Gufo not pre-entered in Breeders' Cup Turf
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The multiple Grade 1 winner Gufo was not pre-entered Monday for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, trainer Christophe Clement said.
Gufo, most recently last of seven in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct, did not work up to Clement’s standards on Saturday at Belmont Park when he went a half-mile in 49.22 seconds on the turf.
“I thought the work was fair,” Clement said Monday. “You go to the Breeders’ Cup, you’d like to be excited about it.”
Clement said he and owner Stephen Cainelli have not yet decided if Gufo would race again this year though “my gut feeling is we’ll give him some time,” Clement said.
Gufo, a 5-year-old son of Declaration of War, has won 9 of 21 starts and is a Grade 1 stakes winner at ages 3, 4, and 5. He won the Sword Dancer at Saratoga the last two years.
Clement also said that Soldier Rising, who dead-heated for fourth in the Joe Hirsch and was third in the Sword Dancer, would not be pre-entered in the Turf. Instead, he could be pointed to the Grade 2, $300,000 Red Smith on Nov. 26 at Aqueduct.
Clement, who won his first Breeders’ Cup race last year when Pizza Bianca captured the Juvenile Fillies Turf, will not have a runner in this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
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