Paul Reddam will decide Handsome Mike’s Breeders’ Cup start
J. Paul Reddam’s 3-year-old colt, Handsome Mike surprised one and all when he posted a gate to wire victory in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at the odds of 19 to 1 on 22 September, at Parx Racing, and went on to defeat the likes of Macho Macho
in second and Golden Ticket in third over 1 1/8 miles.
Trainer Doug O’Neill, who also campaigned I’ll Have Another and won this year’s Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes before retiring the colt due to injury ahead of the Belmont Stakes, also conditions Handsome Mike, and he is eyeing, either Grade 1, $5
million Breeders’ Cup Classic or the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for the son of Scat Daddy.
The decision will be taken by owner J. Paul Reddam in the end.
"It's up to Mr. Reddam, of course, but in my opinion the distance (of the Classic) wouldn't hurt him at all," O'Neill said. "The Dirt Mile looks pretty tough, so I have a feeling it will be the Classic."
According to Doug O’Neill, Handsome Mike came out fine after his front running victory in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby, which was his second out of 10 starts, but his victory surprised O’Neill, as he went on to defeat the dead heat winners of the Grade
1 Travers Stakes, Golden Ticket and Alpha.
"He's always trained like a grade I winner but we were never able to get him over the hump before," he said.
Handsome Mike has worked once since coming out of the Pennsylvania Derby, and that work came on 15 October, when he drilled six furlongs in 1 minute and 13 2/5 handily.
On the other hand, O’Neill has another entry in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the recently privately acquired by Triple B Farms and partners, the third place finisher of Grade 1 Pacific Classic and Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes, Richard’s Kid.
"He's doing great; he's doing super," O'Neill said. “He's training really well. We intentionally have had all our Breeders' Cup horses training here at Santa Anita to get used to the heavier track, and I love the way he's training."
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