Tonalist sticking around, with Cigar Mile next target

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Retirement can wait.

Those were the words of owner Robert Evans, who confirmed that multiple Grade 1 winner Tonalist will remain in training as a 5-year-old next year and could target the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March.

Tonalist finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last Saturday at Keeneland. Evans said that Tonalist will aim for the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 28.

“If he could win that it would give him a Grade 1 win at a mile, a mile and a quarter, and a mile and a half,” Evans said.

Tonalist, a son of Tapit trained by Christophe Clement, won the 2014 Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles in both 2014 and 2015. Earlier this year, he won the Grade 3 Westchester at one mile. He also won the Grade 2 Peter Pan at 1 1/8 miles.

In the summer of 2014, Evans made a deal with Lane’s End Farm to stand Tonalist there as a stallion. But Evans and Bill Farish, the head of Lane’s End, agreed to cancel the deal shortly after it was made.

“They were nice enough to let me out of the deal," Evans said. "We just didn’t announce it. I had seller’s remorse.”

Evans said he has had contact with several farms this year, but added, “I’m a little disappointed in some of the farms and how they valued him.”

Further, Evans said, several good horses in Tonalist’s category are going to stud in 2016, including Honor Code, Liam’s Map, and Palace Malice.

“That soaks up a lot of mares in that category,” Evans said. “This may not be an ideal year to retire him. I probably would have felt differently had we won Saturday, but he ran the worst race of his life.”

Tonalist finished fifth in the Classic, beaten 12 1/2 lengths by winner American Pharoah, who is also going to stud. Prior to Saturday, Tonalist had never been beaten more than the five lengths he lost by in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Looking ahead to next year, Evans said a try at the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 26 at Meydan is likely.

“If he’s good we might go to Dubai,” Evans said. “That’s the plan right now. I’m in the racing and breeding business. You spend your whole life trying to have a horse like this. I’m pretty excited about racing him again, actually.”

Tonalist has a record of 6-4-2 from 15 starts with earnings of $3,197,000.