「英倫海峽」破完紀錄，下一站準備到杜拜挑機
English Channel sets course record
By MIKE WELSCH (DRF.com)
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - English Channel's twice-delayed 2007 debut proved more than worth the wait after the Eclipse Award finalist set a course record in an allowance race here Thursday.
Ridden by John Velazquez, English Channel settled just off the pace of Mending Fences. He collared the game but overmatched leader to win by 1 1/4 lengths. English Channel's final time of 1:44.51 eclipsed the 1 1/8-mile course record by 0.18 of a second, and came within 0.59 second of the world record, set by Kostroma at Santa Anita in 1991.
"It was probably a little more than I wanted him to do the first time back, but he did it so easily and in hand," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "Johnny said he never hit him. In fact, he didn't even sit down and ride him until the sixteenth pole. All in all I thought it was a very big effort."
Pletcher had planned to bring English Channel back in defense of his title in the Canadian Turf Handicap here on Feb. 3, but was forced to pass the race after the three-time Grade 1 winner lost training time due to an upper respiratory infection. The setback also kept English Channel out of his next potential objective, the Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Handicap the following week.
Pletcher said that English Channel, who is owned by James Scatuorchio, will makes his next start in Dubai on March 31, probably in the Dubai Duty Free at 1 1/8 miles. Pletcher's other alternative is the 1 1/2-mile Dubai Sheema Classic.
"One thing we learned about him today is that he's much more settled and kinder to rate with some pace to run at going a mile and one-eighth," said Pletcher. "He also ran a huge race last year in the Woodford Reserve. I'll talk to Mr. Scatuorchio to make sure we're all on the same page, but based on those strong performances it's likely he'll run in the Duty Free."
唔好講笑，英倫海峽話晒上年BC Turf都只係輸俾兩隻歐洲馬o黎計，再加埋而家跑千八破埋紀錄；咁o既話，去到跑Duty Free對手唔強下，港隊o既爭標難度就即刻提高了！
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