As soon as Musket Man crossed the wire, a neck behind Etched,
in the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Cup (gr. II) last Saturday, he became one of
the favorites, if not THE favorite, for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
(gr. I). After all, here is a horse who has excelled at seven furlongs
this year and finished a strong second to Quality Road in the Met Mile (gr. I) in a near stakes record 1:33 flat.
But trainer Derek Ryan has other ideas. In fact, the Dirt Mile never
even entered his mind. It’s been the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) all
the way, as Ryan is steadfast in his belief that Musket Man is a better
two-turn horse. The bottom line is that he is passing a race where he
could very well be the favorite to run in a race where he’ll likely be
20-1 or higher. Now that is what you call a gamble. It’s also what you
call confidence in your horse.
So, where does that leave Musket Man in his attempt to stretch out to 1 ¼ miles against the likes of Zenyatta, Blame, Quality Road, Lookin At Lucky, and other top-class horses?
Can a son of sprinter Yonaguska, out of a mare by sprinter Fortunate Prospect, actually win a 10-furlong race against the best distance horses in the country?
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