Then there's a pair of horses untried at this level in Americanrevolution and Olympiad. Americanrevolution just won the Empire Classic Stakes by 11 ¾ lengths, while Olympiad won an allowance race in mid-October. Plainsman won the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at the beginning of October before a disappointing third place effort as the favorite in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at the end of the month. Following Sea won the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes the second week of October then finished third of nine in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint and may find these opponents a bit easier. Pipeline rounds out the field as a colt who earned his first career win in September before a third place finish in the Perryville Stakes in October. 

Top three win contenders:
Olympiad is the most lightly raced horse in the field, having run just four races to date. Two were in 2020 as a 2-year-old where he finished third before winning by nearly three lengths last summer at Saratoga. For whatever reason Olympiad was given a year off by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, and similar to his career debut 13 months earlier the colt was a bit short of 100% as he finished second this September. His next race and his most recent on October 14 was telling, as Olympiad controlled the pace in front from start to finish but even more notably held off a dogged rival throughout the stretch to win.

Improving to a career best 106 Equibase Speed Figure from 103 one month earlier, Olympiad appears to be on a pattern to take a big step forward. Jockey Joel Rosario, who rode Following Sea to victory in the Vosburgh Stakes in October as well as rode Plainsman to win the Ack Ack Stakes that same month, has never ridden Olympiad but gets aboard for the first time. This is significant in my opinion because Rosario, whose 2021 earnings stand at $32.9 million, is on a path to break the all-time yearly record for a jockey which stands at $34.1 million. As such, every mount through the end of the year takes on added significance and so Rosario's choice of riding Olympiad in a race where the winner's share of the purse is $450,000 is yet another reason I think this colt can post the upset and win the Cigar Mile Handicap.

Ginobili enters the Cigar Mile out of the toughest last race of any in the field where he was not disgraced when second of eight in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile behind Life Is Good. In that race, Life Is Good was sent to the front on fractions that would be impossible for most horses to maintain but won by almost six lengths. Ginobili raced in fifth and fourth in the early stages before showing a burst of speed to get to second, and was even lapped on the winner before Life is Good drew off in the stretch. That effort earned a 111 Equibase figure which was rock solid. Previous to that, Ginobili earned a 110 figure effort winning the Pat O'Brien Stakes in August and shows this horse has what it takes physically and mentally to win this race.

Following Sea is another coming out of a big race, the Breeders' Cup Sprint, where he finished third of nine. Although passed in the stretch by winner Aloha West, Following Sea had some traffic issues in the race as he was on the rail on the far turn and early in the stretch but lost his path. Jockey John Velazquez, who rides again in the Cigar Mile, had to angle the horse off the rail to find a path and although the momentum Following Sea had lost earlier could not be totally regained, he did surge late to get third and earn a 107 Equibase figure. One race earlier in the Vosburgh Stakes, Following Sea earned a career-best 117 figure which is one of the best in the field. One slight question is whether he will like this one-mile trip he is running for the first time as much as those two six furlongs sprints. Other than that, Following Sea appears to have what it takes to contend for top honors in the Cigar Mile. 

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Americanrevolution (117), Code of Honor (120), Independence Hall (109), Pipeline (104) and Plainsman (107). 

Win Contenders, in preference order:
Olympiad
Ginobili
Following Sea

Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets– Grade 1
Race 10 at Aqueduct
Saturday, December 4 – Post Time 4:13 PM E.T.
One Mile
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $750,000

Ellis Starr is national racing analyst for Equibase.

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Since its inception in 1988, a total of 11 sophomores have bested their elders in the prestigious race, which was run as the NYRA Mile prior to 1997. This year, two 3-year-olds will vie to add to that number, including the accomplished pair of Americanrevolution and Following Sea from the stable of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher – a four-time Cigar Mile winner.

“It's always a big race and it's the last Grade 1 in New York for the year,” said Pletcher who saddled previous Cigar Mile victors Left Bank [2001], Lion Tamer [2004], Purge [2005] and Stay Thirsty [2012]. “I'm not surprised that it's attracted a nice field.”

Owned by WinStar Farm and CHC Inc. and bred in New York by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, Americanrevolution makes his return to graded company after finishing third two starts back in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 25 at Parx, which was won by Hot Rod Charlie over Midnight Bourbon.

