Artie Schiller Stakes Plan B for Caribou Club

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes is figuratively and literally a long way from the Breeders’ Cup Mile. But it could end up being an ideal backup plan for Caribou Club, who on Wednesday was one of 10 horse entered in Saturday’s Artie Schiller going one mile at Aqueduct.

Despite having won three stakes, two of which were graded, Caribou Club was not selected into the body of the field for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, run last Saturday at Santa Anita. His connections did enter him as an also-eligible, and though he would have drawn into the field after scratches, trainer Tom Proctor didn’t want to have the outside post in a full field of 14 and never shipped the horse west.

While post position concerned Proctor regarding the Breeders’ Cup, course condition is Proctor’s concern regarding the Artie Schiller. Proctor wants firm ground for Caribou Club. Rain was in the forecast late Thursday, but depending which forecast you believe, there could be less than a quarter-inch of rain.

Still, Proctor said he planned to drive to Aqueduct on Friday to walk the course before he decides whether to send Caribou Club up on Saturday.

“If I don’t like it I won’t ship him Saturday morning,” Proctor said.

Plan C would be the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap on Nov. 30 at Del Mar.

Caribou Club, a 5-year-old gelding by City Zip, is coming off back-to-back stakes wins at Mountaineer on Aug. 3 and the Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup on Sept. 21 at Laurel, beating Frontier Market by a head in a course record of 1:33.35 for a mile. Frontier Market, trained by Chad Brown, is back in the Artie Schiller.

“He floated a bit near the wire, but he’ll do that,” Proctor said of Caribou Club.

There looks to be plenty of speed signed up for the Artie Schiller, with the likes of Voodoo Song, Gidu, Dr. Edgar, and Abiding Star in the field. Others entered include Curlin’s Honor, Golden Brown, Gunnison, and Just Howard. Free Enterprise and Stan the Man are entered to run only if the race is moved to the main track.