Miller ponders whether Appealing Tale should have prep for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

DEL MAR, Calif. - Appealing Tale, who won the first stakes of his career in the $245,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, may not start again until the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 30.

The 5-year-old Appealing Tale earned a fees-paid berth for the BC Dirt Mile with the win in the Grade 2 O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs. Sunday, trainer Peter Miller said he does not have firm plans of how he wants to prepare Appealing Tale for the Dirt Mile.

“We’ve got to figure out whether to train him up to the Breeders’ Cup or run him in between,” he said.

Owned by brothers Gary and Cecil Barber, Appealing Tale was the 6-5 favorite in the O’Brien. Ridden by Joe Talamo, he led throughout, winning by a half-length over Wild Dude, a 2-1 shot.

Appealing Tale has won 5 of 24 starts and earned $533,322.

Wild Dude won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs here on July 26, earning a fees-paid berth to the BC Sprint on Oct. 31, if owners Green Smith Jr. and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer pay a $100,000 fee to make the 5-year-old horse eligible for the Breeders’ Cup program.

Hollendorfer said on Sunday that Wild Dude will have an additional start before the BC Sprint, with the $250,000 Phoenix Stakes at six furlongs at Keeneland on Oct 2, or the $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs on Oct. 3 as likely options.