Americanrevolution, one of two sons of leading third-crop sire Constitution in the Cigar Mile, has garnered three stakes victories against his Empire State-bred counterparts by a combined 24 lengths.

After a 7 ¼-length romp in the New York Derby on July 19 at Finger Lakes, he parlayed that impressive effort into the Albany on August 27 at Saratoga, which he won by five lengths. Following the next-out Pennsylvania Derby, Americanrevolution garnered a field-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure when besting older New York-bred company by 11 3/4-lengths in the nine-furlong Empire Classic on October 30 over a sloppy and sealed Belmont Park main track.

“He's been very consistent, and he's accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” Pletcher said. “He's made a lot of progress. It's another class test and he's dropping back in distance which is always a challenge, but he deserves a chance.”

Pletcher, who also conditioned Constitution, expressed pride in seeing another one of his barn's alumna go on to have a successful stud career.

“He's on his way to becoming one of the top stallions in the country. He gets a little of everything – sprinters, routers, dirt, turf, fillies, colts,” Pletcher said.

Luis Saez will retain the mount from post 3.

Spendthrift Farm homebred Following Sea was a troubled third in the last out Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint and seeks his second graded stakes triumph in Saturday's engagement. The son of second crop sire Runhappy was victorious in wire-to-wire fashion against multiple graded stakes winner Firenze Fire in the six-furlong Grade 2 Vosburgh on October 9 at Belmont.

Following Sea, who has never finished off the board in seven lifetime starts, was a distant third in his lone pair of starts past 6 ½ furlongs when completing the trifecta in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at nine furlongs and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial going seven furlongs.

He broke his maiden by 5 ¾ lengths at second asking in a six-furlong maiden special weight in April at Oaklawn Park ahead of an open-length score against winners in a first-level Belmont allowance two months later.

“He still has to prove himself going further,” Pletcher said. “He was impressive in the Vosburgh and his allowance race and in his maiden win sprinting. He's always given us the impression of a horse that will run further, and he's certainly built like one that would. I haven't had too many Runhappy [progeny], but with him being a sprint champion I think some people expected him to come out sooner than they really wanted to. I wouldn't be surprised that as they mature a little bit, they will continue to improve.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride Following Sea from post 1 as he and Pletcher seek their first collaborative Cigar Mile coup since joining forces 20 years ago with Left Bank.

While Americanrevolution and Following Sea are seeking breakthrough victories in the Cigar Mile, the one-turn mile will be a swan song for multiple graded stakes-winner Independence Hall who returns to Aqueduct for the first time since capturing the 2020 Jerome.

Trained by Pletcher's former assistant Michael McCarthy, Independence Hall arrives off a 7 ¼-length runaway victory at 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2 Fayette on October 30 over a sloppy and sealed Keeneland main track, where he registered a career-best 105 Beyer.

The son of Constitution garnered plenty of warranted attention in only his second career start, when capturing the Grade 3 Nashua in November 2019 at Aqueduct by 12 ¾ lengths for former trainer Mike Trombetta.

“His race in the Fayette was very good. He loved the slop,” McCarthy said. “Now he's going back to Aqueduct, the site of one of his most impressive victories, so we feel good about it. I'm excited about the turnback in distance for him.”

McCarthy said Independence Hall, who was fractious in the paddock prior to his Jerome victory, does not display such mannerisms around the barn.

“He's a very talented horse,” McCarthy said. “A complete gentleman around the barn so a little atypical the way he acts in the paddock compared to around the barn. He's very classy. I don't think there's a better looking horse on the grounds. He's very beautiful.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano seeks his third Cigar Mile win in six years aboard Independence Hall, who breaks from post 5.

Trainer Richard Baltas will ship Ginobili cross-country, attempting to give the son of Munnings a second graded stakes triumph.

Owned by Baltas in partnership with Nick Casato's Slum Dunk Racing, Jerry McClanahan and Michael Nentwig, Ginobili ended a nine race losing streak in July at Del Mar capturing a one mile allowance optional claimer by 9 ¾ lengths.

He followed with a score in the Grade 2 Pat O' Brien one month later at Del Mar, which offered a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, where Ginobili finished second to Life Is Good on November 6 at Del Mar.

“He ran two good races at Del Mar, and I wanted to give him a little time between then and the Breeders' Cup,” Baltas said of the spacing between starts. “We were already in the Breeders' Cup through 'Win and You're In'. He ran well against maybe the best horse in the country.”

