Woodbine Mile (G1) hero TOWN CRUISE, the 8-to-1 upsetter of the $1 million fixture on Sept. 18, will try to strike again on October 17 when he shortens up for the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes worth $250,000.
For a little over 24 hours this week, owner and trainer Brandon Greer intimated that his Town Prize gelding was indeed going to take his ‘Win and You’re In’ ticket from the Mile and head to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). But then Greer and father Terry changed their minds and local fans will get to see the chestnut and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto once more in 2021.
Town Cruise is expected to be favoured in the field of 10. He has traveled the six-furlong distance on Tapeta back in 2019, winning an optional claiming race. He may be cutting back in distance, but Town Cruise has caught a field that does not contain a ton of pace with only the 3-year-old Momos appearing to be the main speed.
Town Cruise has had a wild rise up the class ladder this year from allowance winner to Grade 1 winner, all in turf routes. He was off Lasix for the Mile and remains off Lasix. The prospect of a yielding turf should be okay for the gelding.
There are some confirmed sprinting types in the Nearctic including the mare JOLIE OLIMPICA, winner of the Nassau Stakes in July in her Woodbine debut. This mare, trained by Josie Carroll, is a graded stakes winner at 5 1/2 furlongs. WHITE FLAG, third in the Grade 1 Highlander in 2019, just won his return from a one-year layoff for trainer Roger Attfield and AVIE’S FLATTER won the Grade 2 Connaught Cup in July.
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