O'Neill Taking Aim at Second Champions Cup With Pavel

Fifteen years after winning one of Japan's major stakes, trainer Doug O'Neill is taking aim at a second victory in the Champions Cup (G1), this time sending Reddam Racing's grade 1 winner Pavel across the Pacific Ocean.

Winner of the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) in June, Pavel is scheduled to ship to Japan next week for the Dec. 2 Champions Cup at Chukyo Racecourse, provided all goes well in a weekend workout at Keeneland.

In his most recent start, Pavel finished 10th for the second year in a row in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

"He's traveled well, and we thought he came out of the Classic like he had never run. He had a lot of energy, and we took blood and it was great. He's due to breeze on Saturday, and if that goes well, he'll fly off to Japan with (assistant trainer Leandro Mora)," O'Neill said. "We thought it was a wonderful opportunity, even though we're not sure of who we will face. He's a grade 1 winner in the U.S., so if he travels well and adjusts well, he has a wonderful chance to become a grade 1 winner on multiple continents, which would be cool."

O'Neill won the Champions Cup with Fleetstreet Dancer in 2003, when the race was called the Japan Cup Dirt.

"It's a premier sport over there, and I wish it was like that here in the U.S.," the two-time Kentucky Derby (G1) winner said. "It's big time over there, and they are excellent horsemen. It's tough competition. The key part is how well your horse travels and acclimates and keeps its appetite up. The track has more sand than our U.S. tracks. There's definitely some adjustments that need to happen, and we're optimistic that they will."

By virtue of winning the Stephen Foster, Pavel is eligible for a bonus of $700,000 if he wins the Champions Cup, and he would receive an extra $280,000 for finishing second and $175,000 for a third-place finish in the nine-furlong dirt race.

The purse for the Champions Cup is an estimated $1,963,636, with a winner's share of $909,091. Depending on the currency conversion rate at the time, a victory could earn Pavel roughly $1.6 million.

Fleetstreet Dancer was the last American-based winner of the Champions Cup, and Japan Racing Association officials expressed delight in securing a U.S. representative for their premier dirt race.

"It is very important for us to have American horses in our major races. We are excited that Pavel is coming to Japan, and I am sure our fans will enjoy seeing him and wagering on him. Since Doug O'Neill won the Champions Cup in the past, that experience should be a great asset to Pavel," said Ryota Sensui, senior manager for the Japan Racing Association's office in Connecticut. "With the bonuses we are offering, it makes good financial sense for him to run Pavel in the Champions Cup."

According to JRA officials, the last American horse to run in the Champions Cup was Imperative, who finished 15th in 2014.

Aside from the Stephen Foster, any winners of the grade/group 1 Santa Anita Handicap, Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap, Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Whitney Stakes, Runhappy Travers Stakes, Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, TVG Pacific Classic, Jockey Club Gold Cup, or Breeders' Cup Classic would be eligible for bonuses if they ran in the Champions Cup.

The Champions Cup will mark Pavel's second overseas start since March. The 4-year-old son of Creative Cause  out of the Maria's Mon mare Mons Venus was fourth in the $10 million Dubai World Cup March 31.

In six 2018 starts, Pavel posted his lone win in the Stephen Foster and was a distant second behind Accelerate  in the Pacific Classic.

Bred by Brereton C. Jones and WinStar Farm in Kentucky, Pavel has three wins in 12 starts and $1,375,000 in earnings.

O'Neill said if all goes well in the Champions Cup, the next target for Pavel would be the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park.

"If he puts in a good, strong effort over there and comes out of it in good shape, the Pegasus is in our plans," O'Neill said. "It's something we talked about, but we have to get through this one first."