Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile likely goal for Mystik Dan, McPeek says

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - About the only question answered in Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan’s turf experiment in Saturday’s Grade 1 Arlington Million is that he won’t go a distance of ground over that surface again.

Trainer Kenny McPeek will try to decide in the coming weeks what to do with Mystik Dan this fall, but the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile seemed like a leading contender for a year-end goal.

“More than likely,” McPeek said.

In his first start on turf, Mystik Dan finished fourth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Fort Washington in the Arlington Million at 1 1/4 miles at Colonial Downs. McPeek called an audible by running in the Arlington Million off being pleased with one turf work a week earlier. McPeek had thought about the Grade 3, $2.5 million Mint Millions at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6.

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“Obviously, we wanted to be better than fourth, he’s just a nice horse in so many ways,” McPeek said. “I wanted to find out, I thought it was a respectable race for the most part, now we got to figure out a plan to get him to Breeders’ Cup and where. I thought maybe it would open up some other options one way or the other and I think it did.”

While McPeek didn’t rule out the Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf, he sounded more like pointing Mystik Dan to dirt races that would be used as a steppingstone to the BC Dirt Mile. McPeek mentioned races like the Lukas Classic at 1 1/8 miles or the Ack Ack at one mile - both races are on Sept. 27 at Churchill Downs - as potential next targets.

“I would say the Lukas Classic or the Ack Ack are all good spots,” McPeek said.

McPeek said more than likely Mystik Dan would ship from Colonial Downs to Churchill Downs.

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