Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's Lea (First Samurai), cross-entered in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile, will go postward in the Dirt Mile, trainer Bill Mott confirmed Monday.
“He's a Grade I winner on the dirt and he has a track record on the dirt,” Mott said after the GI Donn H. winner had worked four furlongs over the main track at Keeneland Monday in a bullet :47.40. “It's looks to me like the turf is going to be extremely soft. It was soft today. I think if we get another couple of inches of rain, it is going to be soft on Saturday. I don't have a crystal ball, but that is the best reading, my best 'guestimate.' I think he is a little compromised on a soft turf. He loves the turf; he gets over 'good' ground, but if it turns up soft, it takes away our best chances.”
Mott will be represented in the Mile by Tourist (Tiznow), who breezed four furlongs on the grass Monday in :51.20. He also sent out GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf hopeful Harmonize (Scat Daddy) for a four-furlong drill on the dirt in :48.80.
“They went very nicely,” Mott said. “We were pleased with all of our breezers this morning. Nothing went the wrong way.”
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