The Pizza Man Works for Shadwell Mile
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Midwest Thoroughbreds' Arlington Million (gr. IT) winner The Pizza Man breezed five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 on the Churchill Downs dirt Sept. 19 for trainer Roger Bruggemann, who is pointing the Illinois-bred son of English Channel to the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) Oct 3 at Keeneland.
"I thought he worked well," Bruggemann said. "He and (champion sprinter) Work All Week are both great horses. You just have to stay out of their way."
The Pizza Man has won all three of his starts this year, including the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill, the Stars and Stripes (gr. IIIT) at Arlington International Racecourse, and the Arlington Million. He became the first Illinois-bred winner in the race's 33-year history.
Bruggemann is unsure as to which Breeders' Cup race The Pizza Man would target if he wins his next start. He qualified for an automatic starting spot in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) by winning the Million, but could earn the same for the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) if he were to take the Shadwell.
"We'll just have to see how he runs in the (Shadwell) Mile," the trainer said. "We could have a couple of options. It's kind of a stretch but anything can happen."
The Pizza Man was recently invited to race in the $5.4 million Japan Cup (Jpn-I) Nov. 29, which Bruggemann has on the agenda if the 6-year-old gelding continues to put up big performances.
"We'll see how he comes out of the other two races," he said.