Turf or Dirt? That is the question for Dullahan ahead of the Breeders’ Cup
Had Game on Dude went on to win the TVG Pacific Classic, the complications and the questions that fans, racegoers, and for sure Dullahan’s connections have in their mind wouldn’t make the news as frequently as they are now after the strapping son of Even the Score edged past Chantal Sutherland and her ride to down the $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 ¼ miles at Del Mar on 26 August, 2012, by a length.
The dilemma that looms could be just to make things dodgy for Dale Romans to pick a wrong race for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park for Dullahan, or the 3-year-old colt’s inability to down one on dirt is really a thing to be concerned about.
See, the Pacific Classic was not actually run entirely on a dirt surface, but a combination of polypropylene fibre, recycled rubber, silica sand, and wax blend. But, the Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita will be held on pure dirt surfaces.
The article doesn’t take anything away from Dullahan or his victory in the Pacific Classic, but the Donegal Racing owned is 0 for 6 on dirt with a single strong performance in this year’s Kentucky Derby where he ended up third behind Bodemeister(second) and I’ll Have Another(first).
Dullahan is a synthetic horse, and there is no question about it, and his track record tells the story, but then again winning connections of the Pacific Classic will definitely be tempted to run their ace in the Breeders’ Cup Classic – which again is a ‘pure dirt race.’
Out of Smart Strike mare, Mining My Own, Dullahan will have his entry fee paid by Breeders’ Cup which sum up to be around $150,000, and also provide the $10,000 travelling allowance fee to Santa Anita.
Attractive perks for an attractive prospect that is going to the Breeders’ Cup, but if he wants to make his mark at Santa Anita this fall, Dullahan will have to run in a turf race, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf should be the colt’s destination.
Decision time is upon Romans and the man behind Donegal Racing, Jerry Crawford. It is not implied that Dullahan is a turf horse, perhaps he is but it is yet to be determined, but synthetic horses relish turf races, and he has been more successful on turf after poly tracks.
There is a strong belief among people that Dullahan should go to the Breeders’ Cup Turf than the Classic, and the reason is all but a simple fact that he does well on anything but dirt.
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