Pavel may try turf in Shoemaker Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Pavel, who was fourth in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 31, will return to racing later this month in a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita – the $500,000 Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on May 26, or the $400,000 Shoemaker Mile on turf on May 28.

Trainer Doug O’Neill said on Friday that Pavel’s workouts will determine which race is chosen.

“We know Dubai can take a bit out of them, so we’re giving him plenty of time,” O’Neill said.

“He hasn’t run on the grass, but it’s in his pedigree. We want to see how he’s doing. We’ve got those dates circled.”

Friday at Santa Anita, Pavel worked five furlongs in 1:00, the fastest of 36 works at the distance. Pavel has had two workouts since the Dubai World Cup, beginning with a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on April 27.

Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Pavel was beaten 7 3/4 lengths by Thunder Snow in the Dubai World Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Meydan Racecourse. By Creative Cause, Pavel has won 2 of 8 starts and earned $847,400.

Since finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last November, Pavel has been fourth in three consecutive starts, including the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 26 and a troubled trip in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 3.

Last September, Pavel won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing and was later third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

The prospective field for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita is led by Accelerate, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10, and Dr. Dorr, who won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes on April 28. Accelerate was second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 14.

Trained by John Sadler, Accelerate is scheduled to have his first workout since the Oaklawn Handicap on Sunday.

“It gives me time for three workouts,” Sadler said. “We gave him a little extra time after the last race because he shipped and ran so hard.”

The Gold Cup is the first of four Grade 1 stakes at the spring-summer portion of the Santa Anita meeting, which ends on June 24. The next graded stakes is the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes, a $100,000 race for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on May 12.