Zandon looking fit in a work before the Woodward. (Susie Raisher)
Chance to Shine in Breeders’ Cup Classic
Breeders’ Cup Notes
Trainer Chad Brown has long thought Zandon deserved to run with the best and prove himself among its elite and Saturday the 16-time Breeders’ Cup winner will try to take home his first Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) trophy with the Jeff Drown-owned charge. Having shipped from New York on Sunday, the nearly black 4-year-old colt had an easy jog of the Santa Anita Park dirt and appears to be in good flesh as he hopes to do two better than sire Upstart, who was third in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita.
“He looked fine today and just jogged,” Brown said. “All of our horses worked a couple days ago, so they just jogged, and all looked well.
“He’s coming into the race in the right way, and I love the way he finished his last race off. Obviously, if the pace scenario works out for him, I could see him getting the mile and a quarter. It was very important for him last time, I felt, to break through and finish up his race the right way and win one. He did it well.”
A three-time winner who never has finished worse than fourth from 13 starts, the earner of $2,140,000 exits a one-sided victory in the Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack over 1 1/8 miles—the same distance over which he achieved his sole top-level tally in the 2022 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Shipping across the country, he now must step back up to 10 furlongs for the first time since finishing third in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1).
“Obviously, he has to step up here against a much tougher group, but I love the way he did it in the Woodward and all of the relative speed figures say he we are within range with him,” Brown said. “I’m hoping we are just catching him at his absolute peak form right now and I feel like we should be.”
In the Woodward, he returned to the closing style that won him the Blue Grass and a highly respectable placing on the First Saturday in May. Placed five times in Grade 1 company, including seconds in this year’s Whitney and Met Mile, Zandon picks up a new rider who has no less than 14 World Championships victories of his own.
“Frankie Dettori will ride him and put him wherever he is comfortable,” Brown said. “I don’t want him to be too far away, but wherever he is comfortable is what’s most important. Frankie has not ridden him before, but he’s not only one of the best riders I’ve ever seen, but also an incredible judge of pace. He will figure out where he’s happiest travelling, while also getting him out in the clear where he can make his late run.
“We have always thought highly of him, and he’s run against the very best, so his form lines are very strong,” he concluded. “It’s very important and would be very rewarding to win with this horse.”
