Gleneagles Tests Keeneland Dirt

Dual Guineas winner Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) took to the Keeneland’s main track for the first time Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be both the 3-year-old’s dirt debut and career swansong.

The Classic will also be the first and only time Gleneagles races beyond a mile; he has been successful at that distance in this year’s G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas and G1 St James’s Palace S., and he also won last year’s Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. over seven furlongs.

Joseph O’Brien, who partnered the bay in his exercise Thursday, said, “It’s impossible to tell how he will handle the dirt, but what I would say is when he stretched his legs this morning, he was in very good form and moving well. The dirt is still a bit sloppy, but better than it was and they are saying there will not be much more in the way of rain.”

O’Brien added, “My horse has a lot of pace; he’s a good mover who travels and can quicken up and while it is a shot into the dark, he has a great constitution. I think we’ll know after a couple of furlongs; if he’s traveling and happy he’s in with a shout.”

Gleneagles experienced an interrupted summer campaign, missing a handful of engagements due to soft ground, and was sixth off a four-month layoff in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot Oct. 17.