Baltas added blinkers to Ginobili for his impressive victory three starts back, which has paid back dividends for the 4-year-old gelding.

“He was the type of horse where if he's not up in the race or had horses in front or beside him, he really didn't want to go,” Baltas said. “When he broke his maiden he was on the lead. In other races, when he was behind horses, he got disinterested. It's hard to say. So, I worked him blinkers and that's when he had that crazy race at Del Mar [on July 17] and he came back and won the Pat O'Brien.”

Drayden Van Dyke will ride from post 6.

As the lone millionaire in the race, William S. Farish's Code of Honor boasts a field-best $2,951,320 in lifetime earnings and seeks a third Grade 1 victory for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

During his sophomore campaign, the now 5-year-old son of Noble Mission, won the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga before being elevated to victory against older horses in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

This year, he captured the Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin in August at Monmouth Park. He enters from a last out second to Independence Hall in the Fayette.

Although scheduled to join the 2022 stallion roster at Farish's Lanes' End Farm in Midway, Kentucky, the Cigar Mile might not be a final career start for Code of Honor.

“He's doing very well,” said McGaughey. “He's obviously been very good to me over the years. He'll go to stud next year, but whether this will be his final start, we're not sure yet.”

Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 4.

Bill Mott will attempt a fourth victory in a race named after one of the greatest horses he has ever trained when the Hall of Famer saddles 3-year-old Olympiad.

Owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, Olympiad defeated older winners last out in a first-level allowance at Keeneland going seven furlongs. He broke his maiden in October 2020 against subsequent stakes winners Caddo River and Greatest Honour travelling the same distance at Belmont Park.

“We've always liked him,” Mott said. “We thought last year he was one of the best two colts we had. It's a big step up, no question.”

Joel Rosario will ride from post 7.

Completing the Cigar Mile lineup are Shortleaf Stable's Plainsman [post 2, Manny Franco], who captured the Grade 3 Ack Ack in October at Churchill Downs two starts back for trainer Brad Cox, and John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock's Pipeline [post 8, Jose Ortiz] who broke his maiden going seven furlongs at Saratoga two starts back and will attempt to give four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown his second Cigar Mile win.

The Cigar Mile honors Allen Paulson's all-time great, who from 1994-96 equaled 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation's modern-day North American record of 16 consecutive victories, a record which has since been broken twice. Cigar's unprecedented win streak included victories in the Breeder's Cup Classic, Donn Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup, Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Oaklawn Handicap, and Pimlico Special. Trained by Mott and ridden primarily by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, Cigar retired with nearly $10 million in lifetime earnings and resided at the Kentucky Horse Park upon his retirement until passing in 2014. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2002.

The Cigar Mile is slated as the finale on Saturday's 10-race program, which also features the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen, a 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying race, its female counterpart race, the Grade 2 $250,000 Demoiselle, which offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, and the Grade 3, $250,000 Go For Wand for fillies and mares going a one-turn mile. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

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Trained and co-owned by Richard Baltas with Slam Dunk Racing, Richard McClanahan, and Michael Nentwig, Ginobili is named for Manu Ginobili, a retired basketball player who starred for the San Antonio Spurs.

“It was an excellent work,” Baltas said on Friday evening. “He galloped out in 1:12 and 1 and out in 1:26 and did it in a gallop. I was really happy with the way he worked. He was more relaxed than usual.”

The 4-year-old Munnings bay, a $35,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated at second asking sprinting six furlongs in August 2019 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., ahead of a fourth-place finish in the G1 Del Mar Futurity.

That effort was followed by a difficult run of form with Ginobili hitting the board just once in his next four starts to conclude his sophomore season in October 2020.

Ginobili was given a lengthy layoff and returned in May to finish off-the-board in a turf sprint and fourth in a main-track sprint in June at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. But the addition of blinkers and a stretch out in distance in July saw Ginobili end a nine-race losing streak with a two-turn score in a one-mile optional claimer at Del Mar that garnered a career-best 104 Beyer.

Ginobili followed that effort by besting multiple graded stakes winner C Z Rocket in the seven-furlong G2 Pat O'Brien in August at Del Mar, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Ginobili performed admirably in the Dirt Mile, completing the exacta behind Life Is Good.

