Max Player to Train Up to Breeders' Cup Classic

After garnering his first grade 1 conquest in the Sept. 4 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course, George Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player  will train up to the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. 

Asmussen said Max Player, also a winner of the July 3 Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, has shown considerable physical improvement from his sophomore season, in which he finished third in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard for both the Suburban and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

"Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this. His next race will be the Breeders' Cup Classic," Asmussen said. "There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out, and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger."

The last time Del Mar hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2017, Asmussen won the Classic with subsequent Horse of the Year Gun Runner  . In preparation for this year's Breeders' Cup, Asmussen said he plans on shipping Max Player to California early to prepare for his next engagement. 

"We just want to acclimate them to West Coast time," Asmussen said. "For previous Breeders' Cups in California, we like to get out there and be on Pacific coast time and I think we've gotten solid runs doing that, so we're planning on doing the same this time. Last time the Breeders' Cup was at Del Mar, we had Gun Runner. He went out and trained at Santa Anita before going to Del Mar." 

Hall said he was equally delighted to see Max Player secure a grade 1 victory. 

"You have to give all the credit to Steve and Ricardo," Hall said at the Asmussen barn Sunday morning. "I think having Ricardo on him consistently now; he knows the horse and Steve knows what instructions to give him. He just has to stay with the pace. He can't get so far behind and have too much ground to make up."

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver , trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, settled for second while trying to defend his title in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

"There wasn't a lot of pace and he was sort of bottled up. He was wanting to advance but didn't really get the opportunity until it was too late. The winner was very good and he got the jump on him," Pletcher said. "I was happy with his performance and he closed well, which is probably a little better suited to a race where there's more pace and everybody spreads out a little more. He got a good trip but it was behind the wrong pace scenario. He came back in good shape."

Pletcher said Happy Saver will now train up to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro  set the pace in the Jockey Club Gold Cup before fading to third. 

"He ran a good race. No excuse," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said.

Mott added the Oct. 2 Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park is a possible target.

"He hasn't had many races, so I wouldn't be opposed to running him," Mott said.

Hollywood Derby Possible for Public Sector

Trainer Chad Brown expressed a strong sense of satisfaction with Klaravich Stables' Public Sector , who secured a second graded stakes victory this meet when capturing Saturday's Saranac (G3T) following his Aug. 6 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) victory Aug. 6.

"He came out of it in good shape. He continues to develop," Brown said Sunday. "To win two stakes at the meet for a 3-year-old is impressive. I'm very pleased with how far this horse has come along this year." 

With the Saranac in the rearview mirror, Brown said he will now likely point Public Sector toward the Nov. 27 Hollywood Derby (G1T) at Del Mar. 

Brown also has the Hollywood Derby in mind for Peter Brant's Sifting Sands , who won the Aug. 29 Better Talk Now Stakes at Saratoga. 

"I think it's a race that will fit him later in the year," Brown said. "I plan on running him (and Public Sector) one time beforehand. He's a well-bred and well-meant horse and if he can target that, it's an important race that could make him a stallion at some point."

Annapolis Likely for Pilgrim

Bass Racing's 2-year-old homebred Annapolis  is likely to point to the Oct. 3 Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park after winning his debut by 4 1/2 lengths Saturday on Saratoga's turf, trainer Pletcher said. 

"I was very pleased with him. He trained well into it and delivered the type of performance we were hoping for," Pletcher said. "The race was slow to develop and the early fractions weren't really fast, but I liked the way he picked it up around the turn. He finished strongly and galloped out well."

The War Front   colt is out of My Miss Sophia , who won the 2014 Gazelle Stakes (G2) en route to a runner-up effort in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). My Miss Sophia took to turf in her 4-year-old season, winning an allowance optional claiming event on the Belmont grass ahead of series of graded attempts that included third-place finishes in the Ketel One Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga and the First Lady Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.

Pletcher said Annapolis could try dirt later in his development.

"At this stage, he's shown us he's a little better on the turf, but he's a big, strong colt," Pletcher said. "Obviously the mare was second in the Kentucky Oaks, but sometimes these type of horses, as they mature, they get better on the dirt, but for now we'll stay focused on the turf."