The morning after his thrilling win in a three-way photo on the wire in the GI California Crown Stakes, Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify) was bright and alert and is on a path to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday.
“He's doing great. All is well.”
“We saw a lot of courage [Saturday],” Mandella said of the effort which not only earned his stable star an automatic berth in the Classic but also garnered a reported 102 Beyer figure, as according to Daily Racing Form's Brad Free. “He was in tight. We hadn't had him in that position before, so it was really nice to see him fight that hard.”
When asked his thoughts on the first-ever California Crown Day, Mandella said, “They put on a hell of a show. It might take a year or two to introduce, but I think it can be a success. I was sure impressed with the effort they made.”
In the George Papaprodromou camp, Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile), the 24-1 shocker in the GII John Henry Turf Championship, is likely for a crack at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf after snapping his 11-race skid with a frontrunning theft of the contest.
“I don't know yet,” Papaprodromou said of the Breeders' Cup. “I still need to talk to the owners, but most likely.”
Should he go, Cabo Spirit will attempt to do what last year's winner of the John Henry–Balladeer (Distorted Humor)–could not, as that one led the 2023 BC Turf until the final quarter mile before fading to ninth. Papaprodromou has never won a Breeders' Cup race.
While the parade of Breeders' Cup confirmations and 'likelys' roll in for other camps, trainer Mark Glatt is not so sure if his GII California Crown Eddie D Stakes winner First Peace (Funtastic) will be among them. A sharp winner Saturday, the Eddie D was his charge's third stakes win and his first at the graded level, but the distance of the Turf Sprint makes it unlikely that First Peace will take that path.
“He pulled up great,” Glatt reported from Clockers' Corner Sunday morning. “[In regards to going to the Breeders' Cup] I don't think so. I'm not sure that really fits him best, but we'll take a look at it.”
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