As the drama of the 2024 Breeders' Cup plays out, one thing will be certain going in: No one will have more supporters than Seize the Grey in the Dirt Mile (G1). Owned by about 2,500 partners as part of MyRacehorse, Seize the Grey figures to be uber-popular.
After his scintillating victory in the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby (G1), Seize the Grey could have headed to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). But the MyRacehorse management team and trainer D. Wayne Lukas decided the Dirt Mile would be the better spot for the 3-year-old Preakness (G1) and Pat Day Mile (G2) stakes winner to take on his elders for the first time. The gray or roan son of Arrogate drew post 6 and is 10-1 in the morning line, the fifth choice behind 7-2 favorite Domestic Product .
"It was actually a pretty tough decision—we went back and forth a lot," said Michael Behrens, founder and CEO of MyRacehorse. "There was a lot of confidence that he would do well in either race. He came out of the Pennsylvania Derby so good. We just kind of felt that we were in a position of strength. In the Pat Day Mile, we thought he ran an incredible race."
Gainesway, which has purchased the breeding rights to Seize the Grey, a son of Arrogate, also participated in the decision, Behrens said.
OFFICIAL: Post Positions for the $1 Million @bigassfans #BreedersCup Dirt Mile at @delmarracing. #BC24 @roodandriddle
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 29, 2024
ℹ️: https://t.co/83EDQKMaHf pic.twitter.com/O7RsqGGe2O
Either race would be challenging. The Dirt Mile attracted a full field of 14 and five also-eligibles at pre-entry time. The race originally was slated to showcase the past two Preakness winners, but 2023 Preakness winner National Treasure didn't make it to entries. Daily Racing Form reported Oct. 25 that a foot issue would keep him out.
Breeders' Cup also noted that also-eligible Fort Bragg had been withdrawn from consideration. Bob Baffert trains National Treasure and Fort Bragg, and those withdrawals left the Hall of Famer with one entrant. But he's a talented one: Muth .
Second in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Muth, a son of Good Magic , had a three-stakes winning streak going prior to the California Crown Stakes (G1), in which he finished sixth. He'd won the San Vicente Stakes (G2), Arkansas Derby (G1), and Shared Belief Stakes, the latter Del Mar race over the same surface and distance as the Dirt Mile.
The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Skippylongstocking finished third in last year's Dirt Mile to Cody's Wish and National Treasure. This year the 5-year-old son of Exaggerator has won the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2), and Challenger Stakes (G3).
Three Technique, trained by Jason Cook, earned a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" berth to the Dirt Mile via the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. The 7-year-old is the most experienced in the field, with 39 starts, including two other stakes wins.
Four horses coming off stakes victories are Domestic Product, who won back-to-back New York stakes in this year's Dwyer (G3) and H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) for trainer Chad Brown. Mufasa won the Vosburgh Stakes (G3). Post Time demolished his competition by 11 1/2 lengths in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel Park. Saudi Crown won the R.A. "Cowboy" Jones Stakes at Ellis Park.
Del Mar, Saturday, November 2, 2024, Race 12Entries: Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Saudi Crown (KY) Florent Geroux 126 Brad H. Cox 5/1 2 2T O Saint Denis (JPN) Ryusei Sakai 126 Daisuke Takayanagi 30/1 3 3Full Serrano (ARG) Joel Rosario 126 John W. Sadler 15/1 4 4Katonah (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 126 Doug F. O'Neill 30/1 5 5Three Technique (KY) Rafael Bejarano 126 Jason G. Cook 30/1 6 6Seize the Grey (KY) Jaime A. Torres 123 D. Wayne Lukas 10/1 7 7Tumbarumba (LA) Luis Saez 126 Brian A. Lynch 30/1 8 8Post Time (MD) Sheldon Russell 126 Brittany T. Russell 12/1 9 9Domestic Product (KY) Flavien Prat 123 Chad C. Brown 7/2 10 10Muth (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 123 Bob Baffert 9/2 11 11Cagliostro (FL) Jose L. Ortiz 126 Cherie DeVaux 30/1 12 12Mufasa (CHI) Tyler Gaffalione 126 Ignacio Correas IV 12/1 13 13Pipeline (KY) John R. Velazquez 126 Cherie DeVaux 30/1 14 14Skippylongstocking (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 4/1
