Rated by Merit works toward Cigar Mile
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Rated by Merit missed a little time due to a fever following his victory in the Discovery Stakes on Oct. 4, but on Friday he worked a half-mile in 48.14 seconds over the Belmont Park training track and remains on schedule for the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile on Dec. 6.
Rated by Merit, working by himself over a track that was not yielding quick times, got his last quarter in 23.81. It was his second work since the Discovery.
Trainer Chad Brown said he’s not only looking forward to running Rated by Merit in the Cigar Mile, but he’s also considering him for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream. Brown has only started two horses in the first nine runnings of the Pegasus.
“This is the first time where I have a horse where this is on my radar,” Brown said. “This a real horse who likes the track down there.”
Rated by Merit, previously trained by Michael Yates, went 4 for 4 at Gulfstream as a 2-year-old, including a six-length victory in the In Reality Stakes going 1 1/16 miles. The Pegasus is run at 1 1/8 miles.
Brown said he plans to keep Program Trading and Redistricting in training for the Pegasus World Cup Turf. Though Program Trading finished 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Brown said the horse “had a terrible trip” under Flavien Prat.
“He was following the winner, backed off because he thought the winner was going to get stuck behind the pacemaker, and as soon as he moved outside to go around him, the pacemaker moved off the rail and he ran right into him,” Brown said.
Redistricting finished seventh in the BC Turf.
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