Tom's d'Etat training up to Breeders' Cup Classic

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tom’s d’Etat, who finished third after stumbling at the start of the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 1 at Saratoga, will train up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, trainer Al Stall said Friday.

Stall said the combination of how well Tom’s d’Etat runs fresh and the absence of a prep in a suitable time frame prompted him to make the decision to wait for the Classic. Stall said he was hoping the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes, scheduled for Oct. 10 at Keeneland, would have been a week earlier.

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“I heard some talk about moving the Fayette,” Stall said. “If it had been five weeks out from the Breeders’ Cup we would have strongly considered it.”

Tom’s d’Etat won the Oaklawn Mile off a 133-day layoff and the Grade 2 Stephen Foster 77 days later. The Breeders’ Cup will come 98 days after the Whitney.

“He’s a superior fresh-running horse,” Stall said. “With the Foster being his second race in 213 days, we’re not worried about whether he’ll be fit enough.”

Stall said Tom’s d’Etat was completely fine despite the stumble at the start of the Whitney, where he ultimately finished 2 1/2 lengths behind winner Improbable. Tom’s d’Etat shipped back to Churchill Downs on Aug. 11, and he hasn’t had a workout since.