NEWS
VIDEO - Bullsbay moving forward to Dirt Mile
Posted: Monday, November 02, 2009 3:02 PM
Note: The above video shows trainer Graham Motion showing a piece of metal that Bullsbay stepped on during an October workout at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.
by
Jeff Lowe
Trainer Graham Motion confirmed on Monday that Whitney Handicap (G1) winner Bullsbay would target the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) rather than the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
The five-year-old Tiznow horse was cross-entered with first preference in the Dirt Mile at the pre-entry stage. He breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Monday at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
The breeze was another step forward after Bullsbay missed some time in October after stepping on a sharp object at Fair Hill Training Center. Monday’s workout was his third since he returned to training.
“He missed a week, maybe ten days of training, of not doing anything,” said Motion, who held on to the metal-like object to show to the horse’s owners this week. “He had a couple weeks of not doing much, very light training.”
The decision to go for the Dirt Mile was more about the Santa Anita surface than Bullsbay’s fitness level. He won the Whitney Handicap (G1) on August 8 on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course after finishing tenth in the Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1) on the synthetic Cushion Track. He does have two wins and three second-place finishes in nine starts on synthetic tracks.
“It’s more about being conservative,” Motion said. “I feel like he’ll run on the synthetic. Is he as good on the synthetic as he is on the dirt, that’s the big question mark. If the Classic was on the dirt, I think absolutely we’d be running. He’s never won a graded stakes going a mile and a quarter. He’s never won a graded stakes on the synthetic, so it would be a very bold move to put up $100,000 to run in the Classic when there’s so much uncertainty. We know he’ll handle a mile.”
Motion also pre-entered Presque Isle Mile Stakes winner Cherokee Artist in the Dirt Mile, but he was deep on the list of horses who were not selected for the main body of the field. Nine horses were cross-entered in the Dirt Mile with first preference in other races, so he may make it in when final entries are drawn on Tuesday.
“He’s very much on the bubble,” Motion said. “I’m going to wait to see what happens tomorrow, and if he does, I’ll probably breeze him on Wednesday. He’s the total antithesis to Bullsbay. I know he loves the surface. This is kind of his surface. He’s won twice on the track. I think he stacks up fairly well. I’d love to give him a shot.”
For complete coverage of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, click here.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