Baltas said that Ginobili, who was gelded in June 2020, benefitted from a number of changes.

“I turned him out and we did a minor surgery [ankle chip] on him and gave him some time and brought him back as much sounder horse as a 4-year-old,” Baltas said. “The blinkers were a big deal and the stretch out – it's been a combination of things. We're excited that he's done what he's done this year and we're hoping that will continue.”

Baltas said Ginobili was slated to ship to New York on Saturday.

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“I had a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “He broke out of there running, he relaxed for me. I wasn't worried about those other runners early in the race, because I knew he was so fast. When we got to the quarter pole, he re-broke for me. What a nice horse to ride.”

The Todd Pletcher-trained colt more than lived up to his 3-5 odds: The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief simply ran his rivals into the ground, grabbing the lead at the start and dominating the race throughout to clock a final time of 1:34.12 over Del Mar's fast main track. He defeated his closest rival, Ginobili (4-1), by 5 3/4 lengths, while Restrainedvengence (40-1) checked in third.

“We were hoping for that, expecting that based on the way that he's been training, but it's always great to see it actually happen,” said Pletcher. “He took it to them. Just too much horse.”

The win is Pletcher's second in the Dirt Mile, following a victory with Liam's Map in 2015, and the Hall of Fame conditioner's 12th Breeders' Cup victory overall. It was Ortiz's third Breeders' Cup win of 2021, and his 14th overall.

Previously trained by the embattled Bob Baffert, Life is Good was moved across the country to Pletcher's barn after an injury took him off the Kentucky Derby trail in March. He returned in late August to run second to Jackie's Warrior in the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga, then got back in the winner's circle with an easy romp in the G2 Kelso on Sept. 25.

Though the pair of Japanese-trained entrants, Pingxiang and Jasper Prince, were both expected to show early speed, Ortiz sent Life Is Good hard out of the starting gates and made the lead before the clubhouse turn. Under mild pressure from Eight Rings, Life Is Good set fractions of :21.88 and :44.94 with his ears pricked, making it look easy.

Eight Rings dropped back a bit around the far turn as Ginobili took up the challenge on his outside. Life Is Good maintained an advantage of just over a length as he ticked off six furlongs in 1:08.96, then simply out-ran his rivals down the stretch. Ginobili kept on well to maintain second, hitting the wire 5 3/4 lengths behind the winner, while Restrainedvengence closed from the rear of the field to finish three-quarters of a length back in third. Eight Rings held on to be fourth, while Silver State was fifth.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Life Is Good is out of the placed Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk. He was a $525,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale, and was sent to Baffert's barn in Southern California for the early part of his career. Life Is Good won impressively on debut in late November at Del Mar, then won the G3 Sham and the G2 San Felipe before his injury.

With a second and two more wins to his name since his transfer to Pletcher's care, Life Is Good has amassed a total of five wins from six starts with earnings of $1,059,200.

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Richard Baltas (Ginobili, second) – “We just ran into a better horse. We got a great trip and it looked around the turn that we were making a move and we're going to win it, but Life Is Good kicked clear. I mean, I'm pretty happy. I would be happier if we'd had won it, but Ginobili ran a great race.”

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke (Ginobili, second) – “With how fast they we were going, I thought it was going to set up perfectly for us. But the winner had another gear when we got to him but I am super happy with Ginobili. It was the kind of trip that we wanted and we got it. We were just second best today.”

Trainer Val Brinkerhoff (Restrainedvengence, third) – “He ran very good. We kind of got away bad. We thought we would be back, but not that far. I think if we had a little bit better start we might have gotten second. I don't think we would have beaten the winner. He ran a heck of a race.”

Jockey Edwin Maldonado (Restrainedvengence, third) – “My horse ran well and I'm happy we ran third. The winner was just too good.”

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Dr. Schivel – Dr. Schivel, the alias name of the villainous character Mr. Freeze from the iconic Batman series, was on the track in the early hours this morning, well before the break, galloping 1 1/4 miles under regular exercise rider Jorge Loza.  The sophomore colt has reeled off five successive victories, the past three for trainer Mark Glatt.  Glatt took over training of the horse as the result of an ownership change prior to his victory in the Del Mar Futurity.

