Exaulted on his way to a victory in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) May 29 (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Stable Notes by Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.— It will be a low-key summer for Exaulted after earning an automatic bid for the Breeders’ Cup Mile with his victory here in Monday’s GI Shoemaker Mile.
Trainer Peter Eurton Thursday said Exaulted, who has won all four starts since being switched to turf as a 6-year-old, likely wouldn’t start again until the GII Del Mar Mile on Sept. 2.
“I don’t really want to travel since the Breeders’ Cup is right here in our backyard, and I don’t want to go farther in distance and make it a job for him,” Eurton said. “So there’s nothing that really fits him until the Del Mar Mile. We’ll have a nice fresh horse.”
Exaulted won the Shoemaker Mile by a half-length under Juan Hernandez after being forwardly placed throughout. In his previous start, the full horse by Twirling Candy won the GIII American at mile on turf here Feb. 5.
“It will probably be good to give him a little freshening. He’s been running consistently since last year,” Eurton said.
Exaulted is owned by C R K Stable. Prior to his current winning streak on turf, he made his first 11 starts on dirt with limited success. In three graded stakes tries on the main track, all sprinting, he was third in both the GII San Carlos and GII Triple Bend in 2021 and fourth in last year’s Triple Bend.
“He was always knocking on the door, which is why we kept him on dirt. But he’s obviously taken to the turf,” Eurton said.
Exaulted will try and become Eurton’s third Breeders’ Cup winner. Eurton’s two previous Breeders’ Cup wins, both at Santa Anita, were with longshots Storm the Court ($93.80) in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Champagne Room ($69.20) in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
This year’s Breeders’ Cup is scheduled for Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita. Tickets are available for purchase online at BreedersCup.com/tickets.
