Art Collector getting a break in South Carolina

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Art Collector will head to South Carolina for the winter after bleeding internally in a second straight disappointing effort. The 3-year-old Bernardini colt faded to eighth as the 9-2 third choice last Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland.

“It wasn’t horrible, but there definitely was a detectable amount of blood,” trainer Tommy Drury said from his Skylight training center base just east of Louisville. “He’ll stick around here another week or so, and we’ll make sure we’ve got him all cleaned up and everything’s where it needs to be before we send him out.”

Art Collector won four straight races to open 2020 before being withheld with a minor injury as one of the favorites for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby. He then was a distant fourth as the second choice in the Oct. 3 Preakness prior to the Dirt Mile, when he had a prime stalking spot down the backside but failed to fire.

“We’re sending him down to Travis Durr at Webb Carroll,” Drury said. “We’ll let some sunshine hit his back and have them get him moving around a little before we bring him in. Hopefully, we’ll have a top 4-year-old for next year.”

Bell’s the One to race on

Bell’s the One, beaten just a nose by Serengeti Empress for second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, will be back for a 5-year-old campaign following a break of a couple months, trainer Neil Pessin said.

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“We needed just one more jump,” Pessin said. “We’ll look to bring her back in the Madison” next spring at Keeneland.

The Filly and Mare Sprint was the second straight seven-furlong race in which Bell’s the One and the now-retired Serengeti Empress were separated on the wire by a tiny margin. Bell’s the One was a whisker ahead of Serengeti Empress in winning the Sept. 5 Derby City Distaff at Churchill.