Pavel points to Gold Cup, not Shoemaker Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. - Pavel, fourth in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 31, is likely to run in Saturday’s Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on dirt and not the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf, trainer Doug O’Neill said Sunday.

Pavel has never run on turf, and has had mixed results at 1 1/4 miles on dirt, the distance of the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita. Last year, Pavel was third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park, but 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at the same distance at Del Mar.

Earlier this year, Pavel was a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 3. In the Dubai World Cup, Pavel finished 7 3/4 lengths behind winner Thunder Snow.

“He’s training so well,” O’Neill said. “He’s run so well on the dirt. Even though we’re confident he could do well on the turf, we thought right now the Gold Cup is a better fit.

“We’re looking forward to a clean trip.”

Mario Gutierrez retains the mount. Gutierrez has ridden Pavel in all eight of his starts, which includes two wins. Last September, Pavel won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing. A 4-year-old colt by Creative Cause, Pavel races for owners and breeders Paul and Zillah Reddam.

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

City of Light is nominated to the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, but trainer Michael McCarthy said Sunday that a decision on the 4-year-old colt’s next start has not been finalized. Another option is the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park on June 9.

Other expected starters in the Gold Cup are Mubtaahij, who was third in the Dubai World Cup, and Prince of Arabia, second in the Californian. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the race is a possibility for Full of Luck, who is also being entered in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap on May 27.