Full Serrano attends fast pace, wins Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Full Serrano attended a quick pace but still had enough to clear off in the lane and hold off a late run from Post Time to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, the final race of the Breeders' Cup.

In a race with a lot of speed on paper there was the expected scramble for the early lead. T O Saint Denis (77-1) seized it into the first turn with Full Serrano (13-1) tracking in closest range under jockey Joel Rosario. They cut out quick early fractions, 22.30 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 45.47 for the half.

The pair remained the leaders through the far turn, though the chasing horses were making their bids and a line of six loomed before the head of the stretch. That included favored Domestic Product five wide and Skippylongstocking six deep.

Into the lane Full Serrano sailed for home, opening up daylight on the field. Post Time (7-1), who raced in last early, sliced belatedly through horses down the stretch. But, Full Serrano was already gone, crossing the wire 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Post Time. Full Serrano finished the mile over fast dirt in a time of 1:35.48, and paid bettors $28.80 to win.

It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Domestic Product (3-1), who outfinished Tumbarumba by 1 1/4 lengths for the show. Katonah (39-1) completed the high five.

Full Serrano is a 5-year-old horse by Full Mast out of the Jump Start mare Serra Do Mar. He was bred in Argentina and raced there through February of 2024. Before the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile he had run twice for his new connections, trainer John Sadler and owner Hronis Racing. He won an allowance at Del Mar on Aug. 3, then finished second behind Mixto in the Pacific Classic (G1) later that month.

He missed a final prep for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the California Crown (G1). Sadler said, "This horse came to me and has done well since we’ve had him here. Unfortunately, he got a little sick when we went back to Santa Anita, so he didn’t get a run in the prep. He might have been in the Classic, had he not got a little temperature.”

Full Serrano's win in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile was his first at the graded or group level, and improved his career record to 17: 6-5-2. The race was the third Breeders' Cup win for Sadler, and the 16th for Rosario. Rosario previously won the Dirt Mile with Dakota Phone in 2010 and Knicks Go in 2020.

Sadler plans to keep racing Full Serrano at the top level in a winter-spring campaign. “I’d like to, if it works well, run in the Pegasus and then look possibly at the Middle East for this horse.”