Breeders' Cup: Pletcher plans to pre-enter Uncle Mo, Aikenite in Dirt Mile

Tom Keyser

Uncle Mo will be entered in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as a "a second choice," trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Though he remains focused primarily on the Breeders’ Cup Classic, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday that he would likely pre-enter Uncle Mo in the $1 million Dirt Mile as well.

“We will probably pre-enter in the Mile as a second choice,” said Pletcher, who trains Uncle Mo for Mike Repole. “I suppose just as an insurance policy. There’s no harm in pre-entering him.”

Uncle Mo came out of his five-furlong breeze in 58.42 seconds on Sunday in good order, according to Pletcher.

“The great thing about that work, as strong as it was, he came back and tore up his feed tub that day and that night and has continued to thrive on it,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher also plans to pre-enter Aikenite in the Dirt Mile and the six-furlong Sprint and will analyze both fields to see which one best sets it up for Aikenite’s late-running style. Aikenite finished eighth in last year’s Dirt Mile and is coming off a nose loss in the six-furlong Phoenix at Keeneland.

“Ideally, seven-eighths is his best distance, so we’re trying to figure that out,” Pletcher said. “We just have to see how the races look like they’re going to be run.”

Trainer Marty Jones said Tres Borrachos would be pre-entered in the Dirt Mile but is not definite to run. Tres Borrachos gets his pre-entry and entry fees picked up by the Breeders’ Cup because he won the San Diego at Del Mar, a Win and You’re In race.

Jones said the horse also would also be nominated to the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill on Nov. 4. Tres Borrachos is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Goodwood.

Others expected to be pre-entered in the Dirt Mile on Monday are Caleb’s Posse, Irrefutable, Jackson Bend, Jersey Town, Shackleford, Tapizar, Trappe Shot, Twirling Candy, and Wilburn.