Following Sea may point to Cigar Mile or Runhappy Malibu
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Following Sea, third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, is being considered for one of two Grade 1 stakes - the $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 4, or the $300,000 Runhappy Malibu at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 - trainer Todd Pletcher said over the weekend.
In the BC Sprint, Following Sea was beaten only 1 3/4 lengths by Aloha West, getting shut off trying to come up the rail inside the three-sixteenths pole before re-rallying in the three path down the lane. Most observers felt the rail was not the best place to be on Breeders’ Cup Saturday.
“The rail might not have been good, but he had a shot, he was almost going to get through on the inside, and then the door closed and he had to stop,” Pletcher said. “Johnny [Velazquez] seemed to think it cost him the race, but he ran well.”
Pletcher said Following Sea came out of the race in good order and is in training at Belmont Park.
A start in the Cigar Mile would mean facing older horses such as Independence Hall and Ny Traffic as well as the Pletcher-trained 3-year-old Americanrevolution. Following Sea did beat the older horse Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 Vosburgh.
The Malibu, a seven-furlong race restricted to 3-year-olds, would mean another cross-country ship. Among those pointing to the Malibu are Flightline, who has won his first two starts by a combined 26 lengths, and Triple Tap, a half-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah who also is 2 for 2. Neither Flightline nor Triple Tap has run in a stakes race to date.
“We’ll assess the fields and see how he’s doing,” Pletcher said.
Meanwhile, Americanrevolution, who won the $300,000 Empire Classic by 11 3/4 lengths, returned to the worktab over the weekend, going a half-mile in 48.29 seconds Saturday over the Belmont Park training track.