Santa Anita: Caracortado will point to Cal Cup Classic

Caracortado, winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in his most recent start, will stay on his preferred surface and drop in class for his next start Oct. 29 in the $175,000 California Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

“He’s had a tough year, and I want to make it as easy as possible,” trainer and co-owner Mike Machowsky said. “The Classic is now on the turf, and when I saw they did that, it [made the decision easy].”

Caracortado was made eligible to the Breeders’ Cup for a $25,000 payment this year, and Machowsky hopes the gelding has the opportunity next fall to run in a Breeders’ Cup race at Santa Anita.

“I’d like to sprint him down the hill,” Machowsky said, listing main 2011 options as the BC Mile or Turf Sprint. Caracortado, a 4-year-old gelding, has won 8 races and $774,105 from 17 starts.

Machowsky said that following the Cal Cup, Caracortado could make one more start in the Citation during the Hollywood fall meet, or be freshened for the winter meet.