Pavel stays on course for Breeders' Cup Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. – Pavel owns a win over the Churchill Downs track in the Stephen Foster, an angle that makes him a live runner Nov. 3 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, for which he worked six furlongs in 1:14.80 on Friday morning at Santa Anita under his regular rider Mario Gutierrez.

Pavel worked in company with B Squared, who is under consideration for one of four Breeders’ Cup races – the Mile, Dirt Mile, Sprint, and Turf Sprint. He, too, went in 1:14.80, with Evin Roman up, and stayed in front of Pavel throughout.

“B Squared is a tremendous work horse,” said Doug O’Neill, who trains both B Squared and Pavel. “Pavel needed it. It was his first serious work since he’s been back.”

Pavel was given a brief freshening toward the end of the Del Mar meeting before going back into serious training to prepare for the Classic.

O’Neill said his Breeders’ Cup runners – including Mopotism, who is headed to the Distaff – would have all their workouts at Santa Anita before heading to Churchill Downs the week of the Breeders’ Cup.