Vella targets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with Channel Maker

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Daniel Vella will return to the Breeders’ Cup for the first time since 2010 when he sends out Channel Maker in the Juvenile Turf on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

“We’re going to go to the big dance and see just how good he is,” Vella said. “We had a bit of a troubled trip last time, and I think we’re competitive, so we’re going.”

Channel Maker was third to Good Samaritan in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes here Sept. 18 after lacking running room in the stretch. Vella said the idea of going to the Breeders’ Cup with Channel Maker had always been on the table.

“I think [that] horse of Billy Mott’s [Good Samaritan] that beat us here is going to be the favorite,” Vella said. “When you start watching and figure the horse that beats you is going to be the favorite, it kind of makes you know that you belong.”

Vella has made four previous trips to the Breeders’ Cup; his best finish came in the 1996 Juvenile, where Cash Deposit finished fourth. Vella’s most recent Breeders’ Cup starter was in the 2010 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs, where Wyomia finished sixth.

Vella said Channel Maker has been training well since the Summer.

“He just keeps getting better all the time,” Vella said. “He’s kind of a big, free-running horse. He’s still a little green. They’re young horses. Things didn’t go right for us the last time, but anytime you run, especially with young horses, it’s about the trip a lot. If we get a good trip, we can win a race like this.”

Vella said Channel Maker will ship to Santa Anita on Saturday. The 2-year-old son of English Channel will van down to Kentucky before boarding a plane to California.

Are You Kidding Me seeks repeat

Are You Kidding Me won last year’s Grade 2, $200,000 Autumn Stakes on his way to becoming Canada’s champion older male of 2015, and a repeat win in the Autumn on Nov. 6 would bolster his case for another Sovereign Award.

Are You Kidding Me, a 6-year-old trained by Roger Attfield, most recently won the Grade 3 Durham Cup on Sept. 24. Prior to that, he finished second in back-to-back starts in the Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes and the Grade 3 Seagram Cup and won the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes on May 28.

A good result in the Autumn could give Are You Kidding Me a second consecutive older-male championship. Attfield said Are You Kidding Me sustained some minor bruising since his win in the Durham Cup but otherwise is in good order.

“He’s been doing well,” Attfield said. “He had a little bit of a bruise for a few days, which I don’t think is going to make any difference to our schedule. I’m very pleased with him.”

Are You Kidding Me was back on the work tab Sunday for the first time since the Durham Cup and breezed five furlongs in 59.00 seconds over the Tapeta.

A solid field likely will meet Are You Kidding Me in the Autumn. Nominations for the race were released Friday and include Grade 3 Dominion Stakes winner Melmich, Seagram Cup winner Breaking Lucky, and the Mark Casse-trained Oakton and Royal Son.

Royal Son recorded his second win of the Woodbine meet in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta on Oct. 14.

“I thought his last race was game,” Casse said. “He really enjoys the synthetic, and he’s a tough horse.”

Casse said he’s still waiting to see Royal Son run to his full potential.

“He trains like a very good horse,” he said. “I think he’s run so far like a good horse but not a very good horse. I’m still waiting to see him show even more. I think he still has the possibility to be even better than you’ve seen so far.”