Point Piper, Tamarkuz all set for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – The field for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita is in flux, owing to several horses being pre-entered in two races. Two of the runners committed to the race, Point Piper and Tamarkuz, turned in their final works for the race Thursday morning here at Santa Anita.

Point Piper, working in company, went five furlongs in 59.40 seconds for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

“Real nice,” said Hollendorfer. “He got a good, decent workout.”

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Hollendorfer said he works Point Piper in company because “he pays more attention when I put him in company.”

Tamarkuz went a half-mile under exercise rider Rob Massey that Daily Racing Form timed in 49.94 seconds.

Both Point Piper and Tamarkuz will be heading around two turns after racing in the Kelso Handicap at a one-turn mile last time out.

“Hopefully, the pace scenario helps us,” said Neal McLaughlin, overseeing Tamarkuz for his brother, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “It looks like there’ll be a lot of pace that we can stalk.”

The Dirt Mile is headed by Dortmund and Runhappy, last year’s winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the year’s Eclipse Award-winning sprinter.

Runhappy is scheduled to work on Saturday.

There were 12 horses pre-entered in the Dirt Mile, but Bradester already has been withdrawn. Midnight Storm was pre-entered in this race as a backup but is more likely to go in the Mile on turf. Vyjack also was pre-entered in the Mile but is ranked as the third alternate and might not get in, forcing him into the Dirt Mile. Both Gun Runner and War Story are pre-entered in the Dirt Mile and the Classic, with the Classic designated as their first choice. Neither the Classic nor the Dirt Mile is oversubscribed, so they have the option of going in either spot.