Dotsy trainer Grabowski says Breeders' Cup a maybe, but Kentucky Oaks definite goal
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ELMONT, N.Y. - Twenty-four hours later, trainer John Grabowski said he was still “on a cloud” from winning his first Grade 1 race with Dotsy in Saturday’s $500,000 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park.
His phone blew up to the point where his mailbox was full and text messages “keep coming in,” he said Sunday afternoon.
“It’s an amazing feeling, you want to keep it with you and hang on to it for as long as you can,” said Grabowski, a former rider who won 3,401 races.
Dotsy arrived back at her Finger Lakes base around 1 p.m. Sunday following a six-hour-or-so van ride from Belmont Park. Grabowski said Dotsy came out of the race in good order and he will get together with owner Thomas Paluck to discuss whether or not to go onto the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 30 at Keeneland.
The Frizette was not a ‘Win and You’re In” race for the Juvenile Fillies. Instead, as part of the Breeders’ Cup’s Dirt Dozen program, half of Dotsy’s $60,000 entry fees are paid for by the Breeders’ Cup.
“The Breeders’ Cup would be the number one goal right now, but there’s other options, we just have to plan them all out and go over it and come up with a pathway here,” Grabowski said. “My ultimate goal - it’s hard to plan it this early, one can only dream - would be the Kentucky Oaks. That, to me, is the goal that everybody wants.”
If Dotsy does go to the Breeders’ Cup, Grabowski said he would like to get her there at least 15 days in advance. Dotsy has been known to be a bit nervous in new surroundings. On Aug. 5, the day before she was scheduled to debut at Saratoga, Dotsy flipped in a saddling stall while schooling in the paddock at Saratoga.
“She did get stuck on the wall for quite some time, she was upside down with all her legs up in the air,” said Grabowski, adding that the filly was scratched from her race the following day.
Grabowski kept her in Saratoga and she raced on Aug. 28 in a maiden auction race that she won by four lengths.
On Saturday, in the Frizette, Dotsy stalked the pace three-wide under Kendrick Carmouche, came out a little wider in the stretch, but was able to overtake even-money favorite Libby Lloyd and hold Rum Twist at bay to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Dotsy, a daughter of Tacitus who sold for just $37,000 at auction, covered the mile in 1:36.07, earning an 82 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She wants to fight and she loves being next to horses and being competitive,” Grabowski said. “And when she does make the lead, she relaxes, but she just keeps going. When she opens up, it’s almost like she’s toying with them. She did that in both races, she’s incredibly talented.”
If Dotsy goes to the Breeders’ Cup, she will most likely again meet Rum Twist. Trainer Mark Hennig said he is strongly considering running that filly in the Juvenile Fillies. Hennig liked his filly’s effort in the Frizette, noting that Rum Twist was making a wide move and was forced out another path in the stretch before trying to rally inside.
“I think ultimately she wants to go two turns, I just didn’t want to do it right way,” Hennig said. “I kind of like horses first time around two turns, especially when they really want to do it. It kind of sets up for her best race of the year if we did that. We’re obviously not going to decide yet, get back to the track and see how things are going.”
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