Next Shares to 'fly under the radar' in Breeders' Cup Mile

Next Shares, winner of the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at 23-1, continued to work toward a start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile with a five-furlong breeze in an easy 1:04.20 over the Keeneland turf Sunday morning. 

“We just asked him to work a solid breeze and he finished up nicely and galloped out good,” said Aimee Dollase, assistant to Southern California-based trainer Richard Baltas. “Tyler was pleased with it. He looked really happy. His ears were straightforward and focused.”

The 5-year-old Archarcharch gelding claimed two “Win and You’re In” type races heading into his first Breeders’ Cup run. While the Shadwell Turf Mile gave him an automatic berth into the Nov. 2-3 World Championships at Churchill Downs, his victory in Kentucky Downs’ Old Friends Stakes earned him a retirement home for life.

Although the opportunity is nice to have, connections haven’t talked about retirement yet with Next Shares running at the top of his game.

“As long as he’s happy and sound and running well, I’m sure they’ll try to continue,” Dollase said of racing next season.

Next Shares has been in Kentucky since shipping in for the Old Friends Stakes. He’ll remain at Keeneland until closer to the deadline for Breeders’ Cup arrivals, which is 72 hours in advance of his race.

His stablemate Insta Erma made the trip to Kentucky Downs and Keeneland with him and also took to Keeneland’s turf Sunday morning, working four furlongs in 51.60. Dollase said there’s a few unnamed races the connections have their eyes on right now and they are keeping her fit to run.

A 5-year-old mare by Pioneerof the Nile, Insta Erma won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G3) before finishing sixth in Keeneland’s First Lady (G1) after falling to her knees at the break. She is entered in the Keeneland November Sale as a racing and broodmare prospect and is currently owned by Medallion Racing, Nathan McCauley, Thomas Cornelison, Jerry McClanahan and Christopher Johnson.

Dollase said the two horses have flourished in Kentucky and have continued to train well. The softer turf has even been helpful to Next Shares.

“He’s loved it. If anything a little give in the ground has been good for him,” Dollase said. “His record speaks for itself. He’s done really well the past couple months, racing and training wise, so we’ve been pretty happy.”

Next Shares was purchased for $190,000 at last year’s Keeneland November Sale before moving to the West Coast to train under Baltas. He now races for Michael and Jules Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan, Christopher Dunn, William Marasa, Ritchie Robershaw and Mark Taylor. Next Shares placed in California graded stakes company multiple times this season, but it wasn’t until this fall in Kentucky when he notched his first stakes win before breaking through in graded company.

He earned his Grade 1 credentials as a longshot, and connections are fine if he doesn’t go off with lower odds on Breeders’ Cup day.

“He may or may not, but that’s fine,” Dollase said. “We’ll fly under the radar. That’s OK.”