Breeders' Cup: Seize the Grey connections opt for Dirt Mile

The connections of Seize the Grey settled on the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile for his next start, ruling out the Classic.

"We decided that that's our best option," trainer D. Wayne Lukas told Horse Racing Nation on Tuesday, confirming a report by Daily Racing Form.

The decision was made by officials with owner MyRacehorse, Lukas said.

"He kind of runs to his competition, and he's got tactical speed," Lukas said. "So we agonized back and forth from the Classic to the Mile and so forth. And I thought that we'd probably be headed for the Classic, and then they talked it over and they wanted to go to the Mile side. I said, that's fine. We'll train him for the Mile."

The last time Seize the Grey started at the shorter distance was in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Sent off at 9-1, he won by 1 1/4 lengths over favorite Nash.

The Arrogate colt followed that with a win in the Preakness over Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, but then was out of the money in his next two starts, the Belmont Stakes and the Jim Dandy (G1).

He returned Sept. 21 to lead at every call in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), winning by 3 3/4 lengths as the third betting choice.