OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The connections of the two Grade 1 juvenile stakes winners at Aqueduct on Saturday are in no hurry to decide if they will send their charges West for the Breeders’ Cup to be run in less than four weeks at Del Mar.
Napoleon Solo, the 6 1/4-length winner of the Grade 1 Champagne for 2-year-old males, and Iron Orchard, the nose victor of the Grade 1 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies, will both be considered for, but are from certain to move on to, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies, respectively.
Chad Summers, trainer of Napoleon Solo, said his horse seemed to come out of the race well and said he’ll decide on the Breeders’ Cup, waiting for the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 6, or simply giving the horse a break to prepare for his 3-year-old season.
“It’s exciting, but at the end of the day you have next year in mind,” said Summers, who trains Napoleon Solo for owner Al Gold. “If you’re not 100 percent sitting on that same race again it’s tough, it’s really tough. They’re going to be waiting for you and all logical pundits will say you’re supposed to bounce off a race like that. You’re coming back in 27 days, I get it, but at the same time he’s a pretty big, strong powerful horse. If you saw him in the paddock he looked the strongest of the group. If there’s a horse that I think could do it, it would be him.”
Napoleon Solo, a son of Liam’s Map, ran very fast early fractions - 44.24 seconds for the half-mile and 1:07.88 for six furlongs - before completing the mile in 1:34.57. He earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
Summers said that Napoleon Solo would walk for four days before resuming training on Thursday. Summers said he is also considering a start in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff for the 3-year-old filly Dry Powder after she finished second to Clicquot in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing on Sept. 20.
“With the filly I’m looking for any reason to run and with the colt I’m looking for any reason not to run,” Summers said. “It’s a weird situation to be in. I want to be smart.”
Meanwhile, trainer Danny Gargan sounded as if he was leaning against a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for Frizette winner Iron Orchard, who after twice beating New York-breds on the lead, came from off the pace to win the Frizette by a nose over longshot Rileytole.
“She’s fine today, she ran hard, you’re coming back fast with a filly that’s already done a lot this year and you got to stretch out and go two turns and you got to ship,” Gargan said. “But she did show a new dimension yesterday coming from off of it. She’s very hard on herself, that’s why I’ve spread her races out like I have.”
Iron Orchard is a daughter of Authentic owned by CSLR Racing Partners and Randy Hill, who will naturally have a say in the decision whether to go to the Breeders’ Cup or not.
Iron Orchard earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure for the Frizette.
Gargan said if he didn’t run Iron Orchard in the Breeders’ Cup, he most likely would freshen her up for a 3-year-old campaign.
Gargan trained Champagne runner-up Talkin. That horse who came from well back to get second will be pointed to the Grade 2 Remsen on Dec. 6.
“I’m pleased to death that the filly won and I’m very happy that my colt ran good enough, I think he’s got a big future, he just needs distance,” said Gargan, who said the Remsen at 1 1/8 miles “is where I plan on running.”
Rated by Merit possible for Cigar Mile
The 3-year-old Rated by Merit, who earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Discovery Stakes, will be considered for the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile on Dec. 6, trainer Chad Brown said Saturday.
Rated by Merit won for the first time off an 11-month layoff in the Discovery to remain unbeaten from five starts. In his first start for Brown, Rated by Merit led every step of the way while running a mile in 1:33.75. The New York Racing Association has moved to the Dwyer Stakes for 3-year-olds to Nov. 8, but Brown said the Cigar Mile is more attractive because it would give the horse more time to get over the race.
Brown also said that Asbury Park, winner of Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby, and Salamis, winner of the Gio Ponti Stakes on Sept. 28, would both be considered for the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 29.
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