The Pizza Man will ship early for Canadian International

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – In late August, Rich Papiese, the principal of Midwest Thoroughbreds, had tentative plans to send two homebreds, The Pizza Man and Work All Week, to Breeders’ Cup races, but a trip to the Breeders’ Cup is all but out for The Pizza Man, and Work All Week will make his next start Oct. 4 in the Phoenix at Keeneland.

Papiese had a trip to the BC Turf in mind for The Pizza Man after the gelding won the $400,000 American St. Leger on Aug. 16 at Arlington but opted to race Sept. 14 in the Northern Dancer at Woodbine. Favored at odds of 6-5, The Pizza Man ran an uncharacteristically flat fifth but came out of the race well enough, Papiese said, and will return to Woodbine for the Oct. 19 Canadian International. The Pizza Man would have to be supplemented to the International at a cost of $20,000.

Papiese thinks The Pizza Man, trained by Roger Brueggemann, failed to fire in the Northern Dancer because he didn’t ship well. It was the gelding’s first ship-and-run experience, and Papiese said the plan was to travel earlier for the International, perhaps 10 days before the race.

Work All Week, meanwhile, breezed a sharp five furlongs in 59.60 seconds Sept. 21 and is on target for the six-furlong Phoenix. The Illinois-bred gelding beat Delaunay and Mico Margarita in the June 27 Iowa Sprint, but giving serious weight back on Arlington’s Polytrack in the Addison Cammack on July 26, he finished second as the odds-on favorite.

Work All Week is a perfect 7 for 7 in his dirt starts, and Papiese said he still would consider supplementing Work All Week to the BC Sprint if the horse were to win the Phoenix.

Suntracer may join International

Suntracer, the winner of the Kentucky Cup Turf at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 13, could join The Pizza Man at Woodbine for the Canadian International, trainer Chris Block said.

“We’re going to nominate and see how that comes up,” said Block, who also will consider Suntracer for the Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland.

Suntracer had run well below form – and inexplicably so, Block said – in the American St. Leger but bounced back with a win in the Kentucky Cup Turf over the European-style Kentucky Downs course. The win was Suntracer’s first since he captured the Carey Memorial in October 2012.