Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Three preps do little to clarify prospective field

A little more than four weeks out, the field for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile remains very much in flux, and last weekend’s developments in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Kelso Invitational, and Awesome Again did little to clarify things.

Heading into Belmont’s Super Saturday card, it seemed like Cross Traffic was targeting the Classic and Graydar was penciled in for the Dirt Mile by Todd Pletcher. But Cross Traffic hardly raised a gallop after stumbling at the start of the Gold Cup, beating only Orb. And while Graydar had things all his own way on the lead in the one-mile Kelso, he doled out remarkably even fractions of 23.41 seconds, 23.70, 23.36, and 23.61 first time back from a six-month layoff, suggesting 10 furlongs may be within his scope.

“With the way [last Saturday’s] races [were] positioned, five weeks out from the Breeders’ Cup, it gives us time to sort out how everyone is doing and how everyone came out of the races,” said Pletcher. “Hopefully we can sit back and let them tell us what the right decision is. [Graydar] broke a step slow but was able to position himself quickly. He was still in front the eighth after the finish line and galloped out a pretty decent mile and a quarter.”

Five of six Dirt Mile winners had lost their previous start, so it would be foolhardy to dismiss Brujo de Olleros and Easter Gift – second and fifth in the Kelso – from consideration at this early date.

In his fifth and final start in Uruguay, the Brazilian-bred Brujo de Olleros broke a 75-year-old track record winning the Group 1 Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua Stakes at Montevideo’s Maronas racecourse, running one mile in 1:33.27, after which he was purchased by Team Valor International and Richard Santulli, who also campaigns Flower Bowl winner Laughing. He was slow to acclimate to the United States, finishing fourth in both of his starts last year, but has improved significantly as a 5-year-old for new trainer Rick Mettee, capped by a solid finish in the Kelso.

“I thought [Souper Speedy] would go with [Graydar], but when he didn’t, I think we have to be really happy with the result,” said Mettee. “He was trying to close into a pace that wasn’t all that fast, but the best horse won and we were second best.”

Easter Gift, who broke from the rail and wound up two lengths behind Brujo de Olleros, was also a victim of the measured pace.

“He had a bad post, and he’s not crazy about running on the inside of horses,” said trainer Chad Brown. “I don’t think Mike [Smith] had any choice. Several times he tried to get him off the rail, and there was just nowhere to go. It’s more or less a non-effort. I don’t know what I’ll do. I wouldn’t rule out taking that horse to the Dirt Mile. He’s the kind of horse that has a big race in him, I think. He’s run a couple numbers already that would make him competitive if he runs his very best race going a mile on dirt.”

At Santa Anita, Liaison finished sixth in the Awesome Again, formerly the Goodwood, while also seemingly compromised by an inside trip.

“Some horses, they just run into the sand here and he didn’t like that,” said Bob Baffert. “He likes to be outside.”

Albertus Maximus (2008, $14,60) and Dakota Phone (2010, $77.40) came off losing efforts in the Goodwood to win the Dirt Mile.