Breeders' Cup could prove a lucrative pit stop for Clapton
For Clapton, the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita is merely a stop on a journey toward a prize twice the size.
Strange as that might sound, when trainer Chad Summers made a private purchase of the Brethren colt this summer on behalf of Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi’s RRR Racing, it was solely with the intention of giving him a strong presence at the Grade 1, $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic?
“It was just never really on our itinerary,” Summers said. “Everything since we bought him was March 30, right? There is a singular focus on March 30. And so it’s been a constant mapping of ‘How do we get our horse to be the best he can be on March 30?’ It turns out a $6 million pit stop in Arcadia, Calif., is the best way to do it.”
Summers purchased the Arindel homebred after a runner-up effort to the erratic Charge It in the July 8 Suburban (G2) at Belmont Park and ahead of the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 2 at Saratoga.
Clapton ran better in the Gold Cup than his fourth-place finish behind Bright Future, Proxy and Tyson would suggest. With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, he was caught wide throughout. He understandably fell short after being seven wide at the top of the stretch.
There was some thought to having Clapton enter quarantine after the Gold Cup, but the 4-year-old was telling his new connections something else. With March 30 so far off, he was primed for another challenge closer to home.
Summers considered the possibilities and wisely anticipated that there would be significant speed to set up Clapton’s closing kick in the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic Stakes (G2) on Sept. 30 at Churchill Downs.
Four weeks between starts might have been too short of a turnaround for many horses. Clapton relished it. He went six wide in upper stretch this time but still got up by a head for jockey Cristian Torres.
The victory built confidence that Clapton can handle distance and served as a reminder that he likes to be a busy boy. The Lukas marked the 4-year-old’s 24th start. His record stands at 24: 6-4-6 with earnings of $823,450.
“He’s just a hard-knocking, cool horse,” Summers said. “He’s a lunchbox horse, I call him. He shows up every time.”
Clapton fits nicely into Sheikh Rashid’s plan. “He doesn’t want to buy unproven babies,” the trainer said. “He’d rather pay for a proven than pay for a guess.”
Still, a great deal of strategy goes into that. “You have to be on the right horses,” Summers said. “You have to be disciplined in putting a price point on what they’re worth. We’re not just buying anything like we’re on Fashion Avenue or Madison Avenue.”
Although not all horses react well to a change of trainers or a change in their surroundings, Clapton has transitioned so well that the Classic suddenly came into view. Clapton will break from post seven in a field of 13. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount. They are listed at 20-1 on the morning line.
Summers is best known for his handiwork with Mind Your Biscuits. The New York-bred finished third in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Sprint but rebounded to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) the following March. Mind Your Biscuits was unsuccessful in stretching out when he finished 11th in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic in his career finale.
At the least, Summers expects to learn much more about Clapton in the Classic. “It gives you a chance to put together a measuring stick of where we are right now and where we have to be March 30. Obviously, we’ll enjoy the much longer stretch of Meydan, but we’ll make do with what we have in front of us at Santa Anita.”
If Clapton outruns his long odds, this could be one lucrative pit stop.
