"Now that he has learned to relax and kick at the end, he can run any distance from a mile to two miles," said trainer Robin Graham. "He's had some traffic problems in his other races this year, but not today. Eibar (Coa) rode him perfectly. We would have to supplement him to the Breeders' Cup and that is an awful of money. There are a lot of grass races around."
The $1.5 million NetJet Breeders' Cup Mile may be a destination for some others here, but Mr O'Brien more than proved his class this year. With but two exceptions, he had methodically had to fight his way in and among horses and would come up lacking in previous starts. Not so today. Here, he saved ground early as the fractions fell in :23 2/5; :46; and 1:09 1/5, with Christine's Outlaw and favored Stroll battling on the lead. Mr O'Brien was swung wide for his run home and had more than enough to get the job done. Completing the order of finish were Willard Straight, Proud Man and Christine's Outlaw.
"I watched this horse's last five races," Coa said. "He seems like he always has enough to win, but he is always in trouble. My main thing was to keep him out of trouble, even if he got beat, I didn't want that guilt on me. I always had him in position to win. He gave me enough to win the races." He returned $11.80 to for his eighth win in 21 starts.
Millennium Dragon pushed his winless streak to seven, but still did not disappoint trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. "He's a little unlucky, but I would like to have a barnful like him," McLaughlin said. "He'll get there. The winner was just very good. We were happy to be second." Gulch Approval was third, and favored Stroll nosed out King of Happiness for fourth.
"He was keen, but he as a tendency to be that way," said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott of Stroll. "That's his nature, I guess. He had a lot of daylight in front of him. We'll have to talk about (the Breeders' Cup Mile"