“It's difficult to get a Grade 1 winner, then inform the owners we should stop on him.  But I felt it was in the horse's best interest to give him plenty of time to develop and to get over some minor things,” Glatt said.  “So far, that decision has seemed like the right one.”

Dr. Schivel, unbeaten in all three of his Del Mar starts, is the second choice in the morning line at 4-1 for the six-furlong dash.

FILLY & MARE SPRINT

Bella Sofia – Proving again the adage that horses can come from anywhere, Bella Sofia, a $20,000 purchase as a 2-year-old has won four of five career starts and is the 5-2 second choice behind champion Gamine in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.

As the daughter of Awesome Patriot, who stands for $2,500, she doesn't have the pedigree pizzazz of some of the competition she will face, but she has speed and has a resume that shows she knows how to win.

Rudy Rodriquez has developed Bella Sofia for the group of nine partners. She has given Rodriguez, a New York stalwart, his first graded stakes victories in four years. Her 4 ½-length victory in the Test at Saratoga in August brought Rodriquez to tears and his eyes were wet Tuesday morning at the mention of that important 7f race for 3-year-old fillies.

From the beginning, Bella Sofia has been a challenge for Rodriguez and his staff. Since all of her races have been at Belmont and Saratoga, he brought her to California two weeks before the race to give her time to acclimate to the new surroundings.

“She's a kind of quirky filly, not nervous,” Rodriguez said. “I think she just hears everything. Every little thing that she hears she just reacts very, very fast. Most of the time you've just got to be careful with her. We were jogging around, there was the sound of hitting something with a hammer and right away she started jumping all over the place. Nobody was behind her. You've just got to be alert and that's what we try to do.”

After she won the Gallant Bloom on Sept. 26, beating older horses in a graded stake, the owner opted to supplement her to the Breeders' Cup for $100,000.

“They said we're going,” Rodriguez said. “I'm just happy to be here. I know it's a lot of money, but more people have gotten into the group on the filly. They like the game.”

Bella Sofia, who is out of Love Contract by Consolidator, was sold in July 2020 at the OBS Horses of Racing Age sale. She was part of a package of seven horses that Rodriguez said cost about $500,000. So far, she is the star of the group – and his barn, too, Rodriquez said – with $542,600 in earnings.

On May 6 at Belmont at odds of 8-1, Bella Sofia broke her maiden at 6f by 11 ¼ lengths.

“She showed that she was more than just a horse,” Rodriquez said.

DIRT MILE

Ginobili – Ginobili will be the last horse to arrive for this weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships when the 4yo son of Munnings makes the short commute from the San Luis Rey Training Center this morning. The impressive winner of the “Win and You're In” Pat O'Brien Handicap has done all his training at the nearby facility for trainer Richard Baltas, who explained, “He's run two huge races off his conditioning there, so I don't want to change a thing.  Don't call it superstition, though, it's intelligence—and experience.”  He's passed all the tests so far, winning at one mile, followed by the O'Brien at seven furlongs, and is coming into this race fresh.  I've always thought a lot of this horse.”

Ginobili completed his final preparations last Saturday with a five-furlong drill timed in 1:00 4/5.

Life Is Good – With four wins and a narrow second in five lifetime starts, Life Is Good is one of the highest-profile horses in the 38th Breeders' Cup. He will have an opportunity to add to his already substantial reputation Saturday as the 4-5 favorite in the Dirt Mile, which has a field of eight horses. Only Gamine, at 3-5 in the Filly and Mare Sprint, has lower odds on the morning line.

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club purchased the Into Mischief colt for $525,000 as a yearling in 2019 and sent him to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in California. He emerged as a top Triple Crown prospect with wins in the Sham and the San Felipe at Santa Anita Park, but went to the sidelines on March 20 with an ankle chip in his left hind leg. The chip was removed by surgery.

In June, Life Is Good was transferred to the care of trainer Todd Pletcher in New York. He returned to the races at Saratoga where his unbeaten record ended at three at the Graveyard of Favorites when he was beaten a neck in the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens Memorial on Aug 28. Life is Good answered that loss with a dominating 5 ½-length victory at odds of 1-20 in the mile Kelso Handicap Sept. 25 at Belmont Park.

“He's a super-talented horse,” Pletcher said. “He's shown that all of these races and he always breezes very impressively. He appears to be very talented and fast. Hopefully he has the ability to continue to carry that speed over a route of ground.”

