Bravazo decision clears up outlook for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Classic

There were four horses pre-entered on Wednesday in both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Dirt Mile, which led to some angst among trainers worried as to whether they’d get into the Classic. But the likely composition of the Classic field came into sharper focus on Thursday after Bravazo – one of that quartet – worked at Churchill Downs and then was declared as certain for the Dirt Mile.

“That’s where we’re headed,” D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Bravazo, said after Bravazo worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds, the fastest time of 20 works at the distance.

Luis Contreras has the Dirt Mile mount, Lukas said.

Both the Classic and Dirt Mile are on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. The Classic – for which 19 horses were pre-entered – has a chance of having more than the maximum 14 runners at entry time on Monday. The Dirt Mile had 16 pre-entries, but so many horses in that race are going elsewhere that it will come in under the maximum of 14 and no one will be excluded.

Final entries for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 2 and 3 are due Monday, when post positions are drawn. At that time, a horse pre-entered in two races must enter just one race.

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Bravazo, City of Light, Lone Sailor, and Seeking the Soul were pre-entered in the Classic and the Dirt Mile.

Bravazo was ranked 15th for the Classic by the international panel. City of Light made the main body of the field, but he is expected to go in the Dirt Mile. No decision has yet been made on which race Lone Sailor will run in, said his trainer, Tom Amoss.

“We’re keeping our options open,” said Amoss, who said the prospective fields and input from owner Gayle Benson would guide the decision. Lone Sailor is in the main body of the Classic.

If both Bravazo and City of Light do indeed go in the Dirt Mile, that would mean Gunnevera – ranked 16th at the pre-entry stage – would make the field for the Classic.

So, as of Thursday, Seeking the Soul is effectively on the bubble, and the decision on Lone Sailor could be pivotal as to whether he gets in. Seeking the Soul’s trainer, Dallas Stewart, said the Classic is the preferred spot, with the Dirt Mile the back-up plan.

There are up to two also-eligibles allowed at entry time for the Classic, so if Seeking the Soul isn’t guaranteed a spot in the Classic by Monday he could bypass the Dirt Mile, enter the Classic, and have a chance to draw in from the also-eligible list. He would have until 8 a.m. on Nov. 2, scratch time for both Breeders’ Cup cards, to draw in.

Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount regardless of whether he runs in the Classic or Dirt Mile, Stewart said.

The current field for the Classic is Accelerate (Joel Rosario), Axelrod (Joe Bravo), Catholic Boy (Javier Castellano), Discreet Lover (Manny Franco), Gunnevera (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Lone Sailor (James Graham), McKinzie (Mike Smith or John Velazquez), Mendelssohn (Ryan Moore), Mind Your Biscuits (Tyler Gaffalione), Pavel (Mario Gutierrez), Roaring Lion (Oisin Murphy), Thunder Snow (Christophe Soumillon), West Coast (Smith or Velazquez), and Yoshida (Jose Ortiz).

Meanwhile, the trainers of four of the horses pre-entered in the Dirt Mile as well as the Sprint, both Nov. 3, said they would run in the Sprint. Limousine Liberal, Promises Fulfilled, Warrior’s Club, and Whitmore all are headed to the Sprint, their trainers said.

Awesome Slew was among the Dirt Mile runners to work on Thursday at Churchill Downs. He went a half-mile in 48 seconds.

The current field for the Dirt Mile is Awesome Slew (Corey Lanerie), Bravazo (Luis Contreras), Catalina Cruiser (Drayden Van Dyke), City of Light (Javier Castellano), Firenze Fire (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Giant Expectations (Julien Leparoux), Isotherm (Giovanni Franco), Seven Trumpets (Robby Albarado), and Trigger Warning (Ricardo Santana Jr.).

Dak Attack would run only “if the race falls apart,” said his trainer, Dale Romans.