come off it in great shape."