Sticksstatelydude back in Juvenile picture
By David Grening
Trainer and part-owner Greg Burchell was on the fence about whether to point STICKSSTATELYDUDE to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. But after watching his horse put in a solid workout Friday morning at Keeneland --he went a half-mile in 48.13 seconds out five furlongs in 1:02.13 per DRF clocker Mike Welsch -- Burchell said the horse will be pre-entered Monday for the $2 million race on Oct. 31.
Sticksstatelydude won a maiden race at Saratoga in his second career start and then had to scratch from the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 7 due to a temperature. He ran fourth in the Breeders' Futurity on Oct. 3.
"He's as good as I've seen him, he's moving forward," Burchell said Friday morning from Keeneland. "We got our money in the office and we'll see how it shakes out."
On Monday, Burchell told me he was leaning more toward running Sticksstatelydude in the Street Sense at Churchill Downs on Nov. 1. But after watching him work and talking to lifelong friend and fellow trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Burchell opted for the Breeders' Cup.
"He said that colt belongs in the race," Burchell said, referring to McLaughlin. "He said 'If he were in my barn there would be no doubt that's where I'd run him' "
Joel Rosario, aboard for Sticksstatelydude's win at Saratoga, is expected to ride him in the Breeders' Cup.
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