Lunsford Looking Forward to Watching Art Collector

Bruce Lunsford's homebred 4-year-old colt Art Collector  galloped about a mile-and-a-quarter on the Del Mar main track Nov. 4 at just past 8:45 a.m. with Neil Poznansky aboard. The Bill Mott pupil will attempt to give the conditioner a third victory in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

"All's good," Mott said. "He galloped today and he's good. He was strong and full of himself."

Art Collector, by Bernardini  —Distorted Legacy, by Distorted Humor  , will be his owner's eighth Breeders' Cup starter. His closest finish was when favorite First Samurai   finished third after a troubled trip in the 2005 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Belmont Park.

"I've been in the business 33 years and don't own a horse farm," Lunsford said. "I am in it to race and enjoy the experience. I would say it would clearly be the biggest win of my career if he could win. I own the mare and siblings and I have a half brother, so that's great."

Distorted Legacy finished a close fourth in the 2011 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs.

"With his dam, we only got beat a head and neck for second and she ran a huge race. We bred to Bernardini at a not-too-exorbitant price and obviously it's worked out well," Lunsford said. 

"As far as the 10-furlong distance, I think Bill's pretty comfortable with him, since he's won three at nine furlongs and a lot of others haven't run or won at a mile-and-a-quarter yet," Lunsford continued. "It'll be an interesting race because of the pace."