Carve Breezes for Homecoming Classic

Michael Langford’s graded stakes winner Carve posted a half-mile workout in :48.60 Saturday at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $125,000-added Homecoming Classic on Saturday, Sept. 27.

 

The runner-up to Bradester in the Sept. 6 Ack Ack Handicap (Grade III) is trained by Brad Cox, who was delighted with the colt’s workout.

 

“It was an awesome work; I was very pleased,” Cox said.

 

Cox seemed to think the Homecoming Classic would benefit the 4-year-old son of First Samurai, because of the two-turn distance of 1 1/8 miles versus the one-mile distance of the Ack Ack.

 

“Two turns will help him,” Cox said. “I think going two turns is a little bit better than one for him. He won here in the spring in a one-turn mile in an allowance, but all his other wins have been around two turns.”

 

Cox said he’d wait and see who would show up in the race before they developed a set strategy, but indicated that Carve ideally would be close to the lead.

 

“We’ll wait and see the post positions and see who all is running,” Cox said. “I’d say he’ll be close. I don’t know if he’ll be right on the lead but at least stalking up there close. He sure is doing well though.”

 

Given the two-turn comment, Cox said if Carve were to win next Saturday, he would be more likely to point him to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) versus the 1 ¼-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

 

“I don’t think he wants to go much further than 1 1/8 miles,” Cox said. “So if he runs a big one and we decide to go to the Breeders’ Cup, we’d probably point him to the Dirt Mile over the Classic.”

 

Source: Churchill Downs Communications