Zandon pointing for Cigar Mile
Zandon, runner-up to Taiba in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, will be pointed to the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 3, trainer Chad Brown said Saturday.
Brown’s initial feeling coming out of the Pennsylvania Derby was to put Zandon away and freshen him for a 4-year-old campaign. But upon further review, and in consultation with owner Jeff Drown, the decision was made to try cutting Zandon back to the one-turn mile.
“He bounced out of his race good, he looks good while he’s in really good form, let’s run him in a very prestigious race with a big purse. He’s run really well at Aqueduct.”
In his one start at Aqueduct, Zandon was beaten a nose by Mo Donegal in the Grade 2 Remsen, a race in which he was arguably interfered with at the wire. In his lone start in a one-turn race, Zandon won a six-furlong maiden race at Belmont.
This year, Zandon won the Grade 1 Blue Grass and was third in both the Kentucky Derby and Travers Stakes.
McKulick to try QE II
As was the case with Zandon, Brown has called an audible as it relates to the 3-year-old turf filly McKulick.
Instead of putting her away for the remainder of the year, Brown will point McKulick to the Garde 1, $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 15.
McKulick has had a busy summer this year, winning both the Belmont Oaks and Jockey Club Oaks in addition to running second in the Saratoga Oaks. She was the lone filly to run in all three legs of the New York Racing Association’s Triple Turf series for 3-year-old fillies.
“She’s got some constitution about her, this filly,” Brown said. “She bounced out of [the Jockey Club Oaks] good so we’ll go to the well one more time in the QE II and then give her a break.”
On Friday, McKulick worked a half-mile in 50.72 seconds over the Belmont Park turf course in company with Public Sector, who is being considered for the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker at Aqueduct on Oct. 9.
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