Even though Life Is Good easily dispatched the competition in the four-horse Kelso, Pletcher said he and the connections did not flirt with the possibility of sending him to the 1 ¼ miles $6 million Classic.

“We've pretty much been focused on the Dirt Mile,” Pletcher said. “We just felt like, considering that he missed a good portion of the middle part of the year, that we were giving up too much recency and seasoning to be ready to fire his best shot in the Classic. We have confidence that the horse will handle more distance in the future, but we just felt like for right now the Dirt Mile is the correct spot.”

Life Is Good shipped from New York on Sunday. Pletcher said Life Is Good and his other horses have settled in well at Del Mar. He galloped Tuesday morning and Pletcher said he got over the track well.

Monday afternoon, Life Is Good drew post five in the Dirt Mile, a spot that Pletcher said was fine for him.

“He's pretty much in the middle,” Pletcher said. “We'll just play it off the break.”

Pletcher has started five horses in the Dirt Mile and has a record of 1-1-1. His winner was Liam's Map in 20 15.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who won the 2019 Dirt Mile on Spun to Run, will ride.

JUVENILE FILLIES

Ain't Easy – Unbeaten stakes winner Ain't Easy, one of the early prerace favorites for Friday's $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will have surgery on her left ankle Wednesday after X-rays Monday showed a tiny chip.  Trainer Phil D'Amato termed the procedure “a simple one, with an expected quick recovery.”  Dr. Ryan Carpenter will perform the surgery.

The daughter of leading sire Into Mischief had some heat on her ankle following a gallop over the main track Monday.  “She had worked on Saturday and came out of it fine, then walked on Sunday and was doing well,” D'Amato said.  “It was a difficult call to make (to her owners), but we had to do the right thing for the horse.”

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It was three ticks faster than the next recorded time of :59.80 by two Baltas trainees, Barbwire and No Hang Charlie.

Ginobili, a four-year-old Munnings gelding, upset Dirt Mile candidate C Z Rocket in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien at Del Mar on Aug. 28, and has been firing bullets at San Luis Rey ever since.

Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., Baltas sent Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol four furlongs in :47.80 for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

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Idol is coming off a 16-length defeat by front-running Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 3, a race in which he had a wide trip, while Ginobili drew away last out to win the G2 Pat O'Brien by nearly two lengths on Aug. 28.

Baltas is staunchly on record as saying Idol was in need of the Awesome Again Stakes, his first start in seven months, and that the 4-year-old Curlin colt is ideally suited for a mile and a quarter, the distance of both the Big 'Cap and the BC Classic.

“Idol came out of the race really good,” said Baltas, a 60-year-old native of Gary, Indiana. “I think the pace (in the Awesome Again) was kind of slow but he looks good, he's been galloping at Santa Anita and I'll probably breeze him before we ship to Del Mar.

“Ginobili is going in the Dirt Mile. He breezed (six furlongs) in 1:11 and three at San Luis Rey yesterday like nothing. We're pretty happy with him.”

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Flagstaff, second choice in the wagering, finished third, with Eight Rings fourth in the field of nine sprinters going seven furlongs on dirt.

Ginobili, a 4-year-old gelding by Munnings out of Find the Humor, by Sharp Humor, completed the distance on a fast track in 1:22.36. He paid $12.80 for the win, his first in a stakes race in his 13th career start.

The win gave Ginobili an all fees paid spot in the starting gate for the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, as part of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge Series. This year's Breeders' Cup world championships will be held Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Jerry McClanahan, Michael Nentwig and trainer Ricard Baltas, Ginobili was a $35,000 purchase by Baltas at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by his breeder, Hinkle Farms.

Brickyard Ride delayed the start by running off as horses were loading, then once loaded grabbed the early advantage, setting fractions of :22.05 and :44.38 for the opening half mile. Ginobili was on Brickyard Ride's right flank, then put that one away  on the far turn. Eight Rings pursued from third, with Flagstaff in fourth and C Z Rocket – the 2020 O'Brien winner – in seventh position with three-eighths of a mile to go.

Ginobili opened up a 3 1/2-length lead at the furlong pole, the six furlongs clocked in 1:09.36, and he was never seriously threatened down the lane.

The win was Ginobili's third from 13 career starts. His connections said they would point the gelding to the Dirt Mile.

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