Recap and quotes courtesy of Breeders’ Cup publicity
The first two career starts for OBS graduate Further Ado (Gun Runner- Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa) at Keeneland were breezes.
The third one, the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland Race Course on Saturday, was a battle.
In the end, the only 3-year-old in the race proved the best.
Further Ado and jockey Flavien Prat hooked up with Owen Almighty and jockey Luis Seaz heading into the Keeneland stretch and fought all the way to the wire. Further Ado, on the outside, and Owen Almighty on the inside, looked inseparable when they hit the finish.
“I had no clue if we had won,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “It looked right past the wire, the other horse had his nose down. But we had it down when it counted there at the mile distance and I’m very proud of the effort.”
“I thought I was ahead of him, but (Owen Almighty) had a good bob,” Prat said. “So, I didn’t know!”
In the end, the photo showed that Further Ado, the even-money favorite, had gotten his nostril just in front of his rival. Barely. The final time was 1:34.50.
Fellow OBS graduate Nysos captured the 2025 edition of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm LLC and bred in Kentucky by John C. Oxley, Further Ado won for the third time in seven starts this year. His finest moments in his career, though, have come at Keeneland.
He broke his maiden there, romping to a 20-length victory last Oct. 20. This year, he stamped himself as a bona fide Kentucky Derby (G1) candidate when he obliterated the Blue Grass (G1) field at Keeneland, winning buy a whopping 11 lengths.
On Saturday, Further Ado and Prat, pinned down on the inside, got out heading into the stretch and took off, setting his sights on Owen Almighty, who had wrestled the lead from Full Serrano. From there, it was a sprint to the wire and drama right on to the end.
“I was traveling well all the way around,” Prat said. “We turned for home, and he gave me a good run. Owen Almighty just was tough.”
Further Ado was also pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Longines Classic (G1) but opted for the Dirt Mile.
“It was very important to try and make this hors a dual Grade 1 winner at the age of three,” Cox said. “I think there is a little bit of a question mark with the distances with him. I wasn’t convinced we wanted to tackle 1 ¼ miles against older horses just yet.”
Further Ado was purchased by Spendthrift at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $550,000 from the Six K’s Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :21 1/5.
Race Quotes:
Winning trainer Brad Cox (Further Ado): “I had no clue (at the finish) if we had won. I knew from racing here that the mirror sits in front of the wire here so it looked like right past the wire, the other horse had his nose down. But we had it down when it counted there at the mile distance and I’m very proud of the effort.”
(On the dirt mile decision) “It was very important to try and make this horse a dual G1 winner at the age of 3. And listen I think there is a little bit of question mark with the distances with him. I think he wants more than a mile but I wasn’t convinced we wanted to tackle 1 1/4 miles against older horses just yet.”
Winning jockey Flavien Prat (Further Ado): “I thought I was ahead of him, but he had a good bob, so I didn’t know!”