Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Spendthrift Farm's Crown of Thorns will go off as one of the favorites in Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). The race, scheduled to go off at 5:20 pm ET on Nov. 6, drew a full field of 14.
Crown of Thorns was installed the 4-1 second choice and will come from post position 8, an ideal spot for the long run down the Churchill Downs backstretch in the one-turn event. The 5-year-old bay horse is making just his third start of 2010, and his first ever outside of California and on a traditional dirt surface.
The son of Repent has run second in both outings this campaign. On Aug. 28, he was beaten just a half-length in the seven furlong Pat O'Brien (G1) at Del Mar, then came back on Oct. 2 at Hollywood/Oak Tree, where he was beaten the same margin in an ultra-game effort in the Goodwood H. (G1).
Grade 2 winner Crown of Thorns has hit the board in seven of eight starts in his career, earning $687,080. He was bred in Florida by Clover Leaf Farms II Inc. He is trained by Richard Mandella. B. Wayne Hughes bought Crown of Thorns at the 2007 OBS Open 2-year-old sale for $300,000.