Pavel targeting Dubai World Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. – Pavel, a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes here on Feb. 3, will skip the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10 and be pointed for the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 31, trainer Doug O’Neill said on Thursday.

O’Neill may still have a presence in the $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, the track’s most prominent race for older horses. Curlin Road, unraced since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last August, is possible for the Big Cap, which is run at 1 1/4 miles.

A 5-year-old gelding, Curlin Road won the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar last July, his first stakes win.

Pavel, third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont last October, would have been a leading contender in the Big Cap, a race that lacks a standout. The other candidates are Accelerate, Fear the Cowboy, Giant Expectations, Hoppertunity, Mubtaahij, Prime Attraction, and Top of the Game.