Mixto, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar last August, has been invited to the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on April 5, trainer Doug O’Neill said on Friday.
Mixto has started once this year, finishing fourth of 11 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25. Mixto was beaten 8 1/4 lengths by runaway winner White Abarrio, and was two lengths behind second-place finisher Locked.
Last Saturday, Locked returned to record an easy win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita.
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Mixto was held out of the Big Cap with the hope of receiving an invitation to the Dubai World Cup at 1 1/4 miles, which is run at Meydan Racecourse.
Owned by Calumet Farm, the 5-year-old Mixto will be a longshot in the Dubai World Cup. The leading contender is Forever Young, who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last November and the winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 22.
Mixto was 11th of 14 in the BC Classic, but the ever-optimistic O’Neill wants to give Mixto a chance in the Dubai World Cup.
“If he runs back to his Pacific Classic, or his Pegasus fourth, from those two efforts, they give him a fighting chance,” O’Neill said. “On his best day, he can step a mile and a quarter with some good ones.”
O’Neill plans to send Raging Torrent to Dubai for the Group 2 Godolphin Mile, a $1 million race. Raging Torrent has not raced since a win in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
“He continues to do well,” O’Neill said.
Additional race day added to schedule
Santa Anita has added a racing program on Monday, March 17 to its schedule, creating a four-day racing week beginning on March 14.
The addition of the March 17 program gives the track a third make-up day for three days of racing lost on the second weekend of January because of the effects of the wildfires that struck Los Angeles county.
Santa Anita added racing days on Jan. 16 and Jan. 23.
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