Next Shares to ready for Breeders' Cup in Kentucky

Next Shares, upset winner of Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile, will be spending a few more weeks at Keeneland to prepare for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile run Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

“We talked about it last night and the plan is to stay here until the last minute,” said Aimee Dollase, assistant to trainer Richard Baltas. Breeders’ Cup horses have to be on the grounds at Churchill Downs 72 hours prior to their races.

Next Shares and stablemate Insta Erma, sixth in the First Lady (G1) after stumbling badly at the start, have been in Kentucky since early September when both won stakes at Kentucky Downs.

“They both ran so well at Kentucky Downs, we decided just to come here to train rather than ship back to California,” Dollase said, reporting that Next Shares came out of his winning effort fine.

The gelding received a ground-saving trip from Tyler Gaffalione, who notched his first Keeneland graded-stakes victory with the 3¼-length score.

Next Shares races for Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan, Christopher T. Dunn, William Marasa, Ritchie Robershaw and Mark Taylor. At last year’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, he sold to David Meah, agent, for $190,000 from the consignment of ELiTE.

M and J Thoroughbreds and Riverside Bloodstock’s Great Wide Open (IRE), who finished second in the Shadwell Turf Mile at 81-1, could make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“He ran so hard yesterday that I really expected him to be tired for a few days, but he was fresh this morning,” said trainer and co-owner Conor Murphy, whose stable is based at Trackside training facility near Churchill. “If he continues showing the form he showed going into the Shadwell Mile, he certainly will be under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup.”