Bravazo ticketed for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after Thursday work

Breeders’ Cup action began at 5:30 a.m. Thursday at Churchill Downs as Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ gritty 3-year-old colt Bravazo worked five furlongs in :59.80, his final major steppingstone prior to competing in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

“This horse has done nothing but improve following the Derby,” Lukas said. “The last race wasn’t too much but this colt has danced in every dance and shows up each time. There’s not much more you can ask of him but I wish we could’ve gotten a little luckier in a couple of his starts.”

Bravazo, the runner-up finisher in the Haskell Invitational (G1) and third-place finisher in the Travers (G1), worked in company with Spire through splits of :11.60, :23, :35 and :47, before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.60, said to Churchill Downs Clocker John Nichols. 

Lukas has pre-entered Bravazo as first preference to the Dirt Mile and second preference to the Classic. The Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman reported Thursday after the work that the Dirt Mile is his destination.

Bravazo was one spot outside of the prospective Classic field, while City of Light, a contender in, is more likely to go in the Dirt Mile, too. That would open up a spot for Gunnevera, last year's fifth-place Classic finisher.