Red Sea to go a mile in Atto prep

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Red Sea, a classy 5-year-old, will prep for the Grade 1 Atto Mile in Friday's Woodbine feature, a one-mile classified allowance on the grass.

A field of 10 was drawn for the $73,900 event, which is limited to nonwinners of $44,340 twice at a mile or over since July 1.

Red Sea was second to the unstoppable Dubai Millennium in a listed race in his native England as a

3-year-old, and also placed in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot in 1999. He wasn't much of a factor in his two outings for trainer Neil Drysdale early last year at Santa Anita, and was subsequently turned over to trainer Roger Attfield.

Red Sea notched his second start for Attfield in allowance company at Keeneland in April. He awaited running room in the stretch here in the May 26 Connaught Cup Stakes, and quickened nicely once he got clear to win the faster division of that Grade 3 fixture.

Red Sea hasn't run since June 10, when he was disqualified from third and placed fifth for causing interference in the Grade 2 King Edward Breeders' Cup Handicap.

Attfield nominated Red Sea to Saturday's seven-furlong Play the King Handicap, but has opted for this longer race. Red Sea will tote high weight of 121 pounds, including jockey Emile Ramsammy.

Completing the field will be Cracker's Folly, Thornfield, Hard Currency, Blast of Storm, Super Red, Kimberlite Pipe, and Hoptuit Bud. Grand End Sweep and Opus Won were entered for the main track only.

Kimberlite Pipe, who captured the 1999 Louisiana Derby, is another prospect for the Sept. 9 Atto Mile.

Kimberlite Pipe struggled last winter at the Fair Grounds after returning from a layoff, and was sent here to Mike Wright Jr. in the spring. He beat Red Sea while ending up second to Quiet Resolve in the 1 1/8-mile King Edward, before which he ran third in the slower division of the Connaught.

Kimberlite Pipe led throughout the allowance prep for the Grade 2 Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Stakes, but is coming off lackluster effort in the 1 3/8-mile Hong Kong, in which he set the pace before fading to fourth.

"We didn't have any intentions of running him on the grass when the owner sent him to me," Wright admitted. "It just happened that the Connaught was coming up, and the owner had told me that he likes the grass. He may be better on dirt, but he's been running well on the turf, so we've decided to leave him on it for now."

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