By Alan Carasso
BENSALEM, PA — The winning margin wasn't close to the 25 lengths he finished in front of his outclassed rivals last September, but it was just another day at the office for America's premier dirt stayer Next (Not This Time), who took over when jockey Luan Machado gave him his cue entering the last of three turns and the 6-year-old lengthened clear in the final furlong to take the GIII Greenwood Cup Stakes by a comparatively 'measly' 10 lengths.
Hammered down to odds of 1-20, Next broke alertly from a wide gate and was content enough to sit second as Ridin With Biden (Constitution) set off at a decent clip over a deep and tiring strip, while 12-1 third choice Magic Michael (Dramedy) also raced close in tow. Held together into the final half-mile by Machado, Next was allowed to stride into the lead entering the final bend, opened up without being asked into the final furlong and, for the eighth time in 10 tries at marathon trips, proved a handy winner. His final quarter-mile over a surface that very few horses were finishing well over was a spectacular :24.58.
Claimed by his current connections for $62,5000 in April 2022, Next's renaissance occurred when the 2022 Cape Henlopen Stakes came off the turf and he romped by better than 18 lengths. Winner of three of his four outings in 2023, including the GII Brooklyn Stakes a couple of starts before winning by a furlong here, the gray gelding had won his three starts this season by an average of 14 1/4 lengths–the Isaac Murphy Marathon by 11 1/4 lengths May 1,a defense of the Brooklyn by 9 1/4 lengths July 5 and Saratoga's Birdstone Stakes by 22 1/4 lengths Aug. 4.
So what's next for Next? With a marathon option at the Breeders' Cup having been canceled, trainer Billy Cowans and owner Michael Foster are faced with something of a good problem to have. Knowing they have a horse with supreme stamina, a race like the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over 10 furlongs has limited appeal, outside, perhaps, its $7-million purse.
But it isn't the money that Cowans and Foster are focused on, but rather given their horse his best chance. And that comes in the 12-furlong GI Breeders' Cup Turf, a surface over which Next was a stakes winner during the early portion of his career.
“For me, my gut tells me to stay with the distance and give up the surface,” Cowans said. “I know you have to face the Europeans who have a good turn of foot. But going the mile and a quarter on dirt, I worry about the pace scenario the horse might get into. He was kind of tugging today a little bit at the bridle and if you put a :23 and :46 up there, he'll get to tugging pretty good.
“The thing for us is to have fun with him, the money doesn't matter,” Cowans said. “We found something the horse likes to do and we'd like to keep doing it with him.”
Cowans said a decision on Next's Breeders' Cup status would not come until he breezes back in 15 to 17 days' time.
Pedigree Notes:
Next is one of 16 graded winners for the outstanding Not This Time, whose son Cogburn figures to be one of the favorites for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 2. Next is bred on the same cross over Awesome Again-line mares that has been responsible for two of his six Grade I winners, namely Up to the Mark and 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor. Next is the last of three foals, all winners, for his dam.
NEXT wins for fun at 1/9 to make it back-to-back Greenwood Cup Stakes (GIII) at #parxracing victories for trainer Doug Cowans.
Next was piloted by his regular rider @luanmachado85. 🇧🇷#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/MuynjYT4ql
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 21, 2024
Saturday, Parx
GREENWOOD CUP S.-GIII, $200,000, Parx Racing, 9-21, 3yo/up, 1 1/2m, 2:33.61, ft.
1–NEXT, 126, g, 6, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Bahia Beach (MSP, $141,104),
by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Pop Princess, by Alphabet Soup
3rd Dam: Relaxing Rhythm, by Easy Goer
O-Michael A. Foster; B-Silverton Hill, LLC (KY); T-William D.
Cowans; J-Luan Machado. $108,000. Lifetime Record:
23-13-0-1, $1,336,361. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Magic Michael, 120, g, 7, Dramedy–Bear All, by Kitalpha.
($5,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT). O-Morris E. Kernan Jr., Yo Berbs
Racing and Jagger Inc.; B-Aschinger Bloodstock Holdings, LLC
(KY); T-Jamie Ness. $36,000.
3–Treble Clef, 120, c, 4, Arrogate–Uno Duo, by Macho Uno.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($55,000 3yo '23
FTDDE). O-Pewter Stable, Anthony Coppla, and SKJ Stables
Inc.; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Kathleen A. Demasi.
$18,000.
Margins: 10, 5, 8. Odds: 0.05, 12.20, 56.70.
Also Ran: Dai Vernon, Modern Era, Truculent, Beach Daze, Ridin With Biden, Suigu Star. Scratched: My Imagination.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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