Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Sharp Azteca taking Kelso road

The West Coast-based contingent for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 3 at Del Mar is led by Mor Spirit and Accelerate. The East Coast’s best hope could emerge Saturday in the Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park.

The Kelso proved to be the key prep a year ago, when Tamarkuz parlayed a second-place finish into Dirt Mile gold at Santa Anita. Sharp Azteca could be a short-priced favorite in this year’s Kelso, a one-turn mile being run two weeks earlier than last year. Sharp Azteca enters off a track-record performance in the 1 1/16-mile Monmouth Cup and would be moving back to two turns if he advances from the Kelso to the Dirt Mile.

The Kelso cast also is to include Divining Rod, second by a head in last year’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile at one turn at Aqueduct. He will be making his third start of the year, and a good performance could send him to the Dirt Mile, said trainer Arnaud Delacour.

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“We know he likes a one-turn mile,” Delacour said. “I’m not sure about the two-turn mile. That would have to be determined. We’ll see how he performs in the Kelso and take it from there.”

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Delacour said Daniel Centeno will have the mount Saturday.

Another weekend stakes that could produce Dirt Mile starters is the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday at Remington Park. Battle of Midway, Colonelsdarktemper, and Girvin are a trio of graded winners expected to run, and they all could advance to the Breeders’ Cup, with Girvin also under consideration for the Classic. Last year’s Oklahoma Derby winner, Texas Chrome, ran ninth in the Dirt Mile.

Mor Spirit earned a berth into the Dirt Mile with his victory in the Metropolitan Handicap, a one-turn mile at Belmont for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 117. The number is the best put up in races at up to a mile in 2017. Accelerate won the Grade 2 San Diego in July, defeating a field that included Arrogate. The performance improved Accelerate’s record over the main track at Del Mar to 3 for 4. Trainer John Sadler said Accelerate would train up to the Dirt Mile, a race in which the horse ran third in 2017.

Donworth, runner-up to Accelerate in the San Diego, could develop into a Dirt Mile candidate based on how he runs in the Awesome Again on Sept. 30 at Santa Anita, said trainer Doug O’Neill.

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Giant Expectations, who earned a Dirt Mile berth for his Grade 2 Pat O’Brien win in August at Del Mar, is pointing for the Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 7, trainer Peter Eurton said. Gary Stevens has the mount.

–additional reporting by Brad Free