UK Invader Sloane Avenue to Test Dirt in Donn

Great Britain-based trainer Jeremy Noseda confirmed that he plans to ship Susan Roy's stakes winner Sloane Avenue to South Florida for the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 7 at Gulfstream Park.



Noseda admitted from Newmarket the morning of Jan. 23 that sending Sloane Avenue for his first race on dirt is "a gamble....an unusual thing to do.



"But we're going to do something a little braver (than usual)," he quickly added.



A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride   out of the A.P. Indy mare Apt, Sloane Avenue has won three of five starts, including the EBF Stallions Hyde Stakes Nov. 19 at Kempton. The victory closed out a 3-year-old year that included an eighth-place finish on a soft turf course Oct. 4 at Belmont Park in the Hill Prince (gr. IIIT).



"We talked about going to Dubai, but we started thinking about the big picture," Noseda said. "The Donn has a lot of history and tradition. Certainly, prize money is important, but history is also important. We think the Donn is more prestigious from the owner's view and it's a big plus for the horse. We discussed it. Do we want to win the Donn or the first leg of the Maktoum Challenge in Dubai?



"It's a big gamble, and the owner deserves a lot of credit."



Noseda, who saddled Roy's 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Wilko  , purchased Sloane Avenue privately as a juvenile.



"He was a May foal, a little immature, so he did not make the races until three," Noseda said. "Right from the start we thought he was a stakes-quality horse."



After winning two of his first three starts on all-weather courses, Sloane Avenue was shipped to Belmont for the Hill Prince. "But it rained an inch-and-a-half and he hated it," Noseda said. "I shouldn't have run. But he came back here and won a stakes and he's doing great."



Noseda isn't concerned by Sloane Avenue's lack of experience on a dirt track.



"He's never run on the dirt but he's bred to do it," he said. "I'm sure he's a stakes-quality horse and will appreciate it. My experience is that if they're bred for the dirt they will run on the dirt."



Sloane Avenue is scheduled to reach Gulfstream the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 1, while Noseda will arrive the week of the race.



"We're excited," he added. "Yes, it's a little unusual. But we have a horse who's in great form who travels well."