Glatt trying to get Beer Can Man a seat at the bar in BC Turf Sprint
Trainer Mark Glatt is eager to try Beer Can Man in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar after the colt’s second-place finish in the Grade 3 Turf Monster Stakes on Saturday at Parx Racing.
That is, if Beer Can Man can earn a berth in what is likely to be a crowded field.
The BC Turf Sprint is run at five furlongs. Beer Can Man won an allowance race at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 13 at Del Mar in his first start since February and was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by the longshot Hollywood Talent in the $300,000 Turf Monster Stakes, also at five furlongs.
“He might need a little luck getting in,” Glatt said of the Breeders’ Cup. “He’s a serious horse at that distance. I hope he gets in.”
The BC Turf Sprint will have a maximum field of 12, and may have as many as six also-eligible runners when entries are taken Nov. 1.
In the Turf Monster, Beer Can Man broke from the rail in a field of nine. Beer Can Man raced on the inside to the final furlong of the well-worn turf course and closed with interest when moved off the rail by jockey Flavien Prat.
“The inside part of the course was apparently the worst part, according to Flavien,” Glatt said.
“When he got him to the outside, he found a better part of the course and he took off. The winner was drawn outside and that seemed to be the best part of the course.”
Glatt has several sprinters under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup. On Saturday, he will start Dr. Schivel and Collusion Illusion in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Sprint on Nov. 6.
Dr. Schivel secured a fees-paid berth with a win in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on July 31 at Del Mar. This past Saturday, Dr. Schivel worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds at Santa Anita.
Collusion Illusion, who won the 2020 Bing Crosby and was 12th in the BC Sprint at Keeneland last November, worked a half-mile in 47.40 seconds from the gate on Saturday at Santa Anita, the fastest of 67 works at the distance.
Collusion Illusion has started once this year, finishing seventh of eight in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 22 at Del Mar.
The $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship field includes C Z Rocket, who won the 2020 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and was later second in the BC Sprint last November. At Del Mar this summer, C Z Rocket was third by a neck in the Bing Crosby and second in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 28.
There are 13 six-figure stakes at Santa Anita from Friday through Sunday that are prep races for the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.