El Deal still likely for Breeders’ Cup

Though El Deal was beaten a length by Takaful in Saturday’s Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes, he is still likely to run in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4, trainer Jorge Navarro said Sunday.

“We’re 80 percent right now that we’re going,” Navarro said. “I do think he belongs there with the speed he’s got. Hopefully, the speed will carry him.”

Navarro said El Deal was very tired after the Vosburgh, and that he thinks he might have babied the horse in his training leading up to the race. Navarro also felt the deep, wet surface and the fact El Deal popped his stall door open before the race all worked against his horse.

“He had a nasty cut on his nose,” Navarro said. “I’m a big-time believer once a horse breaks through the gate it’s got to take a little bit out of him. I’m very happy with the way he ran. There ain’t no telling how good that 3-year-old [Takaful] is going to be.”

Takaful is now 3 for 4 in races run around one turn, his lone loss being a second-place finish to Practical Joke in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.

Takaful, under Jose Ortiz, stalked El Deal intently from the outside before wearing him down in the final strides to win. He earned a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

“Jose had a lot of confidence,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “In the paddock he said, ‘I don’t think we’ll be very far away from him,’ I said ‘okay great.’ He took it to him a little bit earlier than I thought on paper, but when he broke well … he rode him great. It was big, big race to win for Shadwell and I.”

Takaful earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for the Vosburgh.

McLaughlin said that Takaful would likely have two works at Belmont Park before shipping to California on Oct. 31.