What's next for Next after he dominates Birdstone Stakes?
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The connections of Next will seriously consider taking on more difficult challenges after their 6-year-old gelding made a mockery of another marathon dirt race, winning Sunday’s $150,000 Birdstone Stakes by 22 1/4 lengths at Saratoga.
It was the sixth consecutive victory for Next and eighth of nine since he started competing in races at 1 1/2 miles or farther. Sunday’s Birdstone was at 1 3/4 miles, and it was the second straight year he won this race. In 2023, the margin was a paltry 11 3/4 lengths.
Next’s dominance of these unique marathon distance races have made them increasingly harder to fill. His last six wins have come by a combined 79 1/2 lengths. The next marathon race is the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing on Sept. 21. Next won that race last year by 25 lengths.
The Birdstone drew a field of only five and Nimitz Class scratched to run in an allowance here on Friday. Time for Trouble, second to Next in the 2023 Birdstone, was pulled up a quarter-mile into Sunday’s race. The margin between second-place finisher Masqueparade and Slip Mahoney was 96 1/4 lengths. That is not a typo.
Next, under Luan Machado, took over from Slip Mahoney with a half-mile remaining and just galloped home an easy winner. Next, a gelding by Not This Time, covered the 1 3/4 miles in 2:57.83. He returned $2.10 to win and $2.10 to place. There was $360,808 wagered on him to place out of $407,248 in the pool. No show wagering was allowed.
Afterwards owner Michael Foster and trainer Doug Cowans admitted they might have to start thinking of something different. The Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup going 1 1/4 miles here on Sept. 1 is on the list as is possibly a marathon turf race.
“I think Next could be very competitive at the Gold Cup and I clearly think he could be competitive in the [Breeders’ Cup] Classic,” Foster said. “I just don’t see a bunch of monsters out there at a mile-and-a quarter right now, not at the level that Arthur’s Ride just showed them and Crupi just showed them. We belong in that mix.”
Arthur’s Ride won Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes here by 2 1/4 lengths over Crupi. Both are being pointed to the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Next beat Crupi by 9 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Brooklyn at Aqueduct on July 5.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Next yet,” Foster said. “I know I’m bragging about him and I’m very proud of this horse, but I’ve seen a lot of racehorses handicapping over the years and this guy I think he can play with them - there’s no doubt about it - at the shorter distance.”
Cowans said he would wait until Next got back to Turfway Park and see how he trains before committing to a next race.
“As always we’ll get him out of the race here and get him home and see how things go in the next few weeks and sit down with Mike and figure out a plan for him,” Cowans said. “I stick to what I’ve always said; you can watch him in the races, he really enjoys himself out there and loves doing what he’s doing, so as I start to shorten him down I don’t know how well he’ll like it. Maybe well have to try it at some point.”
If not the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Foster mentioned that a turf marathon is possible as well. Two years ago, Next was scheduled to run on the turf in the Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park. That 1 1/2-mile race came off the turf and Next won by 18 1-4 lengths.
“We haven’t given him a shot on the grass and Keeneland has some nice mile-and-a-half races,” Foster said. “Our first win with him was on the grass at Churchill at a mile-and-an-eighth. I think he can run just as well on the grass. If Doug doesn’t want to do the shorter distances [on dirt] then I would say definitely we’re going to look at least at a mile-and-three-eighths to a mile-and-a-half on the grass.”
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