Next Likely To Be Pre-Entered In Both Classic And Turf

Marathon specialist Next (Not This Time) worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 Wednesday morning at Turfway Park and, as long as things stay on track, he will start in a Breeders' Cup race, reports trainer Doug Cowans.

It was Next's first work since his 10-length romp in the Sept. 21 Greenwood Cup at Parx.

“The update is that he breezed well this morning,” Cowans said. “We'll see how he comes out of the work and if all goes well he'll be nominated to both the [GI Longines Breeders' Cup] Turf and the [GI Longines Breeders' Cup] Classic and we'll go from there.”

Pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup must be made by Monday, Oct.21. Before shipping to Del Mar, Next will have his final drill Oct. 24.

What has yet to be decided is which Breeders' Cup race Next will target. Neither is a perfect fit as the Classic, run at a mile-and-quarter, may be too short for the horse. The Turf, which is run a mile-an-a-half, is a better fit distance-wise, but Next's form suggests he's better on dirt than grass.

“I'm not leaning either way at the moment,” Cowans said. “I want to see how both races look, how he would fit and how the race would play into his hands and try to pick the best of the two. As long as he goes back to track on Friday and does well, we'll pre-enter in both. I just want to make sure he's in good order before I nominate him.”

Willam D. Cowans | Bill Denver/Equi-Photo

Cowans had thought that Next would conclude his year in the GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, a mile-and-five-eighths race he won in 2022. Though not officially part of the Breeders' Cup, the race traveled to Santa Anita in 2023, but it was discontinued this year.

“Last year they had The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at a mile-and-five eighths, so there was no thought of anything else,” Cowans said. “If that race was there again we would take the easy road again. They're not having that race this year and I keep asking why and no one will tell me.”

Next started to turn into a star after Cowans claimed him for $62,500 in an Apr. 16, 2022 race at Keeneland going seven furlongs. Two starts later, he went in the mile-and-a-half Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park. The event was taken off-the-turf and Next scorched the field by 18 1/4 lengths. Since then, Cowans has run him exclusively in dirt races at a mile-and-a-half or longer. He has won nine of 10 since and his average margin has been almost 13 lengths.

The 6-year-old has run seven times on the turf, with three wins, including a victory in the War Chant Stakes at a mile on the grass at Churchill Downs.

“The horse is doing well and we are confident in our horse, so we're willing to give him a shot,” Cowans said. “Number one will be the competition, to see who shows up in each race. Secondly, we'll look at what the pace scenario might look like in both races and where he would fit best in that regard.”